2) Basic Game Rules and Procedures

If you're already familiar with the basic rules and procedures of the game feel free to skip ahead to future posts. The rules for this new tournament format are continuing to evolve. The basics we'll cover here are fairly standard. Always obtain a copy of the specific rules governing any tournament you enter. Rules are always available in printed form for live tourneys and are posted on the website for internet play.

Here is a summary of the key elements of an EBJ tournament;

Tournament Rounds
EBJ tournaments consist of one or more rounds. The number of rounds in a tournament depends on the number of entrants. One round consists of a maximum of 30 blackjack hands. There are usually 6 or 7 players at each table for a round.

Players start with 25,000 chips and must bet between 500 chips minimum and 25,000 chips maximum on each hand. The player or players with the most chips at the end of the round advance to the next round. Most rounds advance 2 or 3 players to the next round. Always be sure to know how many players will advance in the round you're playing.

Surviving players are then assigned to new tables for the next round where all players again start with 25,000 chips. This will continue until the final 6 or 7 players remain. The tournament then culminates with a final table. Players at the final table start with 100,000 chips and must bet between 1,000 chips minimum and 100,000 chips maximum on each hand.

Elimination Hands
During a round, hands number 8, 16, 25, and 30 are designated as Elimination Hands (EH). After each of these EH the player with the least amount of chips is eliminated from the tournament. Players that lose all their chips between EH are also eliminated. In actual practice a round may or may not last the full 30 hands before the required number of player eliminations have occurred.

The Button
At the start of a round the button is assigned to one of the players. That player must bet first and act first on the first hand. The button rotates clockwise from player to player after each hand. The button is numbered with the hand currently being played. We'll see later that who bets first and therefore who bets last is of critical importance to our game strategy. We'll consider the adjustments a player should make for position.

The Secret Bet and Secret Action
During a round all starting cards are dealt face up. Bets are made in the open in clockwise succession starting with the button. New elements to EBJ are the secret bet and secret action. During each new round players are given one secret bet chip. The secret bet can be used at any time to make a wager of hidden value. In addition, during live play, one secret action can be used with or without the secret bet. The secret action enables a player to stand, surrender, or double down without the opposing players knowing the selection. The value a bet or action can be from 0 chips to the maximum allowed during the round. In live play, a player may use the secret action without the secret bet but in doing so loses the future right to use the secret bet. Again, the rules vary for this aspect of play so always confirm your options with the tournament director. Hitting or splitting a hand are not secret action options, these actions take place in view of all players.

In live play secret bet and secret action cards are provided for players to write the appropriate information on. The player will step away from the table and write the desired information on the card. The card is then placed on the wager spot and covered with the secret bet chip. Upon completion of all hands the dealer will reveal the secret card(s) and follow through on any indicated actions. When a player uses a secret action the dealer will place one card face down on the hand. This card will come into play only of the player has selected double down as the secret action, otherwise it is place into the discards pile.

Both of these secret options are of critical strategic and tactical importance. How and when you use them can dictate your results in a round. The secret options can be compared to bluffing in poker. They are best used to deceive and confuse your opponents. Use them to your best advantage by making a bet or action they might not expect. We'll look at both of these options in depth later and suggest some strategies for their use.