3) Strategies and Elements of Play

There are two distinct types of strategies you will use while playing an EBJ tournament. They are Tournament Strategy and Game Strategy. Let's take a look at both of them and discuss how to use them successfully.

Tournament Strategy.....your bet size selection is the key
The keys to success in Elimination Blackjack lie in using tournament strategy to make optimum bet sizes and then playing ones hand correctly. The focus of tournament strategy is on bet size management. You cannot control the cards you get from the dealer or the outcomes they produce. However, knowing how much to bet and your options during the play of the hand allows you to exert the maximum control over your tournament results. The tournament player should have a specific goal for each bet they make. Depending on the circumstances, one must defend or attack on every hand. Your bet size is your weapon.

Game Strategy.....basic strategy is best
Of secondary importance is knowledge of the game of blackjack itself known as game strategy. The best game strategy to use are the rules for hitting, standing, and doubling down known as basic strategy. If you are not familiar with basic strategy, take the time to memorize the simple basics until it becomes second nature to you. This will free your mind to think about the appropriate tournament strategy to use during a round. Basic strategy rules will apply for the vast majority of EBJ play except for the occasions where tournament strategy calls for deviations from basic strategy.

Special Circumstances
Tournament blackjack can present special circumstances that require deviations from basic strategy. Being able to recognize these special tournament strategy situations is an important skill. Knowing how to exploit these situations is an advantage. There will be times when a player must act contrary to basic strategy due to circumstances unique to tournament strategy. In tournaments your objective is to survive the round, not maximize your long term profits. We'll take a look at some examples of special circumstances in later posts.

Card Counting
Card counting is not a significant factor in EBJ. Correct tournament strategy will dominate your decisions rather that beating the dealer. Remember that you're competing against the other players not the dealer. Even an expert card counter using a Hi-Lo system will find unfavorable counts over 75% of the time against a 6 deck shoe. Given the limited amount of hands dealt during a round it would be unusual to have enough shoe penetration to generate a meaningful positive count.