Series of competitive poker games
2006 World Series of Poker Main Event
A home poker tournament in progress.
A poker tournament is a 🏀 tournament where players compete by playing poker. It can feature as few as two players playing on a single table 🏀 (called a "heads-up" tournament), and as many as tens of thousands of players playing on thousands of tables. The winner 🏀 of the tournament is usually the person who wins every poker chip in the game and the others are awarded 🏀 places based on the time of their elimination. To facilitate this, in most tournaments, blinds rise over the duration of 🏀 the tournament. Unlike in a ring game (or cash game), a player's chips in a tournament cannot be cashed out 🏀 for money and serve only to determine the player's placing.
Buy-ins and prizes [ edit ]
To enter a typical tournament, a 🏀 player pays a fixed buy-in and at the start of play is given a certain quantity of tournament poker chips. 🏀 Commercial venues may also charge a separate fee, or withhold a small portion of the buy-in, as the cost of 🏀 running the event. Tournament chips have only notional value; they have no cash value, and only the tournament chips, not 🏀 cash, may be used during play. Typically, the amount of each entrant's starting tournament chips is an integer multiple of 🏀 the buy-in. Some tournaments offer the option of a re-buy or buy-back; this gives players the option of purchasing more 🏀 chips. In some cases, re-buys are conditional (for example, offered only to players low on or out of chips) but 🏀 in others they are available to all players (called add-ons). Player with no chips remaining (and has exhausted or declined 🏀 all re-buy options, if any are available) are eliminated from the tournament.
In most tournaments, the number of players at each 🏀 table is kept even by moving players, either by switching one player or (as the field shrinks) taking an entire 🏀 table out of play and distributing its players amongst the remaining tables. A few tournaments, called shoot-outs, do not do 🏀 this; instead, the last player (sometimes the last two or more players) at a table moves on to a second 🏀 or third round, akin to a single-elimination tournament found in other games.
The prizes for winning are usually derived from the 🏀 buy-ins, though outside funds may be entered as well. For example, some invitational tournaments do not have buy-ins and fund 🏀 their prize pools with sponsorship revenue and/or gate receipts from spectators. Tournaments without a buy-in are referred to as freerolls. 🏀 A freeroll tournament is free to enter and usually the player is given one chance in the tournament. A variation 🏀 on a freeroll tournament is called a "freebuy". In a freebuy event, a player can enter with a free entry, 🏀 but if the player loses their chips during the registration period they are able to buy themselves back into the 🏀 event.[1]
Play continues, in most tournaments, until all but one player is eliminated, though in some tournament situations, especially informal ones, 🏀 players have the option of ending by consensus.
Players are ranked in reverse chronological order — the last person in the 🏀 game earns 1st place, the second-to-last earns 2nd, and so on. This ranking of players by elimination is unique amongst 🏀 games, and also precludes the possibility of a tie for first place, since one player alone must have all the 🏀 chips to end the tournament. (Ties are possible for all other places, though they are rare since the sole tiebreaker 🏀 is the number of chips one has at the start of the hand in which one is eliminated, and hence 🏀 two people would need to start a hand with exactly the same number of chips and both be eliminated on 🏀 that same hand in order to tie with each other.)
Sometimes tournaments end by mutual consensus of the remaining players. For 🏀 example, in a ten-person,R$5 game, there may be two players remaining withR$29 andR$21, respectively, worth of chips. Rather than risk 🏀 losing their winnings, as one of them would if the game were continued, these two players may be allowed to 🏀 split the prize proportional to their in-game currency (or however they agree).
Certain tournaments, known as bounty tournaments, place a bounty 🏀 on some or all of the players. If a player knocks an opponent out, the player earns the opponent's bounty. 🏀 Individual bounties or total bounties collected by the end of a tournament may be used to award prizes. Bounties usually 🏀 work in combination with a regular prize pool, where a small portion of each player's buy-in goes towards his or 🏀 her bounty.
Other tournaments allow players to exchange some or all of their chips in the middle of a tournament for 🏀 prize money, giving the chips cash value. Separate portions of each player's buy-in go towards a prize pool and a 🏀 "cash out" pool. The cash out rate is typically fixed, and a time when players may not cash out (such 🏀 as the final table) is usually established. The remaining cash out pool is either paid out to the remaining field 🏀 or added to the regular prize pool.
