Tournaments are popular. Other than High Stakes Poker, all that’s shown on TV is MTTs.

1. How To Play Live Poker Tournaments Real Money
2. Free Poker Tournaments
3. Poker Tournaments Online
4. Live Poker Tournaments Usa

1. Putting Live Tournaments Back on the Map. Last year was marked as the year of the raise in live poker.After 6 years of decreasing numbers of players who played the WSOP Main Event, 7,221 players choose to cough up $10,000 to participate in the most prestigious poker tournament in the world.
2. Work on your game off the tables To make a living playing poker tournaments, you first and foremost must have the love for the game. Playing tournaments can be very stressful and painful at times, so you have to have that fire burning to handle all the heat that that tournament poker.

In all forms of poker tournaments, you should align your pre-flop raises with the gameplay at your table. Your opponents must be able to understand your bet sizing. If you decide to raise 5 x the Big Blind and everyone else is raising 2.5 x the Big Blind, you’re going to have a huge bull’s-eye on your back.

We think what makes tournaments sexy are the large prize pools. People like seeing people play for hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars. And you don’t get that that often with cash games.

It happens often with tournaments, though.

Of course, it depends on the buy-in and game, but many of the events shown on TV are the large ones with a $5,000, $10,000 or even $100,000 buy-in. These tourneys create prize pools that often reach the 7-figure mark. And that creates a lot of buzz.

So, naturally, a lot of people are curious about tournaments.

• What are they?
• How do you get started?
• Where do you play?
• What can you play?

We thought it’d make sense to create a page that answers those questions – and many others.

A poker tournament is a game with a fixed format. Everything is predetermined – the blinds, buy-in, stack sizes, antes, structure and time limit.

The buy-in can vary from free (freerolls) to .05 to $20 to $100,000. There’s always a cut for the poker room, too, which is easier to see online. Most tournaments will be labeled $X+$Y where X goes to the prize pool and Y is the amount the poker room gets.

Once you’re entered you’ll want to log in or show up when the tournament is supposed to start. For sit and go’s (SNGs), that can be whenever, as they start whenever the tables are full. But for MTTs it’s a set time and place. If you’re online the poker room will automatically seat you (randomly) at a table.

From there you’ll have a stack of chips to play with. You’ll have the same amount as everyone else, unless the tournament offers re-buys and add-ons. Then the tournament will start.

A tournament will play very much like a cash game. Once every one posts their blinds, antes, etc., each player is dealt their cards. Then they play according to that game’s and variation’s rules.

But unlike cash games, tournaments have levels. Each level will be a predetermined length – it can be 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 1 hour, and so on. Each tourney will be different. But after the time’s up, when the next level starts the blinds will be higher.

For example, in a turbo 18-man on PokerStars, the blinds start at 10/20. After 5 minutes they go to 15/30, then 25/50, 50/100, and so on.

This is important to pay attention to, because if you don’t continue to add chips to your stack, eventually the blinds will be large enough that you’ll be blinded out. Then your tournament is over.

The tournament continues like this until one player remains with all the chips in play.

Players are then paid according to the structure set from the beginning – although this does change a little in the beginning if the tournament allows late registrations (players can sign up and pay to play after the tourney starts).

The number of players paid will depend on the number of players in the tournament. SNGs are always fixed. For example, in a 9-10 man SNG 3 players are paid. In an 18-man SNG four players are paid. It’s seven in a 45-man and 9 in an 180-man. It just depends on the tourney.

When you play online any money you win will be put into your account balance automatically. We think some sites reserve the right to pay the next day on larger tournaments and payouts, but none that do this come to mind.

And that’s basically a tournament and how it works in a nutshell.

You’ll find tournaments online, in live casinos (not all are major “events” either), and even played in homes. They’re a great way to get LOTS of entertainment and value out of a fixed amount of money.

What Types of Tournaments Can You Play?

There are LOTS of tournaments you can play. The most popular game played is Texas holdem.

