Online Blackjack Tournament Tips Every Beginner Needs to Know

How do Blackjack tournaments work?

The goal of most Blackjack tournaments is simple. Players are pitted against each other for a set number of hands or rounds. Typically, the player with the most chips at the end of all the hands or rounds wins. However, there are tournament structures that allow for multiple buy-ins to accumulate the most chips in a set number of hands with a time limit. The goal there is to finish with the most chips for a given time frame against hundreds or thousands of other players.

Blackjack Tournament Tips & Advice

1. Keep an eye on your opponent’s chips

In a blackjack tournament, you’re not playing against the house. Not really. You’re playing against other players in the tournament, and that’s who you’re looking to beat. Keep an eye on who’s starting heavy, who’s going light. Knowing where you need to be to advance or win is key.

If you’ve got one guy at the table who picks up a couple of early wins, you may need to go heavier to catch up. If everyone at the table is short-stacked, you can lighten your bets a little to stay ahead.

You need to be more aware of your opponents and their stacks when you play a blackjack tournament than just a regular game at a table.

2. Know the rules

If this were self-evident, no one would have ever made a mistake when it came to the rules of the blackjack tournament they were playing in. Double-check the rules before play starts just to avoid costing yourself or throwing your game off during play.

Unsure of the rules on splitting? Doubling down? Maximum bets? Minimum bets? Review the rules before you begin. It could save you a headache or embarrassment.

It’s also a good idea to see if you can learn what the results of previous tournaments looked like, and what kind of chip totals you’ll need to aim for to win in a highest round tournament.

3. How to bet when you’re ahead

Playing from the front? That’s awesome. You want to dial back your bets, but not so much that you’ll allow others at the table to pull ahead. Keep an eye on the stacks in front of your fellow players. Bet to match the amount of the guy with the second-largest stack. This way, the other player can’t catch you if you both win, and you can’t fall behind if you both lose.

4. How to bet when you’re behind

The first few hands in your blackjack tournament didn’t go your way? You’ll have to battle back, but it’s not over until it’s over.

You never want to be more than one max bet away from the leader, so you’ll need to get a little bold. Going higher on one or two plays is more likely to get you back in the tournament than making medium-sized bets. Go big for a hand or two and climb back up the leader board.

5. Look to bet half your chips at most

It’s tempting to go all in and try to double your stack, but what if you need to double down or split? If you need to go big and you’re not near the last hand or final round, try not to go higher than half your stack.

6. Keep one chip on the last hand

It’s very common for everyone at the table to go ‘all-in’ on the last hand of the round. Keep one chip just in case everyone loses. You’d be surprised how often a situation like this occurs, and the one guy who kept a chip ended up winning the round.

7. Consider an opposite betting strategy

Opposite betting is one way to catch up to the chip leader if you find yourself behind. If the chip leader dials back their bet, you want to go heavy. If the leader goes heavy, dial back your bet. You’re essentially doing the opposite of what the chip leader is doing in an effort to get back into the game. This is a blackjack tournament strategy that’s better to try if you’re close to the top, not near the bottom.

The thought process is that one or two losses by the leader with a heavy bet or a couple of big wins for you, and you’re right back into the game.

Keep in mind that your time playing online or at a table shouldn’t cause additional stress. You get enough of that from work, family, and sports gambling. If your blood pressure is rising, get up, take a walk, throw on your earphones, and listen to the latest episode of the Sports Gambling Podcast, but always remember to let it ride!