Blackjack Tournaments and Seating Positions
There is an interesting addition to the game if you participate in blackjack tournaments. A button rotates from player to player pretty much like the one you see in Texas Hold'em Poker. This button signifies which player is first base. That player then gets to make wagers first and the pecking order of the play of hands is dictated by the position of this button.
With this added element to blackjack tournaments, a player's seating position now becomes a really significant factor in the game. Some seats are now better seating positions than others, depending on where the betting button makes first base. Therefore, when given the chance to choose where you will sit at the blackjack table you should be mindful of your seating position.
Most blackjack tournaments will assign seating positions and button positions randomly making everything fair. Some tournaments will settle this through dice rolls while some deal cards to determine the said positions. However, there are blackjack tournaments that allow players to choose seating positions. Being allowed to choose seating positions opens strategic opportunities.
As a rule, if you are allowed to choose seating positions in a blackjack tournament then you should choose the spot directly to the right of the last button position. As an example let us take a look at this scenario: you have six players for every table and this round will play 20 hands and the first button position is on seat number one. By simply counting off the number of seats with 20 hands in this round, you can tell that the last button position is on the number two seat. You should grab the seat to its right, which is seat number one.
Taking the said seating position will give you an edge in the last hand to be played. You will be able to see the bet sizes made by other players and adjust your bet sizes accordingly. The very last hand in a blackjack tournament round will either be your last ditch effort to catch up in the chip count or your last move to seal your victory.
Since you will not always get the chance to pick your seating position, the important thing to do is to take note of the first base. You should also take note that players on the table will drop out as the game progresses so the last button position will also change so you should adjust your betting sizes and strategy accordingly. If you're one of the players who will make the very first final bets, then you should make bigger bet sizes every now and then. This is preferably done in the early stages of the game since you won't have any advantage at the later part of the game. Your seating position and the button position will have an impact in your strategy in a blackjack tournament.