But since the “poker boom” more and more games are played in tournament form. And that includes both online and live (and shown on TV too).

That means you can play games like omaha, stud, razz, HORSE, other mixed games, and others, in tournament format. No limit is obviously the popular betting limit, but depending on the game, limit and pot limit is used, too.

And, as we mentioned earlier, stakes vary wildly. Online you’ll find stakes starting from free to .05 to around $500. There are some larger ones (including SNGs), but that’s where the bulk of tournaments fall. The Sunday Majors (the biggest tourneys of the week online) usually fall between $200 and $500.

Offline, you’ll find many tourneys starting at $20 to $500. It just depends on the room. But for the larger “events” they’ll start around $500 or $1,500, and then climb from there.

Other than the game and stakes, one other choice you’ll have to make is the type of tournament you’ll play. There are LOTS of them.

Here are the most common options:

• Freezeout – Most tourneys fall into this category. Once you bust you’re out of the tourney.
• Rebuy – Like a freezeout, except that for a short period (usually the first couple of levels) you can buy into the tourney again when you bust.
• Turbo / Super Turbo – The levels are much faster. Instead of 20+ minutes, they’re something like 3-10 minutes. This requires a big change in strategy. And the faster the blinds the more luck that’s involved.
• Guarantee – This is any tournament where a prize pool is guaranteed, no matter how many players show up. This is great because if the players don’t make up the prize pool, the room will. This is called an overlay.
• Satellite – These are tournaments where the prize are seats to a more expensive/higher value tournament.

For example, several years ago we played a 5-table shootout for $15 that awarded a few seats to the Sunday Million, which you could buy into directly for $215.

Another good example is Chris Moneymaker – he won a $40 satellite to a higher dollar satellite, which then awarded him a seat to the WSOP Main Event which has a $10,000 buy-in.

Here are the most common options:

• Bounty/Knockout – In these tournaments you pay a little extra. That little extra goes to a “bounty” which is paid whenever you or someone else knocks a player out of the tournament. For example, if there’s a $5 bounty on each player’s head, and someone knocked you out, they’d get your $5 chip.
• SNGs – We mentioned these a bit already, but these are smaller tournaments with fixed fields that start once all the seats have been filled. These are great to play between tournaments or as a variance buster.
• Deep Stacks – You start with a deep(er) stack than normal. Instead of 1,500 chips it might be 3,000. Or instead of 5,000 you might start with 10,000 or 20,000.
• Shootouts – With these each table plays until there’s one player left. Then all these players play a final table. For example, in a 5-table shootout, the winner from each table would play a 5-handed final table for the prize(s).
• Steps – This is common online. It’s sort of like a satellite tournament, but broken down even more. You might have 6 steps, starting from the lowest stakes (

For example, you buy in directly to step 4, and if you win, you get to play step 5. Once you get to the last level the prize is usually a seat to a higher value tourney.

The great thing about these is if you lose, often times you get to play the step over or move down a step depending on where you finished. Even if you win nothing you get LOTS of value out of these.

Those are the most common tournament variations. But depending on where you play you’ll find other variations.

One unique thing about poker tournaments is you’ll find many events and series to join.

A series is simply a set number of tournaments hosted by a poker site or venue. They’ll have higher buy in tourneys, satellites to all the series tourneys, and maybe give out jewelry to the winners.

Here are the major tournament series in both online and live poker.

World Series of Poker (WSOP)

50+ events with a bracelet and money going to the winner. Played in Las Vegas once per year starting in May/June. The Main Event final table plays in November.

World Poker Tour (WPT)

Similar to the WSOP. Played throughout the year. The winner of each tourney gets a bracelet.

Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP)

One of PokerStars’ online series.

World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP)

Another PokerStars’ series. Played in the fall.

Aussie Millions

A smaller event held in Australia. Known for having some of the highest buy-ins in history.

European Poker Tour

Owned and sponsored by the Rational Group (previous owner of PokerStars). Similar to the WPT, but held in different venues throughout Europe.

