Blackjack Tournament Format
The concept of tournament blackjack has been around for a long while, and tournaments have taken place in live casinos all over the world for many years.
Towards the end of the 20th century, they had fallen out of favor somewhat, possibly due to the fact that many casinos stopped offering them as they did not want to encourage the use of card counting skills.
However, blackjack tournaments have become increasingly popular in recent years. This could be at least partly attributable to the growth in popularity of poker tournaments.
Typically, a blackjack tournament will consist of elimination rounds (though single table blackjack tournaments do exist), in which the top one or two finishers out of a table of about five to six players will advance to the next round. At the beginning of each round, each player starts with the same number of chips. Elimination blackjack tournaments are becoming more and more popular in both live and online casinos. The format of a blackjack tournament appeals to many different types of card players, from those that like Texas Hold ‘Em poker tournaments to those that like popular casino table games like Let it Ride.
Casino bosses have seen how many people they can attract, and offer blackjack tournaments hoping for the same effect. Online casinos have also had an impact. Many of them offer blackjack tournaments on a regular basis, making them far more accessible to players.
On this page we explain what blackjack tournaments are all about, and also look at the different types.
Strategy used in blackjack tournaments is a whole different ball game than the strategy used in regular table games at the casino. The main difference between the games is the fact that you are not only playing against the dealer to win chips, but also against other players and competitors in the tourney. The basics of blackjack tournaments are quite straightforward. The game is still played in essentially the same way, with players trying to beat the dealer on each hand to win chips, but the players are also competing against each other. The objective in a tournament is to win more chips from the dealer than all the other players do. Tournament Blackjack is an adaptation in which the players compete with each other. The tournament format is similar to that used for Texas Holdem poker tournaments. Each player begins with an equal number of chips, and the objective is not to win chips from the bank but to end with more chips than the other players.
Blackjack Tournament Basics
The basics of blackjack tournaments are quite straightforward. The game is still played in essentially the same way, with players trying to beat the dealer on each hand to win chips, but the players are also competing against each other.
When entering a blackjack tournament, players must pay an entry fee. This fee goes into the prize pool, usually with the casino taking a small cut. Entrants then receive a number of chips, known as the starting stack, which have no real monetary value but are otherwise used in the same way as chips normally are when playing blackjack.
A tournament can take place over one single round, or several rounds. Each round is played over either a fixed number of hands or a fixed period of time. Participants play blackjack as normal during a round, winning or losing chips against the dealer on the outcome of each hand.
How To Run A Blackjack Tournament
The order of play changes during each hand, so that it’s not the same player acting first every time. This makes things fair, as players do need to make decisions based on how their opponents are doing.
What happens at the end of each round depends on the exact rules of the tournament. If just a single round is to be played, then the chips are counted up and player positions are determined based on how many chips they have at this point.
The prize pool is then distributed according to the payout structure. In some tournaments, the winner will take the entire prize pool, while in others it will be split among those in the top few positions.
If multiple rounds are to be played, usually some players are eliminated when each round ends. These eliminations are based on the number of chips held, and the remaining players all progress into the next round. The cycle then continues until a winner is determined.
There are, however, a few different types of blackjack tournaments where certain rules vary.
Blackjack tournaments can be categorized in a number of different ways, with most tournaments falling into one or more category. Below is a list of the most common types of tournaments, along with explanations of each.
- Elimination
- Non-Elimination
- Single Table
- Multi Table
- Sit and Go
- Scheduled
- Freeroll
- Guaranteed
- Rebuy
- Satellite
With an elimination format, a number of players are eliminated after each round. It might be a case of a single player with the least chips, or everyone except the two players with the most chips. The exact rules of elimination can vary, but this is the basic idea.
With a non-elimination format, there is usually just one single round. The player with the most chips at the end of the round is the winner, with other positions determined by the number of chips players have at this point.
Players can still be eliminated during the round if they lose all of their chips however.
Single Table & Multi Table Tournaments
The difference between these two formats is both simple and, given their names, fairly obvious. Single table tournaments are played on just a single table, while multi-table tournaments are played over multiple tables.
Multi-table tournaments are often played with elimination rules, and the number of tables used then decreases as players are eliminated. The tournament ends up being played on a single table with the last few players.
These differ purely in the way they start. A sit and go has no fixed start time, and will begin as soon as enough players have entered.
A scheduled tournament will start at a fixed time, with registration opening some time in advance.
Freerolls
Freerolls don’t cost any money to enter, but they still offer some prize money. They are typically held by casinos either as a reward for regular players, or as a way to attract new players.
The amount of prize money on offer is usually fairly low.
These have a minimum prize pool regardless of the number of entrants. The prize pool will be paid out even if the entry fees paid by players do not cover it.
When a casino puts a guarantee in place, it is usually to make a tournament particularly attractive to players, which means that very often the guarantee will end up being covered by the entry fees in any case.
Rebuy Tournaments
In a rebuy, players can purchase more chips if they lose their starting stack. This enables them to take more risks without the fear of being eliminated.
Ultimate Blackjack Tournament
There is a charge for rebuying, however, which is usually similar to the original entry fee. Rebuy fees are generally added straight into the prize pool.
Poker Tournament Format
Satellites do not offer cash prizes to winners, but rather entry into other, higher value tournaments.