Multiplayer Blackjack and Tournaments: Enhancing the Positive Gaming Experience

The world of online gaming has seen a rise in the multiplayer aspect of playing casino games, with emphasis on competitive play and interaction. As one of the leading titles for casual and tournament players alike, blackjack has been used to great extent to promote this particular type of play. Live and regular blackjack variants are becoming increasingly popular, especially with the promotion of more and more tournaments that offer handsome rewards to the best players. Multiplayer Blackjack isn’t all that different from the standard game – the rules that govern the game are the same, as well as the rewards (a Blackjack is still hit with an Ace and a face card). In this short article, we’ll be going through all the significant differences and advantages this variation offers, as well as what to expect when playing blackjack in a tournament setting (both for pros and starters).

But What Exactly Is Multiplayer Blackjack

Taking the basics from good old blackjack, the multiplayer variant of the game has some things altered to better suit the “multi” aspect. First things first – the game uses 8 decks of cards (an increase from the standard 6) and the dealer shuffles the cards after each hand. The player’s goal is then to combine his/her cards to achieve a resulting value that is close to 21 and beat the hand of the dealer.

The multiplayer aspect comes into play before the game even begins – depending on the platform and the casino hosting the game, there can be a limited or unlimited number of players at a table. What all of these players have in common is that they can double up only once (either after they’ve been dealt the standard of two cards or after a split).

The game itself begins once the dealer starts dealing the cards with their faces up. An important misconception about multiplayer blackjack is that players compete with each other. The truth is that each player plays against the dealer, and if he/she wins, i.e. has a better hand than the dealer, the round is over. Players can interact with each other, though, thanks to integrated systems for chat. Many online casinos offer this type of the game to their customers.

What Are the Advantages of Blackjack Tournaments?

Unlike multiplayer blackjack games, blackjack tournament events have a different notion of winning – while you still compete against the casino’s dealer in order to win the grand prize, you will also need to collect the highest number of chips among your fellow competitors. Let’s look at the definite advantages of tournaments in brief.

For the Online Casinos

Casinos host blackjack tournaments to promote their brand and attract new players – usually they offer 100% of the money collected from the entry fees as a prize pool and even add some money if the required pool isn’t achieved. Regular tournaments bring together a huge number of enthusiastic players, so it is a good practice for casinos to keep their schedule busy with such events. Apart from the players visiting, the media also get involved for an even better brand awareness and casino promotion.

For the Players

Players, on the other hand, enter tournaments because of the large chances of winning. This goes mainly for experienced players. Weak competition could very well mean you will be going away with the prize money. Players can also take advantage of many perks such as free food and other goodies that the casinos make available to tournament entries.

How Is a Blackjack Tournament Played?

In order to enroll into a blackjack tournament, you will need to buy in a seat in the game. Tickets are normally available for purchase online, though some larger casino events deliberately set their tickets to be bought right at the casino floor. Depending on the tournament, buy-in prices range from $10 for smaller tournaments up to $500 – $1000 for larger ones. Most of these tournaments declare a winner and up to 5 other runner-ups (6 places). Since the prize pool is collected from the entries, small tournaments offer prizes around the $1000 mark, while large events can make a successful player a millionaire.

One thing to note here is that unlike regular or even multiplayer blackjack, tournament games are played with chips, rather than real money. With the buy-in, the player gets a selected amount of chips which he/she can use during the game. It is imperative to have a planned out bankroll strategy when playing in a tournament since you will be playing for keeps and not for a fast victory. Remember – you are there to win the highest number of chips, meaning you will play against the dealer as well as the competition.

	Important Features of Blackjack Tournaments:
	Rotating deal:	After each hand, the dealer deals another player.
	Rotating start:	To eliminate any disadvantages, after each hand the next player begins.
	Secret bet:	In some tournaments the final betting round must remain a secret and is shown to all players at the end of the hand.
	Two players per round:	In the event that this rule is applied to a tournament, two players can move to the next round.
	Two players one round:	This allows for two players to move forward, but only within the first round.
	Re-entry:	In some blackjack tournaments, players can buy their place back at a later stage paying the entry fee again.
	Elimination rounds:	The player with the lowest bankroll is eliminated.

Depending on the scale of the tournament and the actual setup, blackjack tournaments can vary in length. The overall play style of the game isn’t that slow so you can expect the matches to move rather fast (this isn’t poker after all). Larger events typically consist of 3-5 elimination rounds, with each table hosting 6 players. The form then specifies 2 players per table to advance in the next round, followed by one player per each of the six tables for the final round for a total of 6 players. This system covers 108 entries and 18 first-round tables. Smaller tournaments will have first-round qualifiers, with one player advancing from each table further, though there is also a possibility of re-entering (thanks to the lowered number of elimination rounds).

Last but not least, let’s say something of the winning process. As we already mentioned, blackjack tournaments are won by advancing to the finals, i.e. the final table where you are pit against 5 other players who have been consistently better at earning chips at their own tables. The player who manages to beat the competition by acquiring the largest amount of chips is the winner. Again, being better than the dealer will only get you so far if you aren’t further than your competitors.