Those are the major events which are held once or twice per year. But you also have the Sunday Majors which are held once per week.

We say this as if you’ll find a major tournament series every Sunday at every poker site online. But that’s not really the case. PokerStars really has a monopoly on this. Right now they have 12 events running every Sunday with buy-ins ranging from $1+re-buys to $11 to $530 – and satellites running to all of them. Guaranteed prize pools for each event vary from $25,000 to $1,000,000.

Many sites run a (much) smaller version of PokerStars’ Sunday Majors. Sometimes they’ll host several larger tournaments throughout the week instead of all in one day. It just depends on the site.

How to Choose a Tournament to Play

Choosing a site to join for tournaments can be tricky. You could go a few different ways.

For example, you could join a new site where they’ll have smaller guaranteed tournaments. These often have overlays. You’ll have less players to fight through for the same prize pool.

However, these tournaments don’t get very big. And there’s not very many of them offered. On top of that, many sites have shut down tourneys when too few players show up instead of honoring the guarantee.

We prefer to go the other way. Look for sites that are established with lots of traffic and tournaments. We believe there’s more value in that. Not only will tournaments run more often, but there will be tournaments of all shapes and sizes. Tournaments with different games, variations, buy-ins, and blind levels/structures.

We would also look for a poker site that offers lots of live/online satellites. Often times the competition for the higher dollar buy-ins isn’t much greater than the lower stakes – it’s just a matter of who can afford it. Satellites give you a way to afford it.

From there choosing a tournament is rather straightforward. You want to choose a game and variation that you like and/or are good at. You might want to look at the blinds too, to make sure you choose a speed (normal to fast) you like and the structure jumps up in blinds at a comfortable pace. But we don’t think most players need to worry about stuff like that.

They should just find a game and get signed up instead.

Conclusion: Get More Out of Your $5 Than Just a Latte

There you have it – an overview of poker tournaments, how they work, and different types of tourneys you can play.

From here it’s a matter of choosing a game and getting started. If it were us, we’d choose a $5 or $10 turbo MTT with a starting stack of 1,500 and 3,000. Maybe find one that offers bounties – which can be lots of fun.

WAY more fun than you’ll get out of your $5 latte from Starbucks.

The meteoric rise of poker over the last two decades can be heavily attributed to the tournament scene. Poker tournaments allow players the chance to win huge sums of money for much smaller investments. Additionally, the prestige and exposure that come with winning a tournament are addicting. Real money poker tournaments online take this a step further, giving players the chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars without ever leaving the house.

Best Online Poker Tournament Sites

Many of you may be here looking to get into the online poker tournament for real money action immediately. Lucky for you, there are some incredible online poker rooms offering tournament action 24/7/365. The list below is an up-to-date collection of the best online poker tournament sites. These options have massive player pools, action available around the clock, varying buy-in levels, and a software and customer experience worth writing home about.

How to Pick Out the Best Online Poker Tournament Sites

The process of picking out the best online poker site for you can be quite simple if you know what to look for. What we recommend is to start the process by identifying what you’re looking for in an ideal world. Here are some questions that can help paint that picture.

• What variant of poker do you want to play? (Holdem, PLO, Stud, etc.)
• What size buy-ins are you looking for? (Freerolls, low stakes, medium stakes, high stakes)
• Are you looking for large player pools or more intimate tournaments?
• How important is the usability of the software?
• What time zone or area of the world do you live in?

Once you have a good grasp of what you’re looking for, you can begin shopping the different top online poker tournament sites we’ve recommended. Why are we so high on the sites listed here? Because we know they’re safe. And, no, they did not pay us to say that.

Our team of security and poker experts heavily vet each of these real money online poker rooms we recommend to ensure it is doing everything in its power to keep customers protected.

Main Types of Online Poker Tournaments

Online poker tournaments are broken down into two main types, multi-table tournaments (MTTs) and sit and gos (SNGs). While the poker played with each type is the same, the structure, timing, potential profits, and logistics are different.

Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs)

A multi-table tournament (MTT) is a poker tournament that has a scheduled start time. While most scheduled tournaments end up having multiple tables worth of players, it’s actually not a requirement to be classified as an MTT. The differentiating factor is that the tournament has a scheduled start time.

For example, if you have an MTT that is scheduled to start at 5:00 PM and only eight players register and play, it would still be referred to in the industry as an MTT.

Sit and Gos (SNGs)

The other type of online poker tournament you can play in is a sit and go (SNG). As you may have already guessed, a sit and go is a tournament that does not have an officially scheduled start time. SNGs start whenever the required number of players have registered for the tournament.

For example an 18-player SNG will start as soon as 18 players have registered, whether that’s five minutes after registration opened or five hours.

SNGs are often only one table’s worth of players but can be multiple tables as well.

KEY TAKEAWAY: MTTs are tournaments with scheduled start times, and SNGs are tournaments that start when the required number of players have registered.

Variations of the Main Types of Online Poker Tournaments

While most online poker tournaments for real money can be classified as MTTs or SNGs, there are quite a few variations or “descriptors” that can be added to each of those tournament types. Each of the descriptors listed below describes the potential rule set, logistical setup, or format of the MTT or SNG.

Rebuys

A rebuy real money poker tournament online is a structure where players can pay to get more chips added to their stack if two criteria are met. It is during the rebuy period, and the player is below the designated chip limit.

For example, let’s say you are playing in a rebuy tournament with a 5,000 chip starting stack. The tournament ruleset says that you can rebuy at any time when you are at 5,000 chips or below during the first hour of play.

As long as you meet those criteria, you can pay the entry fee again and receive another 5,000 chips. Additionally, when the rebuy period is over, you will have the option to pay a fixed amount known as the add-on to get more chips added to your stack.

The advantage of rebuy tournaments is the prize pools get much larger as players tend to gamble during the rebuy period to amass a larger stack of chips. Because you can’t be knocked out of the tournament as long as you are willing to rebuy, players often feel it’s worth the risk to get a larger stack.

The potential drawback of rebuy tournaments is that they can be more expensive than the initial entry fee if you’re planning on rebuying and adding on. If you’re not, you may be at a disadvantage to the deeper-pocketed players willing to throw caution to the wind and gamble during the rebuy period.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Rebuy poker tournaments are known to have some of the largest prize pools because players can continue to buy in multiple times during the rebuy period.

Reentries

A reentry poker tournament is often referred to as a rebuy tournament but the two are actually quite different. In a rebuy tournament, you can usually purchase more chips even when you aren’t completely out of chips. With a reentry tournament, you can only reenter and buy more chips after you have been completely felted (have zero chips).

Another key difference between the two is how the payer is treated when rebuying or reentering. If you rebuy, you keep the same seat you are in and just get more chips. If you reenter, you are treated as a brand new player and given a brand new seat as if you just showed up and registered for the first time.

Sometimes, you will find reentry tournaments with add-ons, and sometimes not. It all depends on which of the best sites for playing online poker tournaments you choose to play at.

KEY TAKEAWAY: You keep the same seat when you rebuy in a poker tournament. When you reenter, you’re treated as a brand new player and given a new seat.

Turbo Poker Tournaments

In a hurry? Looking for a lot of quick action? Online poker tournaments that have shorter blind levels or bigger jumps between levels are known as turbos. There are no hard and fast rules on how much quicker a tournament needs to be in order to classify as a turbo.

Many players enjoy turbo poker tournaments because they push the action must faster. These tournaments will increase your variance, as you’ll have less time to let skill shine through. While turbo poker tournaments can favor recreational players more, there are many professional players who specify in the turbo structure.

BONUS TIP: If you’re looking for really fast poker, some online poker websites offer super turbos that are even faster than regular turbo tournaments.

