It's rare to win a tournament round without having to make a catch-up bet somewhere along the way. Deciding when and how to catch the chip leaders at your table is therefore the most common decision a player must make, but it's also a decision where many players make fundamental errors. This article will look at ways to make the right play.

First, how do you decide when to make your move? If the chip leaders at your table are still within a max bet of your bankroll, you can usually afford to wait a bit, and see if they continue to make large bets. If they're betting large, you can bet small and hope the dealer wins. Of course, your opponents will often extend their lead in these situations. Still, the best way to catch another player is to bet opposite of them. As long as that has a reasonable chance of working, you should postpone any riskier plays.

Usually, one way or another, those small waiting bets just won't get the job done. If the leaders begin betting small, and you're still within one max bet of them, your best chance is winning one large bet to take the lead. You're much better off trying to regain the lead in one hand, rather than hoping to win several of the next few hands with medium-sized bets. If you find yourself multiple max bets behind the leader, you'll need to be lucky to catch up, winning several large bets. In those cases, there's often little strategy involved. Bet big, and hope for the best.

...enter your member login information below to read the remainder of this article...

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.

10% off America's Premier Print gaming Magazine for BJI subscribers! Subscribe online!