Typically, it is better for the beginner to play on the aggressive side. It is usually better for the beginner to bet more than less when starting out in an Elimination Blackjack Tournament.
Betting all your chips can be a very effective beginner Elimination Blackjack strategy. An "all-in" win can put you in a big lead and force the other players into big bets to try and catch up.
Another effective Elimination Blackjack (tournament blackjack) strategy is to use your position effectively. What I mean by this is - acting after an opponent is a big advantage. By sure to keep an eye on the players to your right. These are the players that you will be betting after most often. In Elimination Blackjack, where only the low chip count will be eliminated on Elimination Hands, you can gain a big edge simply by staying ahead of one of the players to the right (you can match his bet if you are ahead).
Our next beginner Elimination Blackjack strategy is referred to as - calculate the button. This is another beginner strategy based on position. At the start of a tournament, after an opponent loses all their chips or after an Elimination Hand you count the hands till the next Elimination or final hand (whatever is next and this depends on how far along the blackjack tournament is) to determine your betting position. If you will be betting early on the next important hand, you should be more aggressive leading up to it. If you will be one of the later bettors, you can play a little more cautiously.
One of the most important aspects of tournament play is being able to count chips. Count the chips as often as you can to help formulate your bets in live tournaments, and pay attention to the provided counts when playing online.
Our final beginner strategy is that you need to be able to make some unconventional plays that you would not normally make. This may mean that you deviate from basic strategy that you would use when playing regular blackjack. When playing regular blackjack you would never split a pair of tens. This is a strategy that you may have to employ when playing Elimination Blackjack Tournaments. You must be willing to split those tens if your are behind and facing Elimination or if you are on the final hand.
Players may split, double down or surrender a hand.
There are also a couple of things to be aware of when playing online vs. live casino play. The biggest difference between playing online and playing in a live tournament is speed. The online game moves faster, because there are no live distractions (dealers, shuffles, other players talking) and hands are dealt and played on a precise timetable according to the clock.
Pay attention to the clock so you know when it's your turn to act. You can use the speed buttons to bet early if you know what your bet will be. It's OK to punch in your bet before the action gets to you; the software won't display your wager out of turn.