Understanding The Logistics of Poker Tournaments

Tournaments are poker competitions where all of the players play at the same time and continue to play until only one player is left. Tournaments are fun to play in, have a low entry fees and offer a large prize pool to be won. For these reasons they are a very popular. They are inexpensive way for novice poker players to learn how to play the game, as well as a providing a place for more experienced players gain experience.

While there are many different types of poker games played at casinos and online rooms, tournament play is usually reserved for Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and 7-card Stud, because these games have a large following.

Poker tournaments can have as few as 6 players (single table tournaments) to thousands of players for larger events. Large tournaments consist of many tables, each table having 8 to 10 players. The tables are slowly removed from the tourney as players are eliminated, and players are balanced from table to table as needed. (These are known as multi-table tournaments). Finally all but the last table will be removed and these last 8 to 10 players play until only one of them remains.

Tournament Basics

To play in a tournament players have to pay two fees. They have to pay an entry fee to the poker room hosting the tournament to cover the expenses involved. This gives the player an assigned seat and a set quantity of tournament chips with which to play (these chips have no cash value). Players also pay a buy-in fee. The buy-in fee is held and paid out as prizes. The prize payout differs from tournament to tournament but typically it all goes to the few players fortunate enough to make the final table.

The object of a tournament is to win all of the chips. All tournament players start out with the same quantity of chips to play with and all start playing at the same time. Players play until they lose all of their chips and are then removed from the tournament. A tournament continues non-stop, often for several hours, until only one person remains. As playing progresses the stakes rise (Blinds are doubled on a timed interval), making it more and more difficult for players with short stacks to remain in the game.

Players are awarded prize money based on their finishing position in the tournament. The top finishers earn the most money with the 1st place winner usually receiving about 30% of the total prize money, the 2nd place winner about 20% and so on. The number of winners and the size of the payouts depend upon the rules for the tournament being played and the number of people playing.

Re-buys and Add-ons

Some poker tournaments allow players a re-buy option. This re-buy option allows players to purchase more chips if they run out of them at the start of the tournament. A player can purchase the same number of chips that he/she started the tournament with. Some poker tournaments allow unlimited re-buys during the first hour of play, while other tournaments allow only a single re-buy.

An add-on option is similar to the re-buy option. Add-ons differ in that they are usually only offered once at the end of the re-buy period and can be purchased regardless of how many chips you have. As the name implies these chips are added on to your stack of chips.

All proceeds from re-buys and add-ons are added to the prize pool less house fees (if applicable).

Betting

Tournament betting is structured with the betting limit increasing regularly. The changes in betting limits occur differently depending on the tournament; some are timed while some increase the limit after a set number of rounds are played.

Balancing and Collapsing Tables

Larger tournaments start out with more than one table, each having 8 to 10 players. As the tournament progresses players will be eliminated and the number of players at each table will not remain the same. For the tournament to be fair the number of players at each table should be the same, so the organizers move players from table to table in an attempt to keep all the tables equally populated.

Balancing is the practice of moving players from full tables to less full tables when the difference is 3 or more players.

Collapsing tables is the practice of removing tables once there are enough empty spaces among the rest of the tables to do so. Thus with 10 player tables when there are 10 empty spaces the players from one table are moved to empty spaces and that table is taken out of play.

Matthew is a frequent poker player who offers reviews and shares his experiences playing tournaments online at http://www.playrealpokeronline.com

---

World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit

On October 25, 2004 Harrah's announced the creation of the... Read More

Play Online Slot Machine Game

Coin in - spin - hold your breath......Watch those symbols.....Will... Read More

The Secrets of the Outside Numbers

Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?How about the secrets of the... Read More

Bingo ? It?s Birth and Beginning

The true origin of bingo dates back as far as... Read More

Tips On How To Gamble

How would you like to have your name on a... Read More

Slot Machine Basics 101

Let's begin with a little bit of basic knowledge about... Read More

Compulsive Gamblers Guilt Affects Their Gambling Addiction Recovery

When a compulsive gambler is in recovery, feeling guilty is... Read More

Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy - Sit and Go Poker Tournaments

Welcome to the fourth in my Texas Holdem Strategy Series,... Read More

The Other World Series: The 2005 World Series Of Poker

Growing up, the American dream for many boys was playing... Read More

Craps

There is no longer a need to fly all the... Read More

Offshore Sportsbook

Offshore sportsbooks are also the result of many regulations the... Read More

Types of Poker Players

Most poker players fall into one of four categories, and... Read More

Video Poker: Why People Lose More Than They Should

Ask any casino executive and they'll tell you that video... Read More

Roulette System: Illegal Tactics Casino Use Against You

Roulette System: "The Almost Illegal Tactic Casinos Use Against You... Read More

After the Flop

After the flop, your hand is pretty much defined. Before... Read More

Online Craps

Are you interested in playing craps online? Are you tired... Read More

Blackjack - Should You Count Cards?

If you are like the average, recreational Blackjack player, you... Read More

Would You Bet on Your Brand? - Three Strategies for Winning at Brand Poker

It seems you can't turn on the TV without seeing... Read More

Asian Handicaps Explained

The most common way to bet on football in the... Read More

Understanding Online Casino Bonuses

Are you puzzled by the workings of online Casino bonuses,... Read More

Always Win in the Casino Like James Bond

In the Bond film 'Diamonds Are Forever' we see James... Read More

Mobile Gaming Leads the Way

The state of online gambling may have just found another... Read More

Online Casino Bonuses Explained

Types Of Online Casino BonusesIf you've ever considered playing at... Read More

Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy - Winning vs. Aggressive Players

The Texas Hold'em poker phenomenon has taken the country by... Read More

Avoiding Tilt While Playing Online Poker

As many experts have said, poker is a game that... Read More

Tips to Win at Poker

The following are guidelines only and although they are intended... Read More

Lucky Texas Holdem Tips

Texas holdem poker is one of the few online casino... Read More

How to Manage Your Won Money at Gambling and Sports Betting from Busting It Up at Online Sportsbook

Have you heard stories about people hitting big jackpots, winning... Read More

Megabucks Slot Machine

"Deposit, click, pull, spin, bells, lights, wait, patience, one, two,... Read More

Helpful Stop Gambling Links & Information For The Compulsive Gambler, Family & Friends Of A Gambler

Over the past few years stop gambling websites have helped... Read More

How to Win a Million Dollars Without Spending a Lot of Money

I love Major Millions. And realistically speaking, there's not really... Read More

2005 World Series of Poker -- Mid Tournament Report

The 2005 World Series of Poker started its 36th year... Read More

Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy - Poker Tournament Fundamentals

This is the second in the Texas Holdem Strategy Series,... Read More