Secret bet on final hand

Discussion in 'Blackjack Tournament Strategy' started by The_Professional, Mar 6, 2017.

  1. The_Professional

    The_Professional Active Member

    I got invited to a BJ tournament in which 1 person advance each round. The round is 13 hands but the final 13 hands is a secret bet and it has no max limit. What is a good source of information on secret bet strategies? Appreciate any input.
     
  2. gronbog

    gronbog Top Member

    I believe that Monkeysystem wrote an article for bjinsider on secret bets a few years ago. Maybe he will post a link.

    The one general rule of thumb that most agree on is to save it for the final hand, or for making a big move near the end of the round.

    From my experience, you can almost always assume that folks using a secret bet will bet big. This is especially true for non-experts. As always, you need to asses your opponent's skill and tendencies. I, on the other hand have had great success in using the secret bet to take the low on players who are ahead of me. Once again, be careful, as this can lead to being locked out!

    In general, I like secret bets, since I believe that they represent an opportunity for skilled play.
     
  3. The_Professional

    The_Professional Active Member

    Thanks Gronbog
    I this format the secret bet is the last hand, so no choice there. It also seems that only the initial betting is secret but once the cards are turned in, they get replaced by chips. So, a person can then see all the bets before making the move. Given that it is only 13 rounds, I expect that most of the players will still be in contention at the final hand. I came up with non-scientifc tentative plan. I will try to go to final hand as BR1 as mush is possible. If I am BR1, then I will bet as much as BR2 bankroll is. There is no max on that hand. If I am not BR1, then I will bet 1/2 of my bankroll and decide after I see other bets whether I must double or split. If I am trailing everyone else on the final hand, I will just bet minimum and hope the dealer gets a blackjack.
     
  4. gronbog

    gronbog Top Member

    Yes -- with a no-max secret bet on the final hand, almost everyone will bet big and perhaps all-in. You will definitely have more than 1 opponent gunning for you, so covering the high is a reasonable strategy. I have had success in covering the first high for 1 advance tables and final tables in this situation. Keeping some chips will also beat the all-ins (if that has value) in the case that the dealer sweeps the table.
     
  5. Monkeysystem

    Monkeysystem Top Member Staff Member

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