Some Microgaming powered Canadian online casinos offer tournaments in blackjack. Blackjack online tournaments are different from wagering against the house. They allow players to test their skills against each other for cash prizes and bragging rights. This article offers some tips for newbie blackjack online tournament players.
The first aspect to realize is that blackjack is a game of skill. Not all players wager at optimum level without the use of strategy cards. Many players who are reasonably skilled avoid the use of strategy cards in cash games because of the inconvenience in using them. In many common blackjack variants the optimum strategy yields an average return of 99.5%. If a player is able to achieve an average return of 99% he is satisfied. In cash games such a player is at a loss of only $0.50 per $100 wagered in the long run and does not find the extra effort worthwhile. But in online blackjack tournaments small differences in the final chip stack can result in the player not getting a share of the prize pool. The losses for not employing optimum blackjack strategy in online tournaments are much larger than in cash games. The top prize in a blackjack online tournament may be $100. The next prize may be $50. A difference of even 1 chip can lead to a loss of $50. Hence the use of optimum strategy becomes a must in online blackjack tournaments.
Therefore the use of the strategy card becomes a must. Even expert blackjack players are advised to refer to the strategy card while wagering in online blackjack tournaments. Players who do not have the requisite expertise will have little chance if they participate in blackjack online tournaments without using the strategy card. A very important issue is involved here. Every blackjack variant has a different optimum strategy and hence a different strategy card. Blackjack tournament players must make sure that they are using the right strategy card for the variant being used in the tournament.
In most online blackjack tournaments players are given a fixed time during which they have to increase their chip balance as much as they can. Hence players need to follow practices that increase the wagering speed. Players must learn to read the strategy card quickly. Also time is lost in toggling between screens to read the strategy card. Therefore it is advisable to have a print out of the strategy card for ready reference. There are some steps that the players can take within the game. They can set the game speed to maximum. Disabling card dealing animations also increases the game speed and allows players to get in more deals in a given time.
In elimination online blackjack tournaments, at the end of a round a designated number of players at the bottom of the leader board are removed. This repeats till the final round is reached. A prudent strategy in the elimination rounds is not to wager aggressively aiming for the highest spots. Aggressive wagering involves higher risks and can lead to the player being eliminated if luck does not support him. It would be better to play conservatively and make sure that one is just above the elimination level.
There is one final tip for newbie players. Online casinos offer some freeroll blackjack tournaments. These are ideal for getting practice and improving skills. Once players gain confidence on the freerolls then they can enter the paid blackjack online tournaments.
