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Team-Play Texas Hold'em Tournaments

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In team play Texas Hold 'em tournaments, 2 players form each team.  The players compete individually in a regular no-limit hold 'em tournament.  Points are awarded based on how well each player finishes in the final standings.  The top teams, based on the 2 players' combined scores, earn prize money.

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Prize money is also awarded to the overall top finishers in the tournament. 

Trippers will host Monthly Big Stack tournaments on the first Sunday of each month, starting Aug 3rd at 4:00pm.  The buy in will be $150, with early registrations available Thursday-Saturday the week leading up to the event.

Starting stacks will be 8000 chips, with 20 minute blinds.

$25 & $50 Satellites will be available Thursday, Friday and Saturday the week of the event.  All satellite games will have 1000 starting chips and 10 minute blinds.

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In Elimination Blackjack, players compete against each other with the top two players at each table advancing. The other table players are eliminated from the competition (hence the name "elimination format"). 

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Players draw seat cards for tables and seating.  All players begin each round with the same bankroll.  Each tournament with 14 or more players has a minimum of 2 rounds of play and each round consists of 30 hands.  The top two chip leaders at each table at the end of a round advance to future rounds of play..

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Each round has 3 elimination hands, hand number 8, 16, and 25.  The player with the fewest chips at the end of an elimination hand is automatically eliminated from the game.    After the final round, the player with the most money/chips takes 1^st place.  Prizes are awarded to the top 10 percent of the field, i.e., with 28 players the top 4 players get paid.

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In each round players have the option to make one Secret Bet.  This can become critical in elimination rounds as a bettor in early position may want to “hide” their bet and take away the positional advantage of players yet to act.

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What makes blackjack tournaments popular is the competition amongst players. Unlike traditional blackjack where it's you against the dealer, in tournament play it's player against player.   This is a very strategic game.

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There are several different approaches to playing in the popular elimination tournaments. Some players like to bet big from the start in an effort to accumulate an early lead in the round. Others tend to bet conservatively and wait to make their move with bigger bets if it's necessary. It's important that you be able to estimate how much money (chips) your fellow players have as the round progressives.  If you find yourself behind the leader, then you should try to bet differently than him/her to catch up.

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If you are in the lead, your best strategy is to match the bets of players who are trying to catch you. That way if you both win or lose you will still have the lead.

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A Couple of Tips:  It is not uncommon for players to split their hand when they have 20 (i.e., two queens), or to double down on hands like 10/7.  Players will do anything to add to their chip count.

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.Join us for this really fun and exciting game!.

1. Tournament Rounds: Each Elimination Tournament will consist of a minimum of two rounds depending on the number of participants. Initial seating will consist of six (6) or seven (7) players per table depending on the number of entrants. 

2. Preliminary Rounds: Preliminary Rounds are the rounds leading up to the semifinals.

3. Semi-Final Round: Semi-final Round is the round from which you advance to the final table.

4. Final Round: Final Round will be the final table for any tournament. The player with the highest value of chips after hand thirty (30) will be declared the winner or a player may be declared the winner if they are the only remaining player. If there is a tie after hand thirty (30) – then a playoff will be held to determine the winner. This will be governed by the playoff rules (See Section 14).

5. Players & Protocol: To participate in the tournament a player must show up before the sixth hand begins or they will be disqualified. For each absent hand, the minimum bet will be placed for the player and then the player will stand on the first two (2) cards. If at any time during the tournament, a player sits out more than five (5) consecutive hands – the player is eliminated.

6. Starting Chips: Each player begins each round with an equal value in chips. For any tournament round before the final round each player will receive $5,000 in tournament chips with a minimum bet of $100 and a maximum bet of $5,000 in increments of $100. In the Final Round, each player will receive $10,000 in tournament chips and the minimum bet will be $200 and the maximum bet of $10,000 in increments of $200.

7. Betting: A rotating button will be used to determine the betting and playing order at each table. The seating position will be determined by a random draw prior to the play of the first hand. The button will always start at seat #1 and will rotate one position clockwise around the table. Betting will proceed in a clockwise rotation beginning with the position occupied by the marker. Players must bet in order. Each player must place their desired bet before each hand begins within the time limit specified (See Section 11). Once the hand is over, the dealer will pay winners and collect from losing hands. At the end of any hand, if a player has a total amount of chips that is less than the table minimum wager, then that person is immediately Eliminated from the tournament and unable to compete in any further hands for that event.

8. Dealing: The dealer will deal from a 6-deck shoe.  The dealer will deal both initial cards face-up to the players and the dealer will receive one card up and one down. All double-down cards and second cards on split aces will be dealt face-down. All second cards on any other split pairs will be dealt face up.

9. General Rules: The general rules of casino blackjack will be in force.  Specifically, the dealer must hit on soft 17 or below and stand on hard 17 and above.  Players may split and re-split up to four hands, except on aces, which may be split only once and receive one card down on each ace. Players may double down any first two cards including after split.

-- Insurance and Surrender are not available. --

10. Blackjack: A blackjack (“natural”) is a total hand value of 21 in the first two cards. A player will be paid two to one (2 to 1) on blackjack unless the dealer has blackjack also, which will be considered a push. If the player splits a pair of aces or 10-valued cards and makes a two card 21, it does not count as a blackjack.

11. Player Time Limits: Play of the hands must be completed within the time limits specified. Players have twenty-five (25) seconds on any non-elimination hand.  If a player does not place a bet within the allotted time, the bet will automatically be the minimum. If the player does not act on a hand within the allotted time, the hand will automatically stand.

12.  Secret Bet:  Each player has the option of placing one “secret bet” per tournament round, where their wager is concealed from the other players until the round is over.

13.  Elimination Hands: Each Elimination Hand (8,16,25) must result in one player being eliminated after the hand is completed regardless of whether a player was eliminated on a previous hand or if the player was eliminated at the beginning of an Elimination Hand for not having the minimum bet. The eliminated player will be the one with the lowest amount of chips when the hand is completed. Additionally, any player who does not have enough chips to make the minimum bet on any hand will be eliminated.

NOTE: When players tie for low on an Elimination Hand and those players are in contention for an advancing spot, a playoff will be held between those players to see who is eliminated (See Section 13).

14. Playoffs: At the conclusion of Elimination Hands 8, 16, and 25, the player with the lowest total value of remaining chips will be eliminated. If two or more players are tied for the lowest total value of remaining chips, a playoff will be held. The number of hands in the playoff will be equal to the number of players tied at the beginning of the playoff. At the beginning of the playoff, the tied players will start with $5,000 in tournament chips with a minimum bet of $100 and a maximum bet of $5,000 in increments of $100.  The first bettor in the playoff shall be the player who is naturally positioned to be next following the preceding hand. If any player(s) are still tied for low chip count at the end of the playoff, those remaining players start the playoff sequence again.

15. At the end of the round, the top two or three players (based on the number of entrants) with the most chips at each table goes through to the next round. The remaining players are eliminated.  A round will end automatically when the number of players equals the quantity that will advance to the next round.  At the beginning of each round all players start with an equal value of chips.  Players do not keep their chips from the previous round.