With nearly four dozen cardrooms in or near Northern California, poker is far and away our favorite (and most prevalent) game. Naturally, then, it stands to reason that a majority of gambling tournaments these days are for no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em, the game we all watch on TV.
That said, three gambling establishments – including two in the Central Valley and one in the Sacramento area – also offer weekly blackjack tournaments. These tournaments offer a nice change of pace in an atmosphere that’s just as competitive. Blackjack tournaments also can be lots of fun – provided you understand how the tournament game differs from the one you play on the general casino floor.
Let’s start with the tournaments themselves.
At the Lucky Derby Casino in Citrus Heights (Sacramento County), dealers host a free blackjack tournament at 7 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month. Participants start with $500 in chips and can purchase an add-on of $3,500 in chips for $15. Re-buys are also available. All told, the tournament guarantees $2,000 to the top 10 finishers, with the winner getting $1,000. Lucky Derby also has tournaments each Sunday.
In the Central Valley, two casinos have regular blackjack tourneys: the relatively new Aviator Casino in Delano (Kern County) and the Turlock Poker Room in Turlock (Stanislaus County).
The Aviator’s tournament, where a $30 buy-in gets you $2,000 in chips, takes up most of the day on Sundays. Preliminary rounds (they call them “heats”) start at 1 p.m., and the finals are at 6 p.m. Prizes vary depending on the number of players, but the casino adds $250 to the pool to sweeten the pot.
At the Turlock facility, blackjack tournaments are held Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., when a $23 buy-in gets you $1,000 in chips. Again, prize amounts vary depending on the number of players; it’s not uncommon for the winner to pocket at least $500.
Now that you know where to play, here’s a primer on how blackjack tournaments differ from the table game itself.
For starters, because all competitors are playing against the same dealer, the goal isn’t only to beat the dealer but also to beat your opponents. This means that it frequently behooves you to play your hands differently than your opponents, especially in key-decision situations such as soft 18s or hard 16s. (It also means that “the book” isn’t as important in tournament play.)
Furthermore, because the player with the most chips wins the tournament, betting strategy can be critical. A steady dose of small bets helps reduce your risk of loss in the early stages, but well-timed big bets can help you “catch” leaders in a pinch.
Our advice: Be patient, but try always to bet enough to take the lead if the dealer busts and pays the entire table. Good luck!
This article appeared on page G – 27 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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