Any Aspects of BJ Tournament Strategy Applicable to UTH Tournament?

Discussion in 'Blackjack Tournament Strategy' started by acercher, Mar 11, 2019.

  1. acercher

    acercher Member

    Folks--All of you have been so patient and helpful in answering my newbie questions over the years that I'm taking a shot in the off-topic dark to see if anyone has any advice.

    My local casino has phased out its weekly blackjack tournament due to lack of interest :-( . (In 2018, I did finish first in its annual BJ tournament, so apparently I will be the reigning champion in perpetuity...but I'd rather be playing in tournaments). However, they will be holding an Ultimate Texas Holdem (UTH) tournament next month.

    Briefly, UTH has approximately the same house edge (i.e., .57% element of risk) as blackjack if the correct basic strategy is used. You're trying to achieve a better poker hand than the dealer, with everyone receiving two hole cards, and five community cards. You make an initial bet before seeing your two cards. Then you have three chances to make one additional bet. If you like your two cards, you bet four times your initial bet, or you pass. The dealer then turns up three community cards, and if you haven't previously bet, you can bet twice your initial bet, or you pass. The dealer then turns up the last two community cards, and if you haven't previously bet, you can either match your initial bet, or fold. There is an optional side bet (3.1% house edge) which most people like to play which will pay off big occasionally.

    The UTH tournament will have 90 players in the first round, with 30 advancing to the semi-finals (top 2 per table). Six will advance to the final table. Those six will split $30,000 in house money. I've searched the internet for insight about tournament strategy for UTH and have found nothing--which at least suggests that others playing in the UTH tournament won't have a lot more experience than me.

    So far, I can think of four aspects of BJ tournament strategy which may be transferable to a UTH tournament:
    First, make minimum bets for the first 50-75% of the hands, so that some of the aggressive bettors will flame out.
    Second, when ahead, correlate bets.
    Third, try hard to be BR1 immediately before the final hand.
    Fourth, if you're going to be betting first or second on the final hand, bet more aggressively in the last five hands to try to establish a lead of half a max bet or better.

    I don't plan to make the optional side bet, which implies a significant risk that at least one or two of the other players may get lucky and take an almost insurmountable lead.

    Based on these bare facts, are there any other elements of BJ tournament strategy that you think might be transferable? I know this is off-topic, but hope that some of you might find it interesting to think about what aspects can be generalized to another kind of tournament.

    Many thanks--Acercher
     

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