Last week’s column dealt with poker tournaments. Two other types of tournaments are frequently available at casinos: blackjack and slots.
Blackjack
The first thing to know if you are entering a blackjack tournament is that it is different that playing on a regular table. Players at a table are trying to win against the house. When you play in a tournament, you are playing against the other players, not the house. The object isn’t to try to win some chips; it is to win the most chips.
Check the rules for the tournament. You don’t want to be eliminated due to a breach of the rules. During most tournaments, you cannot talk to anyone watching the tournament. No help is allowed and if given, can lead to disqualification.
Make sure you know the minimum and maximum bets, the order of betting, now the dealer treats a soft 17, when you can double down and split, the payoff on a blackjack (usually 2 for 1 in tournaments), if surrender or insurance are allowed (usually they aren’t in tournaments) how often an official tally of chips is made, how many hands are to be played, and any other rules.
Usually blackjack tournaments have two to three levels. You have to prevail at the preliminary round to advance to the next level. Usually only the table winner qualifies for the next round, which is either the semifinal or final round. Sometimes the top two chip leaders advance.
Some dos and don’ts follow:
Do wait your turn to bet and don’t telegraph how much you are going to bet. The betting order is determined at the start of the tournament and rotates clockwise one position after each hand.
Do try to determine your betting position on the last hand of the level.
Do try to stay within striking distance of the leader.
Do splits and double downs whenever the opportunity allows.
Do remember that the winner usually is the one who plays the last hand of the round properly.
Do make a large wager if necessary to stay near the chip leader. Preserving a few chips is meaningless.
Do keep track of the other players’ chips so you know where you stand.
Do try to have enough chips for the final hand so you can split your cards if you get a pair (even 10′s) or double down on most anything if necessary.
If you are the chip leader, usually matching the opponents’ bets is a good strategy.
If you are below the chip leader, you should normally bet the opposite of the chip leader. If he or she makes a big bet, you make a minimum bet. If the leader makes a minimum bet, consider making a big bet.
Don’t make a “string” bet. This usually means making more than one move to put chips into play. Some players put their chips in hand and drop some from the stack into the betting area. Technically the first chip to fall will be considered the bet (if it is the minimum) and subsequent chips will be disallowed. Stack the chips you want to bet outside of the betting area, and then move them there in one move.
Do not try to hide your chip stack. Every player should be able to see how many chips you have and you should be able to see how many they have. That precludes holding your chips in your hand(s).
SLOT TOURNAMENTs
Slot tournaments are the easiest to play in. No great degree of skill is required. Basically the winners just have the luck of the draw of the machine.
Casinos usually have one of two types of slot tournaments available.
One is for a bank of machines to be played at selected times, with players at the machines all playing at the same time and in competition with each other. The top two or three players advance to higher level(s).
The other is to allow players to play whenever they want within a certain time limit. The time can be within a few hours or a few days. Whatever points a player gets is it and competes with all other players who participate in the tournament. After the play period ends, the casino posts the top scores and accompanying prizes, either cash, free play, lodging, trips or other prizes.
Entry to slot tournaments is either by fee or invitation. Some invitational tournaments are for the casino’s consistent players, high rollers or random slot club members. Some invitational events even have an entry fee.
Play time in a tournament is usually limited to less than 10 minutes, so players need to get as many spins in as possible for more potential good hits on the wheel. That explains why so many players are pecking at the spin button like a woodpecker into a colony of bugs. It also explains why there are so many players massaging their play wrist after a session on the slots.
There is little advice that can be given to increase a player’s advantage. Just hit the play button as frequently as you can to minimize the pause time between spins. Be rested and have no distractions such as a mile-high whipped-cream topped latté in one hand and a plate of chili fries in your lap.
If you know how long it takes to total a big hit on the machine, use the time for a wrist break. If you are ambidextrous, that can be an advantage.
If you are in a tournament, where the top one or two advance, check to see if the casino will have a drawing from the losers for wild card spots in the higher levels. The casinos do this to keep you hanging around but sometimes it is used to fill spots for players who advanced but weren’t there for the next level.
If you enter a tournament in which you can play at the time you want and that one score competes with all others, play late in the match. This has no advantage as far as how many points you rack up but late play will allow you to see if your total will be competitive. That way you aren’t tied to the tournament area — or even that casino, unless you are in the running for a prize.
The only other advice is to be lucky, very lucky.
Reach Bruce Camenga at features@pe.com
Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial – The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
