Certain tournament blackjack players are simply better than others. There’s a reason you see the likes of David Matthews, Ken Smith and Kenny Einiger at more televised blackjack tournament finals than other players. So what skills do you need to be more like David? Let’s look at some characteristics you need to be a top blackjack tournament player.

Patience
This top trait among poker players is very useful in blackjack as well. Just as you have to wait for good hands in poker, you must wait for opportunities to make big bets in blackjack tournaments. You must have the patience to wait until the final stages of the tournament to make your move for the top. Act too quickly and you may end up out of the game.

Human Calculator
Mathematics is huge in this game. Huge! Good blackjack tournament players must be able to do very quick calculations in their head to figure out how much to bet to put themselves in the best position to win. They must figure out not only how much to bet, but how the possible outcomes of the hands combined with the math will give them the best chance to come out on top. In this sense, the final hands of a blackjack tournament can become akin to a logic problem. If you can master the mathematical part of the game, you are well ahead of the curve.

Courage
It’s not enough to know the math in this game. You must have the courage to act on those convictions. If the time is right and the action dictates that you throw out a big bet or hit a hard 16, you must have the guts to do so. Without courage, you’re going to get left on the curb in most blackjack tournaments.

Perseverance
A good tournament blackjack player must also be able to dust himself off after a tough beat and continue to play his “A” game. In other words, you must persevere through adversity to cut it in this game. You might compare it to poker, in which a player will often go on “tilt” after facing adversity. Just as in poker, in blackjack you must be able to keep a level head at all times.

Grace
Please, win (and lose) with class. Respect the game and respect the other players. Don’t go “Hollywood” and make a fool of yourself. Play your best game and let the cards fall where they may. If anything, maybe the good karma you create will bring some tournament titles your way very soon.

By Johnny Kampis
- Online Blackjack Expert