Unlike regular blackjack games where there's a set house edge, blackjack tournaments deal with uncertainty. Sure standard rules still apply; however, you're facing off against other players instead of the casino.

This being said, your ability to outmaneuver opponents will heavily influence how successful you are in tourneys. Because it's so important to use good blackjack tournament strategy, we've listed some tips below that should help you get off to a solid start.

Tip #1 - Place your Bets Differently

It's hard to gain an edge through how you play your cards in a blackjack tourney. The reason why is because most players are experienced and, for the most part, will use optimal strategy against dealers. However, you can gain an advantage by betting differently than other players.

For example, if everybody at your table is placing big wagers, you could differ by betting a little smaller. Assuming the other players rack up some big losing hands, your moderate-sized wagers could give you an edge. But if the majority of the table is betting small, you could make larger wagers with a high-risk, high-reward style.

Tip #2 - Use Discretion during the Tournament

As mentioned above, it's important to make yourself stand out through betting. But this isn't to say that you should go into a blackjack tournament with the preset strategy to bet big or small. Instead, you should use a balanced wagering approach in the beginning and make your determinations later on in the event.

The idea here is to keep yourself in the tournament and feel out what the best strategy would be depending upon your remaining chips and the opponents. So if you've got a huge lead midway through the tourney, it would be unwise to start placing huge wagers because you're trying to protect the lead. Likewise, you can't afford to bet small if your chip stack is dwindling and other players are far ahead.

Tip #3 - Realize the Small Edge that Good Players have

No matter how good you are at blackjack tournaments, there'll be plenty of times where you don't make any money. The simple reason why is because even the best players hold a pretty small edge in tourneys.

After all, a lot of your success depends upon the cards and pure luck, so your only edge comes from how you bet. That said, it takes lots of experience and practice to get a good feel for strong blackjack tournament strategy. But the more you play and learn, the better your chances are of gaining an edge over your fellow opponents.