$100 Elimination Blackjack Tournament
If you like blackjack, and you like poker, you’ll love the Elimination Blackjack tournaments. Elimination Blackjack tournaments combine the traditional elements of blackjack and the strategies and competition of poker with a couple of exciting twists.
Learn to Play Elimination Blackjack
Elimination Blackjack tournament strategy differs from traditional blackjack in that your primary objective is to beat the other players. Even if you lose to the dealer you can still win an Elimination Blackjack tournament by losing less than your opponents. EBJ tournament strategy can be complicated, but understanding a few basic concepts will take you a long way. See tournament schedule below.
Prize Pool Value: $100
| Tournament Schedule | Entry Fee: 75 Tournament Points | ||||||
| SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY | SATURDAY |
| 8:15 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:15 PM |
| ALL TIMES ARE ET (EASTERN TIME) | ||||||
- See Official Tournament Rules -
How To Play Elimination Blackjack
First there are the Elimination Hands. Whether you're a novice or a tournament pro, the elimination format is simple. It's a 30-hand tournament, during which the player with the lowest chip stack on hands 8, 16, and 25 is eliminated; in this type of blackjack, betting strategy is critical. Second, there's the Secret Bet, which gives players the option vital to the game of poker—the option to bluff. Following are the rules for Elimination Blackjack tournaments.
- In preliminary tournament rounds, each player starts with $25,000 in play chips, which is also the maximum bet. The minimum bet is $500. At the final table, each player starts with $100,000 in play chips, which is also the maximum bet. The minimum bet for the final table is $1,000.
- Action starts on the button and rotates clockwise every hand.
- Each player has 25 seconds to make a decision. The timer will start to count down when you only have ten seconds left to act. On Elimination Hands, players have 45 seconds to make a decision.
- Hands 8, 16, and 25 are Elimination Hands, at the end of which the player with the least amount of chips is eliminated.
- Each player has one Secret Bet that he can use at any time during the round.
- Once you’ve placed your Secret Bet, you can disguise every other decision made for the rest of that particular hand (Secret Actions), except hitting and splitting.
- Whoever has the most play chips at the end of hand 30 wins.
- Players may double down on any original two cards or on the first two cards after splitting a pair. Doubling is allowed up to the full amount of the wager and players are allowed to double for less.
- Players may split two original cards of the same value, including tens of any type (e.g., a king and a queen). Split pairs may be resplit up to three times (to make a total of four hands), except for aces, which may not be split again.
Basic EBJ Strategy
Remember, in Elimination Blackjack your primary objective is to beat the other players. EBJ tournament strategy can be very complicated, but understanding these few basic concepts will take you a long way.
- Bet your money - The most important thing to remember is that it's generally better to be aggressive than timid. That is, betting more is usually better than betting less—especially for beginners and when playing EBJ tournaments. The all-in move in particular can serve beginners well, as an all-in win often provides a lead that forces the other players to win big bets to catch up. As the pros like to say, "When in doubt, put it out."
- Be aware of position - Acting after an opponent is advantageous, so monitor the players nearest to your right (whom you will bet after most often). In Elimination Blackjack tournaments, where only the low chip count will be eliminated on Elimination Hands, you can gain a big edge simply by staying ahead of one of the players to the right (you can match his bet if you are ahead).
- Calculate the button - This is another positional consideration. At the start of a tournament, after an opponent busts out, or after an Elimination Hand, you should count the hands till the next Elimination or final hand to determine your betting position. If you will be betting early on the next important hand, you should be more aggressive leading up to it. If you will be one of the later bettors, you can play a little more cautiously.
- Count chips - One of the most important aspects of tournament play is being able to count chips. Count the chips as often as you can to help formulate your bets in live tournaments, and pay attention to the provided counts when playing online.
- Be willing to make unconventional plays - You must be prepared to make plays you wouldn't make playing regular blackjack, especially on Elimination Hands or the last hand of a tournament. This might involve splitting tens or doubling on a hard 19. If you need more chips to advance, then make the play. Remember, you're not playing blackjack, you're playing tournament blackjack.
- Secret Bets - The strategic advantage to the Secret Bet is that no other player can see the amount you bet until the end of the hand. Because other players formulate bets based on what they see at the table, the Secret Bet can be used tactically during a crucial Elimination Hand and can be a powerful move when you must bet early, because you leave opponents no option but to guess at what you have done. The Secret Bet gives players an option that is familiar to poker tournaments—the option to bluff!
- Surrender - Players may elect to forfeit half of their original bet after seeing their original two cards, provided the dealer does not have a natural. This is called "late surrender." While many tournaments do not offer surrender, Elimination Blackjack tournaments at ClubWPT, which can open up a grab bag of options for savvy players.
- Double Down - In a tournament, a double down is often used to get more money into play, especially during an Elimination Hand or the final hand of a tournament.
- Splitting - Similar to doubling, splitting pairs is a good way for tournament players to get more money into play.
