I started dabbling in some small entry tourneys. It seems BJ pays 2/1 and no surrender simplify these. So with a single deck game this turns into about a 2+% edge. So betting, my minumums ($500 in chips, $5-500) should be bumped up, right? It seems like alot of players don't like the small denomination chips and try to get rid of them right away, using greens and then blacks. This has to be a tell for skill level. I try to have alot of small chips, alot harder to eyeball. Estimating chips is a key. Do most tourneys have a last hand count? How about aides (pencil and paper) at a table? There is a winner-take-all tourney, one round-one winner-several tables. This does not seem to be very fun way to do a tourney. I guess you hope to have the hot table and set a target score. -jacks
The tourneys I play in use a 6 deck shoe. The min is $5 and the max is $300 with a $500 starting rack. The small chips seem to go fast because some player will start betting green or black to take an early lead. You then either have to match the bet and hope you both win or bet the minimum and hope he loses. As far as chip count, most tournaments have a requirement that chips have to stacked neatly so any player can determine how much the others have or you can ask the dealer or the pit for a chip count. If you get behind, it seems to turn into a split and doublefest. Playing in tournaments reminds me of the old Bob Stupak Vegas World (now Stratosphere). Both dealer cards were dealt face-up so hitting on 17-20 was common. I only play in BJ tournaments for the money, not because they are "fun" from a BJ point of view... The wacky deviations from rational playing strategy and the fact that they are just "Jeopordy" type betting games is a negative for BJ purists--but they are "fun" from a game theory point of view. I am reading Stanford Wong's Casino Tournament Strategy book. Has good ideas about betting strategy (that's all a blackjack tournament is) for various scenarios.
