A look at online live dealer blackjack tournaments
Whether you’re looking at just the US or even across the world, there’s no denying that blackjack is one of the most popular casino games out there. The fact that the game can now be enjoyed online, and with a live dealer, has only added to its popularity. Of course, the other thing that makes this game a firm favorite is the fact that it’s fast-paced and easy to learn. Let´s take a look at live dealer blackjack tournaments.
While blackjack, just like other casino games, is all about fun, there’s also money to be won. One of the most exciting ways to win is by taking part in a tournament. It was once the case that to do this you’d have to get yourself to a land-based casino. With the exceptional quality of online games, you can now do exactly the same from the comfort of your home. Let’s have a look at just what’s involved.
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What to expect from an online blackjack tournament
First off, you’ll need to make sure that you’re choosing an online casino that provides the best quality live dealer blackjack games. There’s nothing more frustrating than taking part in a tournament only to find that the live stream quality leaves a lot to be desired and that the dealer lacks professionalism.
Assuming that you’ve found a reputable live dealer casino, you generally have two options to choose between. You can opt to play against other players or against the dealer. Let’s look at how they compare:
Against other players – Type of live dealer blackjack tournaments
Of course, we’re always told that, when playing blackjack, we’re playing against the dealer. That’s still the case here: to win you need to beat the dealer. The reason that these kinds of tournaments are classed as being against other players is that you’re trying to win more chips than any of the others.
At the end of the game, whichever player has the most chips goes through to the next round. This carries on until there is a grand final and an ultimate winner.
Against the dealer – Type of live dealer blackjack tournaments
If you want to go head to head with a professional dealer and find out how much suspense this can create, then this may be the option for you. In these tournaments, it’s just you and the dealer. Each game sees you being awarded points. The more points you get, the higher up the leaderboard you go.
A look at common tournament rules
The online casino that you choose to play at will have its own blackjack rules for its tournaments. That’s why you really must check these out before you sign up and start playing. That being said, there are some common blackjack tournament rules that apply at the majority of sites:
- Being signed up to an online casino isn’t enough to take part in a tournament – you’ll also need to pay a fee so that you can enter
- A tournament can be made up of as many rounds as the host decides upon
- The time each round takes will depend upon the variant being played
- How a game ends will depend upon the tournament type – we’re coming onto this next
- The majority of blackjack tournaments restrict losses to entry and re-buy fees but make sure that you check this before you take part
Not a rule, but something that you really must do before joining any online blackjack tournament: be sure that you’ve mastered basic strategy. Doing so really does give you the edge and improve your chances of a win.
Blackjack tournament formats – Live dealer blackjack tournaments
As we touched on above, there are different formats that a blackjack tournament may take. these are the most notable ones that you should be aware of:
Elimination
The name of this format pretty much describes how it works: it sees a player being eliminated after each round. It starts with each player having the same number of chips. You’ll find that most tournaments have as many as five rounds and that each round is made up of 15 to 30 hands. The end of each round sees the player with the least number of chips being eliminated until there is a final winner.
Non-elimination
This format is played out in the same way as the elimination one. The big difference is that, as the name suggests, players aren’t eliminated. Instead, what happens is that players are awarded points at the end of each round depending on how many chips they have. There will be a leaderboard visible so that players know how they’re doing.
Sit ’n’ Go
If you to anyone within the blackjack community, you’ll find that the Sit ’n’ Go format is extremely popular. Before this tournament can get underway, there need to be six players signed up and ready to go. If you try and join when the six have already been met then you won’t be able to play.
Mini and majors
Mini tournaments take place on a weekly or even daily basis. They have low entry fees but they also have small prize pools. Major blackjack tournaments need you to make a large buy-in but that also means that you have the chance of winning a larger prize.
Top tips for online blackjack tournaments
What you’ll find below are tips to help you when joining live online blackjack tournaments. Of course, these don’t assure you a win, but they get you in the best starting position:
- Avoid insurance – Insurance comes with a lousy house edge and is best avoided at all times
- Ignore other players – Remain quiet, focus on your game, and watch how far you go. Don’t get distracted by the other players at the table
- Act quickly – Blackjack is loved because it’s a fast-paced game. Make sure that you keep it this way so that you’re not frustrating the dealer or others in the tournament
- Read the rules – It may sound basic, but this is the best tip that we can give. Blackjack tournaments will have different rules and you need to know what these are before you start to play
| 21+ | Terms & Conditions Apply | NJ Residents Only | ||
| $25 FREE on Signup 100% up to $1.000 on First Deposit Hotspot Leaderboard | Visit Casino |
