Online Tournament Games

RummyRoyal Tournaments

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:10:36 -0500

Rummy Royal is having tournaments galore!! Join them in their Kalooki 51 tournament that has a guaranteed prize of $3000!!! This will take place on Sunday October 26th, 2008 at 15:00 ET, and the buy-in is only $16.50!!

To top that off Rummy Royal is holding the biggest tournament ever!! On November 16th at 15:00 ET they are having a Kalooki 51 tournament, where players can compete for a guaranteed prize of $10,000!!! You don�t want to miss out on this one!! The seats are limited for this tournament, so head on over and compete for a seat in the biggest tournament of the year!!!!

And if you haven�t joined the Ultimate Rummy Challenge, there is still time to show off your skills. They have already given out $3000 in prizes in October, so get over there and join in!!

Don�t forget their Special combination bonus!! This time it is available from your first time deposit as well as once you have collected royal stars!! This bonus is offered to their veteran players as well as first time depositors. Go get your combo bonus now at Rummy Royal!!

BlackJack Tournament Series (Part 3 of 7) - Tournament Blackjack Introduction

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:28:59 -0500

In a standard setup, a blackjack tournament will last several rounds with up to 6 players battling out each round. On completion of each round, only one or two players will progress to the next level. A preset number of hands will be played each round. All players will start the round will an equal amount of chips. The player (or players) with the largest remaining bankroll will continue. Rounds vary so you should always check the rules before the game, but generally they will last between 15 and 30 hands. Occasionally tournament chips have a monetary value but nornally they just have a chip value.

The tournament begins with each player being dealt a single face up card from a standard 52 card deck.

A button is placed next to the player with the highest card to indicate he is first to play. His position is known as first base. The button rotates in a clockwise position around the table. It is important to note that the person who bets first on any given hand is at a disadvantage. This becomes more crucial at the later stages of the round.

Tournaments vary in size but generally consist of between three and twenty rounds. The final round usually has six players battling it out to become the tournament winner.

Live blackjack tournament buyins usually consist of an entry fee and a house fee. If the entry fee is $10, then the house fee will be around $2. All the entry fees are added together to make up the prize fund. The house fee goes to the host, which in this case will be the casino. Online house fees are usually less, so a $10 buyin and $1 fee is the norm. Often tournaments have guaranteed prize funds. This mean that even if there is a shortage of players, the prize pool has a guaranteed minimum.

Often when you are playing a blackjack tournament in one of the biggest venues, you will have access to special room prices and free food, so if you are on a budget, it�s a great time to visit your favorite casino.

Buyins vary from casino to casino. You may find tournaments for as little as $10 and if you are a high roller, you can always find higher buyin events with larger payouts. Online blackjack tournament players can find games for as little as a dollar, often some freerolls are held where you can win some real money with no risk to your bankroll.

Playing blackjack tournaments online are a great way to hone your skills. In the next blackjack tournament series installment, we will touch on a little blackjack tournament strategy.

Blackjack Tournament Series (Part 2 of 7)

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:56:56 -0500

I'm not a big fan of history for facts. "His" Story", implies whoever said it done it, nonetheless, it makes interesting reading. Most games evolve from something, so we will never really get a black and white answer to the question.

Paper and cards are thought to have been invented in china, 95 BC, but was first reported by Ts'ai Lun, an Imperial Court Official to the Chinese Emperor 200 years later.

The first record of playing cards was the Chinese Domino Deck, which used all 21 dice combinations in 905AD, so my guess is that blackjack, in its earliest form originated in China. Ignoring my thoughts on the issue, it�s generally believed that blackjack originated in France, Europe during the 18th century.

In the 19th century, blackjack became the game of choice for many people in the USA. Then, the game was more of a female pastime. It grew in stature through the 19th century. The game was still primarily dominated with women because they were not allowed to play any other casino game with their male counterparts.

In 1962, Dr.Edward O.Thorp, published his book, Beat the Dealer. It was the first book of its kind that proved blackjack could be mathematically beaten. Men soon realized the merits of the game and started getting more involved. Now, if you walk into a casino the game is primarily a male dominated game.

