Poker Tournaments
Poker tournaments are competitions with structured rules wherein players compete against each other to be the first to accumulate all the chips in play. While in regular casino games, each hand is unrelated to any other and players can quit whenever they want, in tournaments, players can not simply quit and cash out their chips. Play will continue until there is a winner.
Different types of poker tournaments:
"Elimination tournaments"
- These are the most popular tournaments.
- All players begin with the same amount of chips.
- Play continues until one player has accumulated all the chips.
- With every player eliminated the remaining players are re-seated at fewer tables.
- The winner of the tournament is the player who accumulates all the chips
- The payout structure, however, rewards many players. For example, if hundred players start a tournament, commonly the final table of five players would receive prize money -- with sixth getting a larger prize than seventh and so on.
"Rebuy tournaments"
- Players are allowed to rebuy more chips and continue to play in the event that they lose all their chips in the initial round.
- Rebuy tournaments are played more aggressively in the earlier rounds as players do not fear elimination if they lose all their chips.
- Rebuys often have larger total prize pools
"Shootout tournaments"
- Here the tables are not combined as players are eliminated.
- Each table plays down to a single winner.
- The winners of each table gather to play the final tournament.
- Shootout tournaments normally last5 several hours less than elimination events.
"Satellites" are preliminary, mini tournaments. For example, prior to a tournament costing $1000 to enter, ten players each put up $100, with the winner advancing to the main event.