In gambling these days, both in poker and other forms, tournaments are all the rage. The idea of playing games of chance in a tournament format really took off with the popularity of poker tournaments, but now tournaments can be found in almost any type of gambling. One type of tournament that has enjoyed some popularity is tournament blackjack.

Tournament play is appealing to many gamblers because it combines the spirit of competition with the opportunity to win money, and provides a clear goal, which is great for gamblers who never know when to quit. If you know how to play blackjack, you can play tournament blackjack, but you’ll be playing with a bit of a twist.

In a tournament blackjack situation, each player starts with the same, pre-determined amount of chips. The round is set for a specific number of hands, usually 15 or 30. Once the number of hands is complete, whichever player has the most chips remaining advances to the next round. If all but one player has busted out before the round is done, that player wins. If the only players left bust out on the same hand, the one who started with more chips wins.

There is a button in tournament blackjack which determines who bets first, and this button rotates with every deal. This button is very important because it means players who act later can base their bet sizes on the bet sizes of the players who acted before them. If a player bets his whole stack, you may decide to bet small, hoping you will both lose and he will be eliminated, or you may decide you need to bet big as well to keep up with him.

A key element of tournament blackjack strategy is understanding the law of similar outcomes. That is to say that most players will have the same result on each hand. If the dealer busts, almost everyone will win. If the dealer makes blackjack, usually everyone will lose. When sizing your bets, you should base your decisions partially on this idea.

The more you play tournament blackjack, the better understanding you will have of the strategies involved and the better your chances will be to win. Good luck!