Guaranteed

Players looking for the big money in poker are looking for guaranteed tournaments. A guaranteed poker tournament is an event where the online casino guarantees that at least a certain amount of money will be paid out regardless of how many people sign up.

For example, let’s say that an online poker room is running a $1,000 guaranteed poker tournament with a $10 buy-in. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll assume the poker room is not charging any rake on the tournament.

• If 100 people sign up for the tournament, the prize pool without a guarantee would be 100 x $10 = $1,000. With the guarantee, that prize pool is still $1,000.
• If 200 people sign up for the tournament, the prize pool without a guarantee would be 200 x $10 = $2,000. With the guarantee, that prize pool is still $2,000.

The real change comes when less than 100 people sign up for real money poker tournaments online.

• If 50 people sign up for the tournament, the prize pool without the guarantee would be 50 x $10 = $500. With the guarantee, that prize pool becomes $1,000.

The poker room says that no matter what, at least $1,000 will be paid out for the tournament. If not enough people sign up for the tournament, the poker room adds the additional money to the prize pool. If more than enough people show up, the extra money still goes into the prize pool. The poker room never gets to keep any extra money because the guarantee is met.

Sit and gos can’t be guaranteed tournaments by nature. A sit and go won’t start until the exact number of needed players are registered. The exact prize pool is already known before registration even starts.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Guaranteed prize pool online poker tournaments are notorious for having the biggest payouts industry-wide. When the guarantees aren’t met, players are getting free money added to the prize pool. But when the guarantees work to bring in players, the prize pool often goes way over the guarantee making for huge paydays.

Freerolls

Yes, you can make money playing online poker tournaments without putting up any money. A freeroll is a poker tournament that has a $0 buy-in but is paying out cash or prizes to the winners. Access to the tournament may require an entry ticket (that you get for free), or the tournament may be open to anyone. Generally, freeroll poker tournaments are used to reward players for loyalty or completing a task.

BONUS TIP: Looking for online poker freerolls? Online poker sites often give away freeroll entry tickets to players when they first sign up for an account or make their first deposit. Additionally, you may get freeroll tournament tickets added to your online casino account for accomplishing certain tasks while you play.

Satellite Poker Tournaments

If you’ve got the itch to play in a higher stakes tournament or travel to a land-based event but don’t want to pony up the high price, you still have options. Satellite poker tournaments allow players to compete against other players at a lower buy-in level to win entry into a higher-priced online event or to travel to a land-based poker tournament.

For example, let’s say there is a $500 buy-in online poker tournament you want to play in, but you don’t want to put that much of your bankroll at risk. Instead, you may have the option of playing in a satellite tournament.

Let’s say real money online poker rooms decide to run a $50 satellite to the $500 tournament. For every 10 people that sign up for the satellite, one seat will be awarded. So, if 50 people sign up for the satellite, the total prize pool is 50 x $50 = $2,500. $2,500 divided by $500, shows us that five seats will be awarded. Whichever players finish 1^st through 5^th in the satellite tournament will win an entry into the $500 tournament.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Satellites are a great way to “take shots” and move up to the next level without risking too large of a percentage of your bankroll.

Bounties

In a bounty tournament at real money online poker sites, select players or all players have a special target on their heads. If you are the player who knocks out one of the bounty players, you’ll win extra cash. You get to keep this extra cash regardless of where you finish in the tournament.

For example, let’s say an online poker room is running a $50 tournament where $5 goes to the rake, $30 to the prize pool, and $15 to a bounty on every player. For every player that you knock out of the tournament, you’re going to collect $15. Many players in bounty tournaments can turn a profit before the tournament even reaches the money!

BONUS TIP: Keep an eye out for real money promotional tournaments where the bounty is added by the poker room for free on certain players. It’s a great way to get some added value.

Steps

A step tournament is a type of single-table SNG where there are prizes for more than the typical top three players. Step tournaments work like satellite tournaments to the next level in the step sequence. What’s unique, though, is players can buy into any level of the step sequence they want.

