Elimination Blackjack


Elimination Blackjack is a tournament format of blackjack invented by Russ Hamilton, that was played on the Ultimate Blackjack Tour and in various casinos. It combines the game of blackjack with elements of No Limit Texas Hold'Em. Unlike Texas Hold'Em tournaments, players are still competing against the same dealer that is why the results of most players at the table are likely to be the same. UltimateBet, a sponsor of the Ultimate Blackjack Tour, offered online elimination blackjack tournaments prior to bankruptcy.

Rules

A round of elimination blackjack in most cases is thirty hands in length. Depending upon the organization hosting the event, a player will start with between $10,000 and $100,000 in chips. While certain organizations have their own house rules, elimination blackjack usually follows the following rules:
Some organizations allow a secret bet where the players at the table do not know the value of that player's bet, until after that player's hand is concluded. In most games, this option can be used only once during a single round of the tournament.

Eliminations

Depending on the organization hosting the event, a player is eliminated from the tournament in three ways:
Usually the last player left at the table is the winner, or the player with the most chips after 30 hands have been played. Blackjack is sometimes played in a multi-table tournament format where one or more players advance to the next round after the others have been eliminated. If there are too many players left after 30 hands, the players who advance are determined by chip stacks.