Prizes are awarded to the winning players in one of two ways:
Fixed : Each 🏀 placing corresponds to a certain payoff. For example, a ten-person,R$20 buy-in tournament might awardR$100 to the first-place player,R$60 for second-place,R$40 🏀 for third, and nothing for lower places.
: Each placing corresponds to a certain payoff. For example, a ten-person,R$20 buy-in tournament 🏀 might awardR$100 to the first-place player,R$60 for second-place,R$40 for third, and nothing for lower places. Proportional: Payouts are determined according 🏀 to a percentage-based scale. The percentages are determined based upon the number of participants and will increase payout positions as 🏀 participation increases. As a rule, roughly one player in ten will 'cash', or make a high enough place to earn 🏀 money. These scales are very top-heavy, with the top three players usually winning more than the rest of the paid 🏀 players combined.
Tournaments can be open or invitational. The World Series of Poker, whose Main Event (aR$10,000 buy-in no limit Texas 🏀 hold 'em tournament) is considered the most prestigious of all poker tournaments, is open.
Multi-table tournaments involve many players playing simultaneously 🏀 at dozens or even hundreds of tables. Satellite tournaments to high-profile, expensive poker tournaments are the means of entering a 🏀 major event without posting a significant sum of cash. These have significantly smaller buy-ins, usually on the order of one-tenth 🏀 to one-fiftieth the main tournament's buy-in, and can be held at various venues and, more recently, on the Internet. Top 🏀 players in this event, in lieu of a cash prize, are awarded seats to the main tourney, with the number 🏀 of places dependent on participation. Chris Moneymaker, who won the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event, was able to 🏀 afford his seat by winning an Internet tournament with aR$39 buy-in. Greg Raymer, 2004 World Series of Poker champion, acquired 🏀 his seat via aR$165 Internet tournament.
The opposite of a multi-table tournament is a single-table tournament, often abbreviated STT. A number 🏀 of places (typically, two, six or nine) are allocated at a single table, and as soon as the required number 🏀 of players has appeared, chips are distributed and the game starts. This method of starting single-table tournaments has caused them 🏀 to be referred to as sit-and-go (SNG) tournaments, because when the required number of players "sit", the tournament "goes." Sit-and-go 🏀 tournaments of more than one table are becoming more common, however, especially in Internet poker. A single-table tournament effectively behaves 🏀 the same as the final table of a multi-table tournament, except that the players all begin with the same number 🏀 of chips, and the betting usually starts much lower. Almost invariably, fixed payoffs are used.
A tournament series may consist of 🏀 either single-table or multi-table tournaments. In a tournament series, multiple tournaments are played in which prizes are awarded. However, a 🏀 series leaderboard or standings system is often used and additional prizes, drawn from the individual tournament buy-ins, are awarded to 🏀 those who perform best overall in the series. Major poker tournaments such as the World Poker Tour and World Series 🏀 of Poker, use standings to determine a player of the year.
Playing format [ edit ]
The most common playing format for 🏀 poker tournaments is the "freezeout" format. All players still playing in a tournament constitute a dynamic pool. Whenever a player 🏀 loses all his chips and gets eliminated, his table shrinks. To combat the constant shrinking of tables and avoid having 🏀 tables play with varying numbers of players, players are moved between tables, with unnecessary tables getting closed as the tournament 🏀 progresses. In the end, all remaining players are seated on just one table, known as the "final table". Most sit 🏀 and go tournaments are freezeouts.
In some tournaments, known as "rebuy tournaments", players have the ability to re-buy into the game 🏀 in case they lost all their chips and avoid elimination for a specific period of time (usually ranging from one 🏀 to two hours). After this so-called "rebuy period", the play resumes as in a standard freezeout tournament and eliminated players 🏀 do not have the option of returning to the game any more. Rebuy tournaments often allow players to rebuy even 🏀 if they have not lost all their chips, in which case the rebuy amount is simply added to their stack. 🏀 A player is not allowed to rebuy in-game if he has too many chips (usually the amount of the starting 🏀 stack or half of it). At the end of the rebuy period remaining players are typically given the option to 🏀 purchase an "add-on", an additional amount of chips, which is usually similar to the starting stack.
