BJ Strategy
Ultimate Blackjack Tour Roundup – Episode #5
The fifth episode of the Ultimate Blackjack Tour featured an exciting finish, including the first ever playoff in the new blackjack tournament series.
The seven players included three who were on All In magazine's preseason top ten – Blair Rodman, Adriana Jade and Norm Sheridan. Others included experienced blackjack tournament player S.H. Long, surprise finalist Pat Taylor, who skillfully worked his way through the Las Vegas qualifiers, Dewey Tomko, and Spencer Mohler, the tournament's Internet qualifier.
Dewey Tomko was the first player eliminated when he risked his blackjack tournament life with a $50,000 all-in bet on Hand 7. Unfortunately for him, the dealer drew to 21. The next elimination occurred on Hand 8, the first forced elimination hand that featured the first playoff in the series after Sheridan and Long tied on the hand.
In blackjack tournament playoffs, the contestants play only two hands and the advantage lies with the player who bets last on the second hand, Sheridan in this case. On the first hand, Sheridan bet $1,000 to take the low side, while Long bet $3,000. Long won to take the lead, but must then bet first. This time Long took the low with a $1,000 bet and Sheridan bet $5,000. Sheridan had to win his hand to advance. The dealer turned up an ace and Long declined insurance. This was the wrong move, as it allowed Sheridan a "free insurance" play. When Sheridan takes full insurance it means that he would tie Long again, and force a second playoff, if the dealer has blackjack, but he can still win by just winning his hand if the dealer doesn't have the natural.
If the dealer has a natural, Long would lose $1,000 to finish with $60,500 and Sheridan would break even to stay at $60,500 – forcing the second playoff. If the dealer doesn't have a natural and both win, Long would win $1,000 to finish with $62,500 and Sheridan sees a net win of $2,500 to finish with $63,000. Had Long taken $500 insurance, Sheridan could not have taken insurance to tie and would have still had to win his hand. The dealer did not have the natural, and Sheridan subsequently won his hand to advance.
Sheridan lost steadily after the first elimination hand, however, and is forced to go all in on Hand 13. He was dealt a 20, but the dealer turned over a blackjack. Patrick Taylor was the next to fall when Blair Rodman's excellent use of the blackjack strategy ‘double for less' preserved the low side for him by just $1,000.
After a wild series of hands that left all three remaining players over or near $300,000, Spencer Mohler was eliminated on Hand 25. The Internet qualifier went deep, but in the end it was two of the top players on the tour—Blair Rodman and Adriana Jade—that went heads up. Adriana took the lead on Hand 26, and then Blair's pushes on Hands 27 and 29 prevented him from getting the lead back. On the final hand, Blair needed a swing, since he must bet in the open and in front of Adriana. He tried for it with a hard double of 13, but busted, and Adriana Jade became the champion.
By Johnny Kampis, Online Gambling Guru