Elimination Blackjack
Even if you have played blackjack casually for some time, online elimination tournaments come with their own unique set of challenges that you must master.
The most radically different feature of these tournaments you'll have to adjust to are the elimination hands. During a typical tourney, they are spaced at hands that are almost evenly spaced (for example, hands eight, 16 and 25 out of a total 30 is a common configuration.) However, regardless of when they occur during the match, the challenge associated with each elimination hand remains the same. It's a simple formula: the player with the lowest amount of chips when the hand is completed is eliminated. Additionally, any player who does not have enough chips to make the minimum bet on a hand will be eliminated. Yup, it's harsh.
Another challenge that is unique to the online elimination blackjack tournament's format is the introduction of time limits when you're called upon to make critical decisions. In a typical tournament, you'll have 25 seconds to make a decision during a normal hand. However, during those critical elimination hands, the time limit drops to a cruelly brief 10 seconds. Is that a drop of sweat I see on your brow?
Obviously, one of the primary purposes of the online elimination blackjack tournament format is to ratchet up the levels of pressure each player must deal with in order to survive. Consequently, this format is not ideally suited to all players. Those who prefer a mellower and sedate playing experience are well advised to avoid elimination blackjack and stick to playing regular blackjack.
However, for those of you who have made it a priority to one day compete in the high-stakes world of televised blackjack, this is the best and fastest way to get there. Not only will you elevate your levels of skill and acumen, but also you'll grow more comfortable operating in a pressure-cooker environment. Keeping a firm handle on all those calculations you learned from your handy strategy charts becomes a whole different prospect when the clock is ticking and the chance for being eliminated is so very real. That's both the beauty and the danger of this style of tournament play.
So what are you waiting for? It's not going to get any easier, might as well dive in now.