Another playing format is the 🏀 "shootout" tournament. A shootout tournament divides play in rounds. In a standard shootout tournament, 2-10 players sit on each table 🏀 and the table roster remains the same until everyone but one player is eliminated. The table winners progress to the 🏀 final table where the tournament winner is determined. In a shootout tournament players are usually awarded places in tiers based 🏀 on how many rounds they lasted and in which place they were eliminated. Shootouts can include multiple rounds (triple, quadruple 🏀 or quintuple shootout) or feature several players from each table progressing (usually up to three). Shootouts are also a common 🏀 format for large heads-up multi-table tournaments, although these may feature double or triple elimination instead of the standard single knockout 🏀 method.
A recent innovation is the "mix-max" or "mixed max" tournament, in which the table sizes vary during the course of 🏀 the event. A typical example is the mix-max event held at the 2012 World Series of Poker, in which the 🏀 first day of play was nine-handed, the second day six-handed, and the rest of the tournament heads-up. This effectively made 🏀 it a hybrid freezeout–shootout tournament, with freezeout play at larger tables and shootout play in the heads-up phase.[2]
Betting format [ 🏀 edit ]
Betting in tournaments can take one of three forms:
In a structured (fixed limit) betting system, bets and raises are 🏀 restricted to specific amounts, though these amounts typically increase throughout the tournament. For example, for a seven-card stud tournament with 🏀 the stakes at 10/20, raises would beR$10 in the first three rounds of betting, andR$20 in the latter rounds.
(fixed limit) 🏀 betting system, bets and raises are restricted to specific amounts, though these amounts typically increase throughout the tournament. For example, 🏀 for a seven-card stud tournament with the stakes at 10/20, raises would beR$10 in the first three rounds of betting, 🏀 andR$20 in the latter rounds. Semi-structured betting provides ranges for allowed raises. Usually, in this format, one may not raise 🏀 less than a previous player has raised. For example, if one player raisesR$20, it would be illegal for another player 🏀 to raise an additionalR$5. Pot limit is a semi-structured format in which raises cannot exceed the current size of the 🏀 pot. Spread limit is a semi-structured format in which bets (and subsequent raises) must be between a minimum and maximum 🏀 amount.
betting provides ranges for allowed raises. Usually, in this format, one may not raise less than a previous player has 🏀 raised. For example, if one player raisesR$20, it would be illegal for another player to raise an additionalR$5. Pot limit 🏀 is a semi-structured format in which raises cannot exceed the current size of the pot. Spread limit is a semi-structured 🏀 format in which bets (and subsequent raises) must be between a minimum and maximum amount. Unstructured betting, usually called no 🏀 limit. While blinds, antes, or bring-ins are fixed, players are free to bet as much as they wish, even early 🏀 in a round of betting. To bet all of one's chips (risking one's tournament life, in the event of losing 🏀 the hand) is to go all-in. In no-limit tournaments, players will sometimes take this risk even early in the betting; 🏀 for example, in some no-limit Texas Hold 'Em tournaments, it is not uncommon for players to bet "all-in" before the 🏀 flop.
The betting structure is one of the most defining elements of the game; even if other aspects are equivalent, a 🏀 fixed-limit version and its no-limit counterpart are considered to be very different games, because the strategies and play styles are 🏀 very different. For instance, it is much easier to bluff in a no-limit game, which allows aggressive betting, than in 🏀 a fixed-limit game. No-limit games also vary widely according to the proclivities of the players; an informal, emergent, betting structure 🏀 is developed by the players' personal strategies and personalities.
The stakes of each round, as well as blinds, bring-ins, and antes 🏀 as appropriate per game, typically escalate according either to the time elapsed or the number of hands played.
