Has anyone come across this? - http://highhandblackjack.com/ It's not exactly a tournament, but a player-versus-player cash game, a bit similar to the vsJack, online game. But this is bricks-and-mortar, and is an addon to a regular blackjack game - As well as their main bet versus the dealer, players must make an additional, fixed bet which goes into a pot. The player with the best hand scoops the pot (less a 5% rake), and if any two hands tie then the pot rolls over into the next round. I stumbled upon this because it was briefly trialled in a UK casino, but it sounds like it may still be running in a couple of Las Vegas casinos. It couldn't find any mention of how the bet size compares with the min bet in the main bj game. That could be a crucial detail in determining when you should risk busting your hand in order to try to beat your fellow players.
Genius or Madness? Just some random thoughts off the top of my head. This could be sheer genius on the part of the inventor in terms of creating a game that could allow advantage play while pretty much guaranteeing increased profits for the casino. The casino will win more on the regular blackjack bet, because players will depart from basic strategy when going for the high hand pot. The required bet for the pot will likely exceed any advantage one could gain by counting on the regular blackjack hand. The casino will also make guaranteed money on the rake of the pot. The ploppies will likely love this game. On the other hand, depending on the relative size of the pot to one's bet, as Colin has hinted, a skilled player could conceivably make money by playing for the pot, when it is advantageous to do so, and disregarding the proper play for his hand, especially if he can act last. I see that they use a button.
They do use a button (links to the full rules are hiding at the top-right of the web page). [Edit: I see that Gronbog has in fact seen the rules and edited his post in the time it took me to reply. Must learn to type faster!] As with vsJack, I'm just not sure how bad the opposition would have to be for a skilled player to be able to overcome the rake. My suspicion is that it may not be viable, but I could easily be wrong.
Sounds like yet another project. I'm having trouble keeping up! My vsJack modifications aren't even finished yet.