Additionally, if you get 4^th or 5^th in a step SNG, you usually win a tournament ticket to replay that same step or go back down one level. The winner of every step level except for the top level wins a ticket to go to the next higher step. When you win the top level of a step sequence, you either get a big cash prize or entry into a major MTT event.

BONUS TIP: If you’re a great single-table SNG player, you can make a lot of money playing steps that allow you to win the top prize multiple times. Typically, step SNGs attract less skilled players at all levels except for the top at the best sites for playing online poker tournaments.

Shootouts

No, this is not a tournament played on a riverboat with guns like in the movie Maverick. A shootout is a multi-table single-table SNG tournament. Confused? That’s okay. Here’s how it works. Several single table tournaments will run at the same time. Each table will play down to one winner. After each table has one winner, the winners of each table will join together and play another single table. This continues until all players still “alive” are at the same final single table.

For example, let’s say an online poker site wants to run a three-level shootout tournament with nine-handed tables. The site would open up 729 slots for players to register for. When the tournament starts, those 729 players would go to 81 individual single tables and play down to 81 individual table winners. From there, the 81 remaining players would go to nine different single tables and compete down to individual winners again.

At this point, there would be nine players left. Those nine players would come together for the final single table and play down to a winner. Payouts for multi-level SNGs usually start after you win your first table.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Shootouts are a unique crossbreed between MTTs and SNGs that give SNG players an opportunity to win big money in one tournament.

Deepstacks

A SNG or MTT can be a deepstack tournament at real money poker sites. Deepstacks refers to having “deep stacks.” In other words, tournaments that start players out with a very large number of chips are considered deepstack events. There are no hard and fast rules about what the number of chips needs to be in order to earn this classification. The idea, though, is that a deepstack tournament offers more play and more time to wait for better hands and let skill shine through.

BONUS TIP: Be careful that the term deepstack is not being used too liberally on a tournament you are playing in. If the poker room gives you a ton of chips, but the blind levels are fast or jump in big increments, the tournament is really that deep stacked. Generally, you see this more in live settings because the casinos need to worry about the cost of labor in tournaments that run longer.

8-Max, 6-Max, 4-Max, and Heads Up Tournaments

Tournament directors can alter the number of players seated at each table during a poker tournament. The idea behind doing this is to mix up the game and offer favor to a different set of skills. The changes in table size you’ll see are 8-max (8 total), 6-max, 4-max, and heads up (only two players). The most common variations of these are 6-max and heads up. 8-max and 4-max are less popular, but you will still see them from time to time, especially during major tournament series.

BONUS TIP: Make sure you understand the strategic changes that come from altering the number of players at the table. In general, the fewer players, the more aggressive you’ll need to play, and the lower you’ll have to drop your standards for a quality starting hand.

Online Poker Tournaments vs. Live Poker Tournaments

Most of you reading this probably fall into two camps. You’ve either never played a poker tournament at all before or you’ve played in person but never online. This section is addressing those players that fall into the latter category.

Online poker tournaments for real money are quite different than what you’re used to playing at your friend’s house or at the casino. Not only are there logistical differences, but there are also strategic implications you need to be aware of.

Strategic Differences

• Online poker tournaments allow you to play more volume strategies. As you can play more than one game at a time, you can take more calculated risks.
• Other players may be bolder when it comes to bluffing and making moves. The fear of embarrassment goes out the window when you can hide behind a computer or phone screen.
• There are no live tells. However, there may still be timing tells you can pick up from some players. Be wary of faked timing tells, though.
• Online tournament players may have access to tracking software, player statistics, and other helpful tools unavailable during live play.

