How To Play In A Blackjack Tournament

In a universal format, players are given a fixed amount at the beginning of a round of 50 to 100 hands and advance to the next round only if they outperform the other players at their table, progressing toward a final round. One example would be a tournament that’s open to 108 players at tables of six players each. How Blackjack Tournaments Work. To gain entry to a tournament you’ll have to register and pay the entry fee. This entry fee will usually come in two parts, such as $5 + $0.50, where the $5 will go towards the prize fund, while the $0.50 will go to the house for hosting the tournament.

1. How To Play In A Blackjack Tournament
2. How To Play In A Blackjack Tournaments
3. How To Play In A Blackjack Tournament
4. How To Play Blackjack Poker

How to Play (and win!) Online Blackjack Tournaments

Ask anyone to name a casino game of choice and it’s a sure bet that it won’t be too long before blackjack comes up. The game is one of the most talked about at the casino, with many books written about the game over the years, indeed, some of them even making it to the big screen. When online casinos came along, blackjack moved across almost seamlessly, with casino sites sites offering a large selection of games, the vast majority of them being the classic head to head between the player and the dealer. However, a growing phenomenon are the blackjack tournaments, where instead of playing against the dealer, you are actually up against other players, competing to see who performs the best.

In this article I start by describing how a blackjack tournament works, detailing the format and structure of these events. Then I move onto to look at some of the strategy you could use to improve your chance of winning these tournaments. Finally, I look at the advantages of playing in blackjack tournaments.

How Blackjack Tournaments Work

To gain entry to a tournament you’ll have to register and pay the entry fee. This entry fee will usually come in two parts, such as $5 + $0.50, where the $5 will go towards the prize fund, while the $0.50 will go to the house for hosting the tournament. Of course, you will find some free roll tournaments where no money changes hands at all.

The players in the tournament will usually be split across a number of tables, with the best performing players at each table progressing to the next round. All players at a table will start with exactly the same amount of chips and the aim is to have more chips than your fellow competitors at the end of the round. Each round will have some kind of time limit, whether that be a set number of minutes, or a set number of hands to be played in the round. The tournament will continue until there is just one table remaining, where you’ll usually find that all of the players are now ‘in the money’, although the biggest prizes are obviously reserved for the top performing players at this final table.

Blackjack Tournament Strategy

The first thing you have to realize when playing a blackjack tournament is that you are no longer playing against the house. It’s no good having more chips than you started with if every other player has a higher chip stack than you, so the most important piece of advice is to know exactly how many chips all of your competitors have.

Popular advice is to start out somewhat conservatively, ensuring you don’t bust out early and keeping an eye on your fellow competitors. For example, if playing a 50 hand tournament, you might want to take it easy for the first 30 hands and then evaluate exactly where you stand. If you’re lagging behind, then you can start to increase your bet size, or if you’re sitting pretty, you can carry on in the same vein. The last 3 or 4 hands will be majorly important as every player will now be scrambling for their tournament lives, a number of players betting all their stack – this is where it becomes especially important to know where you stand. There is nothing more disappointing than exiting a tournament simply because you got the bet size wrong on the final hand!

Much of your strategy will depend upon exactly how many players qualify – a tournament which sees only a small number of players proceed (maybe 1 from each table) would need a more aggressive strategy. The same could be said about the final table, where you’ll need to be more aggressive if you are aiming to grab that 1^st place prize, or take it easier if you are happier to take home a solid middle position prize.

Advantages of Playing Blackjack Tournaments

Blackjack tournaments can give the game a whole new level of excitement. Blackjack is a card game with a high level of strategy anyway, but tournaments add another layer of strategy to the game and instead of beating just one player in the dealer, winning a tournament sees you triumph over a whole host of players.

Blackjack tournaments also offer the opportunity to play a great number of hands for a set fee, so you’ll know exactly how much the session will cost you before you start.

Another key advantage is that Blackjack is a relatively low odds casino game, most hands offering you even money. Playing in a tournament however, gives you the opportunity of making many times your starting stake, especially if you can go all the way and win the tournament.

More Great Table Game Themed Articles

If you’re looking for extended Internet gambling that lasts for more than just a few hands, online blackjack tournaments for real money may be the right choice for you. Blackjack is already loads of fun on its own, but tourney play takes things to a whole new level.

