Traditional Blackjack or 21 involves completion against the dealer to reach a sum total of 21 without going over. Multiple players sit at the same table, but the game involves little interaction between them. Each player wins or loses based on the same set of dealer cards in a head to head showdown. After a while, based on Blackjack basic strategy, the game becomes formulaic as each hand has a recommended play based on precalculated odds.

Online Blackjack Tournaments borrow from the world of Poker, utilizing a similar tournament format to refocus the game which creates direct competition among the players seated at each table. The tournament format is similar to No Limit Texas Hold 'Em, in that each player buys into the game for a set number of chips. The object of an online blackjack tournament is to end up with the most chips at each table, as a player's chip stack determines his or her position at the end of each round. Player's are no longer simply focused on beating the dealer, their attention turns to accumulating chips using shrewd betting strategies to overtake the leader with each hand. The specifics of each game varies from casino to casino but typically before play begins, several tournament options must be established including; number of hands to be played, number of decks to be used, the entry fee, and whether the single table or multi-table format will be chosen.

Once the ground rules are set, the betting order is determined. This can be determined at random or by drawing cards to see who takes possession of the dealer button. The first player "on the button" bets first and plays his hand before any of the other players. Just like in poker, players take turns receiving the first cards in the deal and making the first betting decision. All bets are made prior to the start of each hand, beginning with the player in possession of the button and ending with the player to his or her immediate right. Minimum and maximum bets are generally established at the start of the game and all dealt cards are visible to all players. Each hand is played with each player matching up against the same set of dealer cards as they attempt to approach a count of 21 without exceeding the total. The last player in each round, in the "last to act" position, is able to see all bets and hands before concluding the round, which puts him at a great advantage. At the conclusion of each round, the dealer button rotates to the left and play continues until the elimination round, which generally occurs at a predetermined round number or time limit. At this time the chip leader either wins the tournament if a single table blackjack tournament is being played or moves on to the next table in the multi-table format.

As you can see, opponents to a player's left are a bigger threat that those to his or her right because they have the significant advantage of knowing both the wager and outcome of each hand before addressing their own. The player to your immediate left is said to have position over you because this advantage manifests itself on every hand but one per round. It is important therefore, if the leader is to your left, to consider waiting until they are on the button before attempting to catch up. By seeing the amount of their wager, you can size yours more appropriately to catch them and maybe overtake them prior to the elimination round. If the leader is to your right it's easier to adjust your betting strategy allowing you to catch him over the course of several rounds. The action generally starts slow, but as elimination rounds are approached, players begin betting feverishly to catch the leader in an attempt to avoid elimination. This is where blackjack basic strategy breaks down as players attempt to get enough money out on the table to overtake the leader.