There were about 2000 players in each event, and each round lasted about 55 minutes. Shay Shevach tells me that Ken Smith confirms the total $750 cost to participate, but says that buy-in was $250. Bets were from a minimum of $5 to a maximum of $500. Donald Catlin reports that there was a $250 entry fee and buy-in was $500, players using their own money to buy chips. The first such tournaments were run by Ed and David Fishman at the Sahara hotel in Las Vegas, beginning in late 1978, under the name 'The World's First Blackjack Tournaments Championship'. Winnings do not depend on the absolute amount chips you have at the end - only on your ranking relative to the other players. There is an entrance fee and a fixed prize or a scale of prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place and so on. Each player begins with an equal number of chips, and the objective is not to win chips from the bank but to end with more chips than the other players. The tournament format is similar to that used for Texas Holdem poker tournaments. Tournament Blackjack is an adaptation in which the players compete with each other. Each player wins from or loses to the bank - all players might win or all might lose. The game involves almost no interaction between the players. In the traditional casino game of Blackjack or 21 each player plays against the bank. Links for further information and online games.This page is partly based on information from Shay Shevach.

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