The best part about tournament blackjack is that a single entry fee can offer hours of gameplay, and if you're good enough, it can provide a large payout that'll impress even the most seasoned gamblers. Practice makes perfect, of course, so our handy BJ guide offers up some strategies and ways to play without risking any money, too.

Why look anywhere else when we've got your one-stop resource for legal blackjack sites right here? Read on as we cover the legalities of online 21 games, showing you the best places to play and giving you some insight that’ll help you stay ahead of the house. Don’t stand for anything less!

Bovada is a long-standing, respected offshore casino and sportsbook that has been in operation for many years, has a solid history of accurate and timely payouts, and features industry-standard levels of fair play that you’d expect from the best Vegas casinos.

If you’re looking for the hottest online blackjack tournaments on the web, Bovada has got you covered with competitions taking place every day. Once you’ve dominated the tourney, check out their extensive array of electronic betting games, live dealer blackjack tables, and extensive sportsbook. Backed by the Bodog license, Bovada offers the highest level of premium 21 tournament action.

Best Online Casino Sites For Legal BJ Tournaments

Is It Legal To Play Online Blackjack Tournaments For Real Money?

Yes, playing 21 tournaments online is legal, and there are several options for doing this. A few states that have laws regulating Internet gambling have opted to offer online table games through their physical casino properties. These types of online blackjack tournaments require players to be in the same state as the gambling facility hosting the events, and sometimes players even have to be on the premises of the casinos themselves.

If there are no domestic casinos located near you, the best option is to sign up at an offshore blackjack casino operating legally online. These casinos offer legal online blackjack in most US states, and they each have scheduled contests available for browsing right now.

How To Play In A Blackjack Tournament

How Do Blackjack Tournaments Work?

Online casinos feature schedules of upcoming 21 tournaments that detail the times, entry fees, prize amounts, and rules involved. Simply find a tournament that suits you best and sign up for it. Once tournament gameplay begins, points are compiled based on the performance of each hand. Players at the top of the leaderboard at the closure of play will win the top prizes. Remember, online BJ tournaments are cumulative events and are not based on single tables or hands.

Blackjack Tournament Rules

The first rule for blackjack tournaments is to join one at your site of choice. To do that, navigate to the Casino section, select the Blackjack option, and enter one of the many events on offer. Click “Join” before the beginning of the tournament, your entry fee will be deducted from your site balance, and you’re in!

Now for the harder part: Winning! The way to emerge victorious in any ultimate blackjack tournament is to climb to the top of the leaderboard, which requires compiling points based on your performance over time. One great hand won’t cut the deck, here. You’ve got to amass a run, and you’re racing everyone else to do it.

How Points Are Earned In An Online Blackjack Tournament

Different sites have different criteria for their BJ tournaments, but a typical point setup is as follows, and most venues utilize a variation of this model.

• Competing minimum hand requirement – 1 point
• Push – 2 points
• Win – 5 points
• Blackjack – 10 points
• Split hands are scored as two hands, so a win and a push would award 7 points.

Players must meet certain thresholds for “spins” and hands before they will become eligible for cash prizes. Many offshore casinos offer rewards in the form of bonuses, which include rollovers/playthroughs and extended gameplay requirements before you can collect payouts. Be sure to read the details of each tournament and prize amount before playing.

How To Play Online 21 Tournaments Legally

Very few physical US casinos offer online blackjack tournaments, but those that do require that bettors be located within that same state because of the Federal Wire Act. Those laws do not apply when using a top-rated offshore casino, so online blackjack is available to you regardless of where you live in the country.

In fact, despite being “foreign” operators, these premium online USA casinos offer blackjack tournaments at all hours of the day and have schedules available for browsing right now. In order to participate in one of these online BJ tournaments for real money, you'll need to become a member, which requires a few steps.

1. Once you've decided which online casino you want to play a tournament with, find the “Join” button – usually at the top right on the home page – and click it.
2. The next screen will require you to enter a login and password, as well as a bit of personal data such as your name and address.
3. Now, you’ll be able to make your first deposit into your account. You can skip this step if you desire, but depositing now will keep you from backtracking later once you've found the blackjack event that you'd like to enter. Wire transfers, major debit and credit cards, and many other banking methods are accepted at most sites, but we recommend using Bitcoin. Bonuses are available that are based on a percentage of your first deposit, but again, these bonuses require rollover, so be sure to investigate the details.
4. Once you've made your deposit, you are ready to double-down against the competition. Navigate to the blackjack tournament section of the website, enter the event, and dominate your opponents. Hit me? Heck, no. Hit YOU!