When bricks and mortar casinos realized the demand for blackjack they started to develop new edges to the game. Most of these developments evolved in the 1970's when the famous card counters, Al Francesco and Ken Uston made their millions.

Blackjack tournament history is a bit patchy but Donald Catlin claims that there was $500 buyin tournament with a $250 entry fee, back in 1979. This is not confirmed but tournaments were certainly played during the early 1980's.

There was a bit of a lull in blackjack tournaments from the late 1980's to the turn of the century. Many casinos thought that these games would encourage card counting development amongst their customers which would in turn ebb away at their profits.

During the barren years, Stanford "Godfather of Blackjack" Wong began his tournament career. He wrote a book entitled "Tournament Blackjack", in 1987. He renamed the book "Casino Tournament" in 1992.

Tournament blackjack started creeping back into favor in the 1990's. The game itself got a mega boost in popularity as online casino's started appearing around 1994. Blackjack became instantly popular online; the tournament scene is steadily growing in stature.

The tournament scene offline began to take off again in 2002 with a Million Dollar tournament, held in the Las Vegas Hilton. They reduced the benefits of card counting by using multiple decks and 30 deal rounds. This format worked well and was adopted worldwide throughout many casinos, including the televised World Series of Blackjack in the Las Vegas Hilton.

Blackjack has also proven to be TV friendly. The game is cheap, easy to film, and exciting to watch. Although not as big, tournament blackjack has the potential to challenge the popularity of tournament poker. It is fairly easy to learn the basics but still has a strong skill factor.

I can only see the popularity of blackjack growing. More and more people want to learn how to play a game where they can develop an edge over the casino. Tournaments are fun and competitive and with Million dollar prize purses available to those who scale the heights, the game is only moving onwards and upwards.

Blackjack Tournament Series (Part 1 of 7)

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 20:27:09 -0500

Broadly speaking there are two forms of blackjack, house blackjack & tournament blackjack. House blackjack is a casino game where you play against the dealer. Tournament blackjack is when you take on your peers.

I was reading up on a major online blackjack tournament scheduled for later this month, when I realized that there isn't a great deal of information to be found regarding tournament play. I decided to do something about this and introduce you to the differences you will encounter. I will teach you how to adjust your game to the situation, your opponents, and your positioning.

I know a lot of live blackjack players who won�t play online because they don�t trust the virtual side of online gaming. If they feel that way, playing against the house is not a great option. For card counters, the counting aspect is practically negligible as the cards are automatically reshuffled after each round, eliminating the advantages.

I am a great fan of online poker. The major boom and its popularity is largely down to tournament poker. Yes, you can play cash games. Yes, you can play against the house playing casino poker, but the main draw is the tournament scene. The human race, by nature relies on social interaction. I won�t go into a sociology discussion, but the difference between house play and tournament play online, is the ability to interact and test yourself against your peers.

People remember tournament winners. People want to show their skills off by being tournament winners. The great thing about tournament play is that once you pay your entry fee, you are ready to go. You do not need to worry about going on tilt and blowing your budget. You play a tournament until you get knocked out, or win. You may set a budget playing against the house, but it is far too easy to forget, so tournament play is often the better option for those who do not know when to quit.

People need to use strict bankroll management when tackling cash games. It is all too easy when you are on a losing streak, to up your stakes and chase your losses. This can kill your bankroll. This can demoralize you. The beauty of playing in tournaments is that you have your fixed goal. You know how much you are investing in a session, and if you progress in the tournament, you can expect good returns, with limited risk to your bankroll. If you get knocked out early, at least you are comforted with the knowledge that you have played within your intended budget.

Many players love blackjack because of its simplicity. Very few people play in blackjack tournaments, although I can see this changing in the not too distant future. Blackjack is one of the most popular games in live casinos. You can find lots of information on blackjack strategy but very little on the tournament angle.

Back in 2000, there was scarce information online on how to improve your poker skills. Most players learned through trial and error. If you persevered with it, and invested hours upon hours of your time each week, you could hope to move up the ranks and earn a few dollars. With such limited information, you had to do it the hard way.

