Table Games Blackjack Tournaments

I will be playing in a blackjack tournament next weekend at the Aquarius in Laughlin (it is free to enter). I have never played in one before although I have a general idea of how they are played. I have no information on how this one is structured.

Does anyone have any strategy advice to give me my best chance at winning? I know basic strategy pretty well but I also know there are certain times where it is necessary to completely ignore it in a tournament format (such as doubling on stiff hands, etc.)

If you have played in one of these before I would also like to learn how they tend to be structured. Any info would be greatly appreciated. I could really use the $7k first prize!

 

Sorry I can't help you with any advice on BJ tourneys. Basic strategy is the extent of my knowledge. But I will be staying at the Aquarius next weekend and was wondering if you could be so kind as to give me any additional info on this BJ tournament. I couldn't find anything on their website. I've never played in one before. How long do they last? Also, any must-eat places in Laughlin?

 

The tourney is free to anyone with a player's card. I think you need to pre-register so call the player's club or the phone number on the back of your card (assuming you have one).

The tourney has a $15,000 guarantee with $7,000 going to the winner. That is the extent of my knowledge about it.

As far as food, my wife and I usually eat pretty cheap and we generally stick to our traditional spots so my knowledge is a little limited. The steak restaurants at Tropicana and Golden Nugget have been good. Harrah's is regarded to have the best buffet. There is an In-N-Out next to the Tropicana.

The Riverside houses our former favorite restaurant in the world. It is a Mexican place called Casa Serrano. Good food at pretty low prices. We have had some lousy service there over the past year though, so it is no longer in our good graces. I am currently boycotting the place. If you want to find it, it is in their "annex" casino which is across the street from the main casino. The buildings are connected by a bridge. It will be the first thing you see from casino drive if you are coming from the bridge.

Good luck next week!

 

Also, Pints at the Colorado Belle is a pretty good brewery/restaurant. I really like their pizza and they make their own beer.

 

There have been some threads about this in the past. Strategy, etc.

Generally, you are playing pretty much normal BJ. You start out with a fixed about and play a fixed number of hands. Either the person at your table with the most money moves forward, or the top xx from all the tables in the first round move forward to the next round. Sometimes, just the top xx from the first and only round win.

So, you are playing against the dealer, and all other players. Biggest WRONG strategy is to bet it all early in the game. Usually does not work, because if you run out of chips, you are DONE.

 

I've only done one blackjack tourney (at the Sahara), but my experience is that to have a chance you will have to choose a hand and bet big, and get lucky at least once in the tourney. The way they did it at Sahara there were a fixed number of hands and there was a minimum and a maximum bet, so as you get closer to the end you adjust your betting strategy (bet minimum to maintain a lead, bet max to stay in it if you are falling behind. In the end you may end up doing something crazy like splitting tens or doubling on a 16... For instance, on the last hand I new I needed more than double the max bet to win, so I split tens to get double the max bet out there so I had a chance to win it. I won that round but lost the tourney. The rest of the time stick with basic strategy for your plays.