Variants of poker 🏀 [ edit ]
While some tournaments offer a mix of games, like H.O.R.S.E. events which combine hold'em, Omaha, Razz, stud, stud 🏀 eight or better, and dealer's choice events, at which one may choose from a similar menu of games, most tournaments 🏀 feature one form of stud or community card poker, such as seven-card stud, seven card high-low stud, Omaha hold 'em 🏀 or Texas hold 'em. Both Omaha and Texas hold 'em tournaments are commonly offered in fixed-limit and pot limit, and 🏀 no-limit Texas hold 'em tournaments are very common (no-limit Omaha is almost nonexistent in tournament play).
Tournament venues [ edit ]
Informal 🏀 tournaments can be organized by a group of friends. Casinos, cardrooms, and online gambling sites may offer tournaments. The venue 🏀 will post tournament schedules on its website or in its poker room.
However, these are not the only venues. Poker cruises 🏀 offer tournaments at sea. Hosts of larger poker tournaments will often hold the event in the convention center of a 🏀 casino; for example, the 2024 World Series of Poker was in the convention centers of both Bally's Las Vegas and 🏀 Paris Las Vegas.[3]
Major tournaments [ edit ]
The largest and most well-known tournament in the USA is the World Series of 🏀 Poker, held in Las Vegas. The World Series was on ESPN from 1987 to 2024 before CBS Sports became the 🏀 domestic television partner for 2024 and beyond.[4] Since 2007, PokerGO has been partnered with the WSOP to provide live streams 🏀 and on-demand content.[5]
In the 1980s the Super Bowl of Poker was the second largest and most prestigious tournament.
The 2005 World 🏀 Series of Poker was the first held outside of Binion's Horseshoe Casino, though the final few days of the main 🏀 event were held in the legendary Benny's Bullpen. Later tournaments have been held at one of the Harrah's Entertainment and 🏀 later Caesars Entertainment properties; the Rio served as the venue from 2005-2024.[6]
The largest and most well-known tournament in Europe is 🏀 the European Poker Tour, which was founded in 2004 by John Duthie and is now the largest poker tour in 🏀 the world by both total players and prize pool. The World Series of Poker Europe began in 2007 in London, 🏀 moved in 2011 to Cannes, and moved again in 2013 to the Paris region.[7]
The largest and most well-known tournament in 🏀 Asia is the Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau event.
The largest and most well-known tournament in Latin America is the Latin 🏀 American Poker Tour Argentina event.
The Crown Australian Poker Championship, also known as the Aussie Millions, is the largest tournament in 🏀 the Pacific region. WSOP owner Caesars Entertainment and Aussie Millions host Crown Melbourne teamed up to launch the World Series 🏀 of Poker Asia-Pacific, which held its first edition in 2013.
In addition to these events, there are other major tournaments throughout 🏀 the year. The World Poker Tour is held at different venues worldwide and broadcasts a series of open tournaments throughout 🏀 the U.S. and Caribbean with buy-ins fromR$5,000 toR$25,000, as well as European events with a €10,000 buy-in. Some of these 🏀 events are stand alone tournaments like the Caribbean Poker Adventure, but most are held in conjunction with a tournament series 🏀 being held at the host casino, like the Commerce Casino's LA Poker Classic, the Grand Sierra's World Poker Challenge and 🏀 the Bicycle Casino's Legends of Poker. A North American Poker Tour was launched in 2010.
Atlantic City hosts The United States 🏀 Poker Championship at the Trump Taj Mahal casino, which has been broadcast by ESPN in recent years.
The main live poker 🏀 tournament in Africa is the All Africa Poker Tournament hosted by the Piggs Peak Casino in Piggs Peak, Swaziland.
The National 🏀 Heads-Up Poker Championship is 64 players compete in heads-up matches single elimination style to determine a winner. It is one 🏀 of the most prestigious heads up poker tournaments and it is the first tournament produced by a television network.
The internet 🏀 poker revolution has sparked online poker tournaments and series that have become larger than many live tournaments. The World Championship 🏀 of Online Poker (WCOOP) and the Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) are two of the biggest online poker tournament 🏀 series, with tournament prizes surpassing the million-dollar mark.
In 2024, after 17 years at the Rio, the World Series of Poker 🏀 moved to Bally's and Paris.[8]
See also [ edit ]
