Elimination Blackjack – How to Play Elimination Blackjack

Elimination blackjack is a format for blackjack tournaments. Using blackjack and poker elements, it is generally played in the Ultimate Blackjack Tour.

What is Elimination Blackjack?

Elimination blackjack is a format of blackjack tournament. It is a combination of casino blackjack with some aspects of No Limit Texas Hold'em Poker. This form of blackjack tournament is played at Ultimate Blackjack Tour and in some casinos.

The Aim of the Game

The rules of elimination blackjack are the same as regular casino blackjack. The main difference is that in elimination blackjack you are playing against the other players and not against the house. The aim of the game therefore is to collect more chips than your opponents.

The Rules of Elimination Blackjack

You will need to check the rules before you begin to play as there may be some variations between tournaments, however most tournaments will use the same rules.
Most rounds of elimination blackjack are 30 hands. Each player begins play with a certain number of chips. This is usually less in the preliminary rounds than at the final table.
Here are some basics rules:

• The dealer must hit on a soft 17 or anything below.
• The dealer must stand on a hard 17 or anything above.
• A player is allowed to split up to four times.
• Six decks of cards are used for play.
• All bets have a minimum and maximum amount (although this does not apply in the World Series of Blackjack).
• A player may surrender if they choose.
• A player may place an insurance bet if the dealer's up-card is an Ace.
• A player may only double down with two cards.
• Up to seven players are allowed per table.
• A player has a limited amount of time in which to make a decision – twenty five seconds in a regular hand and forty five seconds in an elimination hand.

Some tournaments will allow players to place a "secret bet." This is a bet that the other players at the table do not know the value of until after he has played his hand. Most tournaments that allow this bet will allow it only once in each round of the tournament. This option allows for a similar strategic move to those played in poker – the ability to bluff.

Being Eliminated

Elimination blackjack is called such as it is possible for players to become eliminated from the tournament. There are two ways in which a player can be eliminated:

• If the player loses all of his chips.
• If the player does not hold enough chips to make the minimum hand bet.
• By being the player with the fewest chips after an elimination hand – this may be after hand number 8, 16 and 25.

A player will always be eliminated after an elimination round (even if a player has been eliminated on the previous round).

Winning Elimination Blackjack

The player to win elimination blackjack is the last player left at the table or the player who holds the most chips at the end of the 30 hands of the tournament.