Now, with masses of information on No-Limit Texas Hold'em, the game has become extremely competitive. Exploiting novice mistakes has become a less common occurrence, so much so, that I made the move to Omaha Hi/Low (a variation of poker), where the competition is softer, player mistakes are more common and my profit margins are generally better. This is why I see a great opportunity opening up for blackjack players who set their focus on tournament play.

People are competitive by nature. They see a tournament and want to massage their egos, proving their ability over others. As blackjack is such a familiar game, 'everyone and their dog' think they can play. Some may be proficient cash game players but when it comes to tournament play, it�s a whole new ball game entirely. Strike when the iron is hot. Learn the secrets of tournament blackjack and prove your superiority over your non trained opponents.

I will give you a short introduction into the history of blackjack tournaments. This should whet your appetite. I will then take you through the basic rules of tournament play. Once you are comfortable with the mechanics of the game, you should be ready for some strategy. You will learn how to adapt your play according to the situation, develop a betting formula to outwit your opponents. I will then go on to offer you some tips on how to sharpen up your skills. To finish off the series, I will show you how to approach your end game play.

The Largest Blackjack Tournament in History

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 08:49:14 -0500

Even if you are not familiar with most card games, you will probably know the basics of blackjack. The aim of the game is to get a hand of 21 without going over.

Most blackjack games, you pit your wits against the dealer. However, in blackjack tournaments, you will be competing with your peers.

www.gameaccount.com has put together the largest online blackjack tournament in history, known as their X50 series.

Registration for the X50 series opens on Saturday 30th August and battle commences on 28th September, 7pm (UK time). The direct buy in to the tournament is �100. If that seems a little steep, watch out for their online qualifiers, coming soon. Qualifiers are a great way to win your way into some of the larger tournaments for players on a tighter budget. �10 and �25 qualifiers will be played throughout the month of September.

The main event has a guaranteed prize pool of �7,777, spread out amongst the top 32 players. The lucky winner has a guaranteed a minimum of �5000.

I have played a few of the smaller blackjack tournaments. I alter my strategy according to my opponents. I recommend you practice a little on the free money tables. It doesn�t take long to work out some of the more subtle plays that differentiate standard blackjack with tournament play.

Players start with a set amount of virtual casino chips, displayed in dollars. Standard blackjack rules apply. You will play a specified number of hands each round. The player with the highest chip count at the end of the round is declared the winner. Alternatively, if a player loses all their chips before the specified hands are completed, they lose immediately. In the event of a tie, players will enter a 'Sudden Death' playoff.

Blackjack tournaments are games of cat and mouse. You can take the risk and force the play, but you also risk being eliminated, if the hands don�t go your way. You can play a little cagier in the hope that your opponent falters, but you cannot afford to give him too much of a lead. It�s a fine balancing act.

For more information on how to play, visit www.gameaccount.com

PartyPoker�s $1 Million Birthday Tournament

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 10:53:26 -0500

Get ready Poker Fans, PartyPoker is going to have a GUARANTEED ONE MILLION DOLLAR Tournament to celebrate their Birthday!! What a way to celebrate!! This is what I call a Party!

GIBRALTAR � (PRESS RELEASE) -- PartyPoker.com is counting down to celebrating its 7th birthday and is giving players an opportunity to join in the party with a $1,000,000 guaranteed Birthday Party bonanza tournament.

There will be no cake, no disco and definitely no unwanted gifts, just a cool $1,000,000 guaranteed prize fund that will be up for grabs in a special tournament on Sunday 10th August at 1245 ET. Daily qualifiers are now taking place at www.PartyPoker.com.

Players can buy-in directly to the championship-style blind structured main event for $640. As always, PartyPoker.com will provide a diverse qualifying structure allowing ALL players, no matter the size of their bankroll, an opportunity to qualify and participate in the $1 Million Birthday Million. Qualifiers start from as little as $1 with a range running daily. It is possible to get involved in the action by using just 15 PartyPoints. Detailed information on qualification can be found at: http://www.partypoker.com/news/items/
million_dollar_birthday_qualifier_structure.html).

A PartyPoker.com spokesman said, "There is no doubt this is a party not to miss. It is not often you go to someone else's birthday celebrations with the chance of walking away with a share of $1,000,000. It will definitely feel like a birthday and Christmas all rolled into one for our big winners."

