When joining a Blackjack tournament, your main goal is to have more chips than other competitors and the dealer. While using the basic strategy is the most important when playing the classic game of Blackjack, in tournaments, you will sometimes have to modify it and learn how to play better than other participants. Here we teach you how to master Blackjack Tournaments. Learn the best strategy for blackjack tournament games & how to get the best value during events.
- Notes for Poker Dealing at Home Games. As there often isn’t a person solely dedicated to being the poker dealer at home games, players take turns around the table being the poker dealer and dealing cards during each hand. Who Is the Poker Dealer: The person with the “button” is typically the poker dealer of each hand. (This is why the.
- Blackjack tournaments have become more popular over the last 3 years or so. They add an element of competition since you are playing against other players and not against the dealer. The prize pool for a tournament is usually 100% of the entry fees paid by the players.
- Keeping your home poker game cheap and fun goes a long way toward making it safe, as well. Know Your Players Seems obvious, but if you know everyone who plays, then no moles, mechanics, or any other unsavory characters are going to be playing in your game.
Having friends over to play Blackjack can be a great way to spend an afternoon or evening. The equipment needed to play the game at home can be as simple as a table, chairs, and a standard deck or two of 52 cards. Counters or poker chips can be used for wagering in place of cash.
Those with more elaborate visions of their home game may wish to check out Blackjack accessories offered by gambling supply stores or online. They include specially marked felt tablecloths, folding tables, or table tops; dealer shoes for use with 2~8 decks of cards; professional-grade acrylic discard holders; and colored plastic, poker-size “cut cards” for cutting the decks. Professional dealer tables with dedicated Blackjack layouts made for home game rooms are also available, with prices ranging from $550 to $2,000.
When inviting others over for Poker or Bridge, more thought usually goes into the snacks and beverages to be served than preparing for the game itself. But when setting up for Blackjack at home, a bit of extra attention needs to be given to how the game will be played. That’s because the house holds an advantage over the player and rules need to be established so that the game is fair to all participants.
It is a good idea to involve the other players in creating the rules, so that nobody feels disadvantaged. The organizer can use the following list of questions as a guideline, then write down the choices made so that they can be referred to during play should any disputes arise.
- How many decks will be used for play?
- What minimum/maximum bets are allowed?
- Does the dealer hit or stand on soft 17?
- On what two-card totals can players double down?
- Can players double down after splitting?
- How many splits are allowed?
- Can Aces be split/re-split?
- Can split Aces be hit or doubled down?
- How are pushes (ties) settled?
- Is early/late surrender allowed?
- Is insurance offered?
- What is the payout for a natural blackjack?
Just as important as preparing the list of game rules is deciding how the bank will be handled. The simplest approach is for the game’s organizer to take on the role of banker, putting up the funds for which the others play, assuming all risk in return for the house edge. In effect, the organizer becomes a casino owner. The unfairness of this to all involved should be rather obvious, but some home Blackjack games thrive this way.
A more fair procedure is to collect a fixed “subscription” fee from every participant and use that as the bank’s initial pool of funds. Alternatively, chips can be sold at face value and all money collected becomes the bank’s fund. Players then attempt to recoup their investments and some profits as they play. Re-purchase of chips or re-subscription may be allowed to let players back into the game if they “go broke” during play.
A third way of organizing is for players to take turns being the bank for a fixed number of deals, one shoe, or a limited time period. Whatever is won or lost during the turn is kept, and the next banker puts up the funds for a new round. This procedure avoids some of the problems associated with maintaining a central pool of funds and how to divide it up at the end of the session.
Hoyle’s “Rules of Games” is a much referenced guide to home card parties. It recommends changing the bank/deal on the occasion of any natural Blackjack, with the winner becoming the new banker/dealer. It also suggests spicing up the game by allowing the dealer to win on all pushes and collect double from each player when he/she has a natural Blackjack. As long as everyone has an opportunity to be the banker/dealer, this can be a fun way to play.
The main thing is to avoid disputes and enjoy the game. The best way to achieve that is to make sure everyone agrees on the format and rules before setting up a home Blackjack game.
While playing blackjack at the casino is fun for most players, it's also nice to be able to play with your friends in a more relaxed environment. Not to mention it's a hell of a lot cheaper to play at home because the game is less competitive and more about entertainment than anything else. If you've never played blackjack at home or run your own home blackjack game this page will gve you a general guideline.
How To Have A Blackjack Tournament At Home Run
Home Blackjack Games - Understand the Rules
Before you even attempt to run a home blackjack game you have to make sure every player at the table is aware of the house rules. The rules do not need to be military style but you don't want to run into a situation where you have the players, who are also your friends, arguing over a particular hand. So when everyone sits down at the table, make sure you clearly outline what the payouts are and what type of blackjack game you'll be playing. If you have new players to the table, make sure they know what a hard 17 and soft 17 is and which rule the dealer will be following. Same goes for splitting. In one home game, the splitting rules weren't announced at the beginning of the game, and we had one friend who called the casino to ask and verify their hand. The better you explain the rules, the more enjoyable the night will be.
Things to Consider
- 1 - Who is the dealer / banker?
- 2 - What are the stakes?
- 3 - What is the max bet per hand?
- 4 - What are the blackjack rules you'll be following?
Who is the Dealer / Banker?
How To Have A Blackjack Tournament At Home Order
In some home blackjack games, the dealer / banker can be designated to one individual who will continue to be the dealer throughout the night. The biggest problem with this is its expensive. Home games require the dealer to be the banker and as such all winnings from players is paid out of the dealer's bankroll. If by chance your friends are on a lucky streak, your dealer can lose quite a bit in a short period of time.
A way to avoid this situation is to have the dealer/banker position rotate. What we do at our home games is start by determining what the dealer's chip stack will be. In this example, we'll use $50. If at anytime, the dealer's stack goes under $50 and another player has $50 or more in his or her stack, the dealer will switch to the other player. Therefore, as long as the dealer has $50 or more in front of him he continues to deal the cards. This provides for a more relaxed game, which means your friends will have more fun.
Blackjack Shoe or Automatic Shuffler?
It's not necessary to use a blackjack shoe and automatic shuffler in a home blackjack game although if you plan on using more than 2 decks you'd probably want to buy one. Shuffling three or more decks of cards isn't the easiest task in the world, and making sure the cards are properly shuffled can be tedious. If you do decide you need either the shoe/shuffler you don't need to invest a lot of money. You can usually pick one up at your local Wal-Mart for under $20.
How To Have A Blackjack Tournament At Home E.on
Have Fun!
Remember, a home blackjack game is about having fun with the guys and not about rolling them for a load of cash. You can play a home game while waiting for a poker game to start or when having a casino night. We do suggest you alternate the dealer, as the dealer will always have an advantage over the players. Your friends are there to have fun. Think of it this way - do you want your first home blackjack game to be the only game you host? If you send your friends packing broke, it likely will be.