Blackjack Tournament Question

[MichaelOar]

Last hand of the round. 3 players advance:

P2--35k, bets 25k (maximum bet)
P3--40k, bets 20k
P4--35k, bets $500
P1--40.5k, is last to act, bets $500.

P4 is Blair Rodman. I'm P1.

My question is: How much should P3 have bet and why?

Incidentally, should I (P1) have bet more on the last hand?

Thanks,
Michael

[grando]

P3 has to bet enough so that if both P2 and him lose that he will have enough to cover him (i.e. 21k)

you bet fine - you are undoubtedly ahead P4 regardless

[Blair Rodman]

Wow. I get ko’d from this tournament, am surfing 2+2 and come across this.

This is a great example of a lot of different EBJ strategies and the things that come up on an elimination hand.

-Actually P2 had 35.5k. His correct play there is to bet the minimum. By betting too much, he gave me the low side and the advantage.

-P3 should have bet to cover P2 on the high side, giving him high and low. Betting 500 more would do it. As a bonus, he’d also have covered me if I bet the max (25k) and won.

-I was betting the halftime of the BCS game and talking in the phone (not to make excuses; or maybe so). I made two mistakes on this hand. I should have bet more, but not a lot. The reasons are neither obvious nor to they give up a lot of EV, but they both consisted of missing free plays and could have come into play. Regardless of how much of a long shot, missing a free play is a big error. My taking the low side was correct. I couldn’t get the high on anybody and I had a double low, meaning both P2 and P3 had to win to beat me, but, I could have done better:

-I should have bet to cover a push by an opponent combined with a win by me. Betting 5500 would have covered both P2 and P3.

-Once the hands were dealt, I was in trouble. Both P2 and P3 were dealt 20. The dealer had a 4 showing. I had 13. My only chances were for the dealer to hit to 21, or for me to hit to 21 and the dealer make either 20 or 21. By standing, which I did, I sacrificed the second.

Your bet was perfect. The round was over regardless and you were a lock. It’s important to recognize a lock, and sometimes players miss it.

[Blair Rodman]

As a consolation, I did win my second half under bet.