Once again I found myself at the Elvis Event. In order to be able to re-buy you must sign-up by noon to get into the first round, they take your entry anytime at the main cage. I had to re-buy. In the qualifier I got to experience something for the first time. I was making my move about hand 18, bet 1/3 my stash of $375. Blackjack! Pays 2/1, my 2 black and two green payoff sitting out there, which would put me as chip leader. Dealer mis-deals, don't quite remember how, dead hand. Mark "Elvis" Davis comes over and calls it immediately. I shrug it off, dealer very apologetic. I just thank "Elvis" and tell the dealer it could have been the other way and helped me. Anyway, get to the last hand with next best betting position with two advancing. I bet to tie first low with the chip leader. I double down correctly and advance. Semis-works perfectly, keep a chip more than the leader and win the table. Finals-my first time for this event. A wild-card fills out the table of seven. This little old lady gets in and gets the second hole, me first base. You get one ticket with an entry and can earn tickets at the regular games during the day. You have to show your entry form, I think it is just common BJs, so the drawing drum is pretty diluted. Payoff is: 1st-$700 2nd-$400 3rd-$200 4-7th $50 ---------- $1,500 Dealer is cold again, my conservative betting keeps me in play but behind. Three others shoot their wads by hand 21. I do the 1/3 and then all-in strategy and end up 4th. The little old lady beat the six guys. ******* My question is with the skewed payoffs what strategy should you take at the final table? I have been following the minimum bet until a couple others knock themselves out strategy. Trouble is I can't remember a hot dealer showing up. ****** Last hand with the three players just hurt my head to watch. They all bet max, they all sat down on their stiffs against a dealer six. They all had chips to bet for a double down, chip leader first to act. I guess this is information for me for future events. ***** OBTW, they payoff in real chips right at the final table, not going to the cage. The little old lady tipped a couple of greens, even though every player has tipped a buck on every table to get the extra $100 in buy-in chips (49x3+7x6+7=$196 tip pool) I tipped a red. Do you think this is excessive? I already tipped $4 for the four tables I sat at.
Hi oneeyedjacks, Let’s start with something a bit controversial. You wrote: Dealer is cold again, my conservative betting keeps me in play but behind. …Trouble is I can't remember a hot dealer showing up. I hope you don’t subscribe to the idea of hot and cold dealers. Dealers do get hot and cold, but you can determine it only after the fact. Treat game as neutral or slightly negative. Having additional information about cards about to be dealt may allow you to assume specific outcomes and distinct advantage or disadvantage, but even then, very few players can utilize this information properly (proportionally), without sacrificing quality of other aspect of their playing. You also wrote about using progression: I do the 1/3 and then all-in strategy and end up 4th. Progression bets are very useful. I use them myself and highly recommend to others, however, there is no magic to them. They do provide easy to understand structure – that’s all. To simplify, when trying to position yourself, you can bet any amount of your bankroll that you are certain that winning it is “necessary” to reach your goal. As tournament situation changes so should your strategy. You can abandon progression altogether, or skip it for one or more hands, or make a max bet at any time - if that’s what maximizes your chances of success. Last hand with the three players just hurt my head to watch. Hopefully, next time you will be one of the three and you your hurt will become a delight when you receive that gift. I tipped a red. Do you think this is excessive? Tipping is a personal matter. Don’t let anyone talk you into believing that you need to tip a certain percentage of your winnings. It is a resultant of what is the custom and how much gratitude you have for the dealers and the job they performed. Unlike professional live game blackjack play, where tipping can render it unproductive, tournament blackjack is a leisure activity and people making it possible should be tipped accordingly. My question is with the skewed payoffs what strategy should you take at the final table? There are no skewed payoffs. Each tournament has a different one and your play should be modified accordingly. I will make a separate post on the subjects in a few days. Hope it helps, S. Yama
Nice post S. Yama I agree with you about tipping the dealers, they are working for a living just like most of us. You don't have to go crazy, but a little something is customary. I for one tip after every round in a live money tournament if I advance in that round and only $5 - $10 and after the finals, if I am lucky enough to get there. Depending on how I was treated, if it is a VIP tournament and the amount won makes a difference as well. Once at Casino Magic (Now Boomtown in Bossier City, LA) I was kidding with all the dealers that if I won 1st ($10,000) I would tip them $1,000. I did, so I did, it was a free VIP tournament so it was all profit anyway. Another time at the Excalibur I won $10,000 and the pit boss told me "Not to tip more then $400". Two days before I got 2nd at Riviera for $8,000 and tipped $500 (the winner only tipped $250). The worst I have seen is at the Stardust, the winner when asked why he didn't tip out the dealers, "I have kids at home"; he had just won $100,000. Another one won $77,777 in a special contest for getting three 7's for twenty-one out of only three cards dealt from a new deck, he ran off thanking everyone and forgot to tip, later he came back and thanked everyone again, finally the next day he came down and said thanks again and left. And last the man that won 2nd ($10,000) last year and was talking all through the tournament and after winning was asked how much he tipped or was going to tip the dealers and all of a sudden couldn't speak English. I don't know how much it helps, but I like the dealers on my side and routing for me to win, and when they know I'll take care of them that is just what happens. I like that positive major at the table...LOL I don't want you to think I was bragging, by tell about how much I won at those tournaments, it was to compare my tips with what I had won, I would rather be one of those $50,000 to $100,000 winners...LOL