Blackjack Tournament Mobile Apps

The App Store and Google Play do not offer any offshore gambling apps, though the few in-state casinos that offer mobile gaming apps are allowed to host these on the Apple and Google storefronts. However, you don’t need an app to enjoy mobile blackjack play, as our most trusted online blackjack tournament casinos all offer web apps that are fully optimized to your smartphone or tablet, whether you’re an iPhone gambler, Android gambler, or weirdo Kindle Fire gambler (in which case, come on – step your game up!).

Best of all, with web-app experiences like these, everything is handled on the backend. All you need is a modern mobile device and an Internet connection, and just about any standard browser will give you full access to online casinos and blackjack tourneys. There’s never anything to download or update, and this system actually provides the most secure gameplay available today, replete with SSL and TLS encryption.

Bonus Offers For Blackjack Tournaments Online

Our top-rated offshore casinos offer bonuses that match a percentage of a new member’s initial deposit. Most major credit and debit cards are accepted, as well as wire transfers, money orders, and so on. Bonuses are available regardless of your chosen deposit type. However, the most preferred method of deposit is Bitcoin, and online blackjack casinos tend to offer the highest bonuses when using the cryptocurrency.

Before accepting any bonus, just make sure to read the details of the offer. Casino bonuses always require rollover amounts to be met before payouts can be claimed, and that may not be advantageous to infrequent gamblers. However, if you play blackjack online regularly, the bonuses can be literal free money!

Blackjack Tournament FAQs

Most BJ tournaments are featured on a schedule that advertises the start time, the entry fee, and the prize money. It is advisable to read all details regarding tournament rules and prizes because they will vary depending on where you play. Once you've paid for and entered an online blackjack tournament, points will be accumulated per match, and prizes are given to the players atop the leaderboard upon the end of play.

Yes, there are some game sites that offer free blackjack, but at all our recommended gambling sites, blackjack tournaments are played for real money exclusively. That said, if you want to brush up on your BJ skills, you can always go into the Casino section of your site of choice and play blackjack for free through each game’s trial system. This lets you practice, but it also lets new users find exactly the RNG games they wish to play before spending any actual cash.

How To Play In A Blackjack Tournaments

When it comes to how to win a blackjack tournament, it’s simple: The player who is atop the leaderboard upon completion of play win the top payout or prize. Points are earned for each hand played based on pushes, wins, and blackjacks, and those at the top of the leaderboard who don’t win outright often win real money and get prizes, as well.

How To Play In A Blackjack Tournament

21 tournaments played online at our recommended sites require that players be at least 18 years of age. This is considerably lower than the 21-year-old age requirement of most brick-and-mortar casinos and card rooms in the United States.

Yes, our top offshore casinos not only accept Bitcoin, they prefer it. Because Bitcoin is not regulated by the government of any nation, there are no restrictions on the transfer of Bitcoin funds, creating an advantageous situation for online 21 tournament casinos. The highest level of deposit-matching bonuses are awarded for the use of Cryptocurrency, so open your digital wallet and let the games begin.

The approach for how to play blackjack tournament games will vary from user to user. Online blackjack tournaments offering real money wagering can be easy if you know the rules. Tournaments of 21 are played by compiling points of each round of blackjack, with players amassing points based on a score earned from each hand played. The goal is to accumulate enough points to put yourself at the top of the leaderboard when play finishes.

If you are playing an online tournament, then you can use a blackjack calculator or blackjack chart to make tough gambling decisions easy. That’s something no retail casino would ever allow on the gaming floor!

Playing an online BJ tournament has many advantages over playing live in-person at a casino table. One of the best recommendations we can offer for online play is the use of a blackjack calculator and/or a blackjack chart. Keep one or both of these pulled up in a separate browser for quick reference to simplify even the toughest of gambling scenarios. Also, remember that the house dealer has their own hard-and-fast rules to follow. These typically include standing on 16 or higher, and no splitting or doubling down. Use this to your advantage.

How To Play Blackjack Poker

Also, being able to count cards won’t hurt, but most blackjack tournaments use multiple-deck draws to prevent this. The main thing is to stick to your own rules. In poker, you gotta know when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em. In blackjack, you gotta know when to hit it and when to quit it.