4) Playing A Round

Anatomy of a Round
Keep in mind that during a round one need not have the most chips after EH 8, 16, and 25..... just not the least. Not all rounds will last the full 30 hands before the requisite number of player eliminations. Base your initial strategy on a full 30 hand round. If circumstances change during the round make adjustments. For example, if there are 3 players left at the start of hand 16 you know that one will be eliminated. Now you know that hand 25 could be the final hand. Every hand is important in this accelerated format. You'll see that selective aggression will be a key to surviving and winning.

Simple Steps to Follow During the Play of a Hand
As we delve deeper into the strategies and tactics of EBJ think of these simple steps as a way to organize your thoughts during the play of a hand. You'll find that the pace of play is quite rapid especially in the live version of the game. Quick decision making skills are required. Since each hand is important to your success or failure, the pressure is always on. You will develop your own methods over time but for now these steps can be a useful anchor.

1) After the cards are dealt use basic strategy to decide on an initial action for your hand. This is subject to change depending on the the outcomes of other players hands. Be ready to act when it's your turn to play.

2) Observe the play and actions of your opponents. Pay attention to the results of their double, split, and surrender decisions and new stack sizes. Consider the implications of their results for the play of your hand. Should your actions now reflect a new tournament strategy?

3) Upon completion of all hands, count the stack sizes and get a general feel for where you are in the pack. Pay special attention to the smallest stacks and note the margin of the leaders lead.

4) If a competitor was eliminated recalculate the button position for the next EH as this could affect your wager strategy.

5) Select your next wager amount based on your button position, chip status, and goal for the next hand.

Following the completion of a hand you'll have at least 25 seconds to act if you're the button and progressively more if you act later. Use this time by always thinking about your situation. There is no down time during a round, think about your next playing or betting action at all times.

Same Table, Same Dealer,............Similar Results
Keep in mind that all players at the table are playing against the same dealer hand. This means that much of the time the players will share a similar win or loss result. For example, if dealer gets a blackjack probably all players will lose their bets. If the dealer busts, all players that didn't bust win. Some hands will produce a mixed result such as when the dealer makes a total of 19. There will be times when you root for the dealer to make a specific hand total because you stand to gain chip position.