"The birthday celebrations will start on Monday 4th August, with a range of special celebration tournaments. Details of these will be announced in the near future."

Happy Birthday, PartyPoker!! Way to celebrate in style!!

RummyRoyal Euro 2008 Tournaments

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 15:15:51 -0500

At RummyRoyal June is not just for weddings! June means non-stop tournaments! In celebration of summer football mania they would like to invite fans all over to play in their $50 Guaranteed Tournaments. It will be twice a day of the EURO before the squads hit a pitch.

That�s right 24 fun and exciting tournaments that will lead up to the Quarters and Semi�s where the CASH prizes will get bigger and bigger! And then the Grand Prize Finale of $4,000 is Guaranteed!! The winners of quarter finals and the semi final tournaments get a FREE seat for the grand prize Finale.

All you have to do is go to the RummyRoyal Lobby and click on Multi tourney, look for each special tourney, and register!! All of this is done from the lobby. How easy is that?

Good luck and most of all have fun!!!

RummyRoyal is having a Mother�s Day Tournament

Fri, 9 May 2008 12:39:42 -0500

We all hope that everyone is enjoying the nice weather in May! And at RummyRoyal yo u can help celebrate your Mother with their Mother�s Day tournament! And happy Mother�s Day to all the Mothers from Me!!

RummyRoyal is having a Mother of Tournaments the Oklahoma $700 Guaranteed Cash Prize!

On Sunday, May 11th 2008 at 15:00 (ET) RummyRoyal is bringing you this very special Multi Table Tournament with a buy-in of only $7.00!!

All depositing players are invited to compete for their share of the $700 prize!!

So go register and join in this tourney while having a blast playing at Rummyroyal !! And good luck to all!! Happy Mother�s Day!!

32Red�s Weekend Tournaments

Fri, 2 May 2008 12:51:15 -0500

32Red is at it again. They are having an Exclusive Weekend Tournament. At 32Red they do their best to keep the excitement high, and this is just another way for them to do just that!

During this long bank holiday weekend, 32Red Poker is holding a series of exclusive tournaments. Players can dip into their RedBack (32Red Poker's loyalty points system) reserves to gain entry to these impressive top-dollar tournaments. New players needn't worry though - they can buy-in through a nominal fee and battle against 32Red Poker's most experienced members.

Here's a breakdown of what's on offer:

Tonight (Friday 2nd May)

"The Friday Late One" - Guaranteed $1,000. Entry: 1,100 RedBacks or $10 + $1. Starts 22:00 BST.

Saturday (3rd May)

"Be the Bounty" - Guaranteed $1,000. Entry: 1,100 RedBacks or $10 + $1. Starts 21:30 BST.

Sunday (4th May)

"Play for $2k Sunday" - Guaranteed $2,000. Entry: 2,200 RedBacks or $20 + �2. 17:00 BST.

Monday (5th May)

"Quickfire Snooker Special" - Guaranteed $500. Entry: 550 RedBacks or $5 + $0.50. 14:30 BST.

"Snooker Final Session Special" - Guaranteed $500. Entry: 550 RedBacks or $5 + $0.50. 20:30 BST.

With so much going on this weekend you can sit back, relax during the inevitable James Bond film and enjoy increased earnings with our enhanced 40% rate.

Join the Poker fun at 32Red and who knows you could be a winner!!

Accepts all Players Except US Players

Rummy Royals $2000 Kalooki Tournament

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:06:38 -0500

I am a rummy lover, so I may just try my luck at this one! If you love a game of skill and love rummy, get in on this. Rummy Royal is throwing a $2000 Kalooki Tournament.

The start date is Sunday the 27th at 3:00 pm ET / 8:00 GMT. To enter go to Rummy Royal, sign up for an account, Make a deposit, on one of their many deposit methods, taking advantage of any sign up bonus they have offered, and then on the 27th enter the tournament with a tiny entry fee of $11. That is all you have to do. So easy even a caveman can do it..LOL Join in one of the best Rummy tournaments online!

The tournament is the Kalooki version of Rummy, which uses the jokers as wild cards. So why not get in on the fun and enjoy the great game of Rummy.