 
| ||
|
|
|
BLACKJACK TOURAMENT STRATEGIES: BE THE "TWIST"
by Monkeysystem
Monkeysystem has been playing advantage blackjack recreationally for many years. Early in his career he used High-low and AOII, and then simplified things, switching to Knockout a few years ago and getting better results. He started playing tournaments in 2004 and has cashed in many tournaments. In this article, Monkeysystem examines ways to induce opponents to help our own cause by fighting each other.
We've all known the type -- the person who likes to instigate trouble between people they know and then steps back to watch the drama they caused. I know a lady who calls this species of troublemaker a "twist." Now, you won't find the word "twist" used to refer to this type of person in any urban dictionary, Google, or anywhere else. But to me it seems to work well, so I'm going to adopt it here. Maybe we'll even coin a new term that finds its way into the urban dictionary, right here at Blackjack Insider.
By now some of you are already asking, "Monkeysystem, what the heck does all this have to do with tournament blackjack?"
As it turns out, tournament blackjack offers us opportunities to turn our opponents against each other, in the hope that they make betting and playing decisions meant to beat each other. When our opponents are induced to bet and play against each other, it's likely to increase our own chances of winning. There are a few types of common situations that you need to be alert for, so you can consider using this kind of strategy.
Acting Early, Not the Leader, Other Opponent(s) In Close Contention
Curt's Revenge with a Twist
I'll start by continuing an analysis of a situation that I described in my most recent article in December 2014 BJI, which gave a review of a monthly tournament offered at the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan.
Last hand. One advances to the money table. Six of the starting seven players are still alive, but only three of us are in serious contention. The bottom three could still get a miracle swing to pull it off, but for purposes of analysis I leave them out. The allowable betting range is 100 to 10K, in increments of 25. No surrender is allowed. I was first to act.
=>Monkeysystem, bankroll 29,100, bet?
Villan 1, bankroll 29,800
Villan 2, bankroll 31,150
As you may recall from the previous article, I bet 7600, hoping that both Villan 1 and Villan 2 would bet the maximum of 10K (as it happens, they obliged.) My bet of 7600 was designed to provide two benefits in the event Villan 1 and Villan 2 both bet the maximum after me:
- Hold back more chips than them, making me the winner if all three lose.
- High enough to cover Villan 2's single bet win if I win a double down in the event Villan 1 or 2 have a winning hand.
A situation in which you are not the chip leader but enjoy both of the above benefits is known as Curt's Revenge, a term first coined in Stanford Wong's classic book "Casino Tournament Strategy."
Can you see how I could've made a better bet?
......enter your member login information below to read this article/newsletter...
Paid Members-Only Article
You have clicked on a link to a Blackjack Insider web page or article for paid subscribers. You must have a paid membership to the Blackjack Insider newsletter to view this content. About 1/2 of the articles in each issue of the Blackjack Insider are for paid members only, while the rest are viewable by everyone. Your purchased membership will allow you to read all Blackjack Insider articles for 12 months.
Enter your user name and password below (they were listed and e-mailed to you after you purchased your Blackjack Insider membership):
Forgot your membership id or password? Click here.
How do I get a membership?
A membership can be purchased online at our secure store with your credit card for only $19.95 per year. You will receive a user name and password immediately by e-mail which you can use to read the all past and future members-only articles for 12 months, as well as the regular free articles.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP NOW... only $19.95
Do I have to buy a membership?
No. Blackjack Insider will continue to be published as a free monthly e-newsletter. But about 1/2 of the articles each month will be for paid members only. Subscribers without a membership can still view and read the non-members articles for free.
What happens after I buy a membership?
Immediately after you complete your purchase, you will receive a unique login user name and password. These are displayed on the final purchase page, and are e-mailed to you. When you click on a members-only article in our web site, you will be prompted for this user name and password (as shown above). Simply enter them, and enjoy the article! Note: make sure you turn on the checkbox above when you login, to save the user name and password so that you don't have to re-enter them every time you view members-only articles.
Why did you switch to paid memberships?
Blackjack Insider is a professional monthly publication with top-notch articles by world-reknown gaming experts. In addition, we have regular reporters that monitor game conditions and tournament schedules throughout North America. We use a partially paid subscriber model to enable us to continue getting the best content for our readers from leading authors on blackjack and gaming.
|
|
©2015, DeepNet Technologies. No material to be copied without express permission of DeepNet Technologies.
This site developed by
DeepNet Technologies, Ontario, Canada. Contact webmaster @ bjinsider . com
if you have problems.
This site is best viewed in a 800x600 graphics mode, or higher.