• You can play more than one table at a time. This can help players that get bored easily, as well as help players who can manage multiple tables at a time increase their profits.
• There’s a much wider range of buy-in levels. You’re not going to be able to play a real money poker tournament for $1 or even smaller live. However, online, you can find buy-ins that range anywhere from a penny up to tens of thousands of dollars. It’s the ultimate flexibility for growing your bankroll.
• You don’t have to leave the house. It’s hard to have a problem with the conveniences of being able to play real money poker from just about anywhere. Live poker requires leaving the house, traveling to the casino, parking, and waiting in line to register. Compared to playing tournaments online, it’s terribly inefficient.
• There are bonuses. Real money online poker sites offer lucrative bonuses to win your business and loyalty. While you may get a few comps here and there when playing live, it’s nothing compared to what you get online.

• You can’t see the other opponents. While some would argue this is a positive, you won’t be able to get live reads or tells off your opponents. On the same token, though, they won’t be able to get any off of you.
• You need a good internet connection. When you play live, you can’t ever disconnect from the game. Online, though, if your internet goes out, you run the risk of having your hand folded. Thankfully, many of the best online poker tournament sites have disconnection protections in place, but they are limited.

What You Need to Know to Transition to Playing Online

Making the switch from live tournament poker to online tournament poker is exciting! It opens you up to a whole new world of convenience, opportunity, and strategy. We’re sure that all of you making the jump want to make the transition as seamless as possible. Here are a few key things you’ll want to know about the process.

1. You’re not going to have to deal with cash anymore. All of your deposits and withdrawals are done through electronic methods. Take the time to find the right option that works best for you.
2. Players may have access to tracking programs and statistics on you. Many real money online poker players have third-party software that allows them to track how often other players do certain actions. No, it’s not cheating, and they can’t see your cards. However, it can give players a marked advantage. Ideally, the takeaway is that you should look into using these programs to help yourself when you play. And if you’re not going to, at least know they exist, and when you may need to vary your play to mitigate. There are some online poker sites that block the use of third-party programs.
3. The flexibility may get you distracted. When you play in person, the only things that can distract you are your phone, the other players, and the dealer. With online poker, though, you have access to the internet, your kids running around, your spouse needing things, and a whole host of other distractions. Yes, it’s a huge convenience to play from home, but make sure you have a plan to deal with a hectic environment.

Online Poker Tournaments vs. Real Money Cash Games

Even cash games players agree that poker tournaments are where all the glory is. If you’re looking to make the switch from playing live or online cash games to online poker tournaments at real money poker sites, welcome to the other side! Before you jump in, there are a few things you should be aware of.

Strategic Differences

• Players are much worse during the deeper stack stages. Online poker tournament players specialize in crushing how to play different sized stacks. As blinds increase, stack sizes decrease, which has major implications. Most mid-level tournament pros are experts at this. However, many lack the ability to play well when the games are deeper stacked, due to a lack of experience.
• The game changes as the tournament goes on. As mentioned in the last point, tournaments have stages. In cash games, each hand is effectively the same level and has the same implications as the previous. This is not the case in tournaments. The strategy needed at the beginning of the tournament is different than the strategy needed around the bubble. The bubble strategy is different than the final table strategy, and so on and so forth. You’ll need to learn a lot of the nuances to become a successful tournament crusher.

• You have the chance to win way more money in one sitting. Online poker tournaments give you the ability to win life-changing sums of money in a single tournament. Cash games are more of a grind.
• There is prestige and notoriety. Only serious poker players know who the best online cash game players in the world are. Recreational players know who the players are that are consistently crushing the online tournament scene.
• Your losses are capped. When you buy into a poker tournament, you know exactly how much money you stand to lose if things don’t go well. In cash games, you are constantly reloading and jockeying money around. A single bad session could cost you several buy-ins.

• Tournaments require a much longer time commitment. With cash, you can get up whenever you want. You have full control over how long you play. Online poker tournaments, though, require you to stay until the game is over. Sometimes, this can be as long as 10 to 12 hours for bigger events!
• The variance may be higher. In cash games, you’re rarely going to win more than a few buy-ins in a single session. With tournament poker, you can win upwards of 100 times your buy-in through one single game! The problem? You’re not going to do that very often. Tournament poker can have much longer dry spells of no wins. If you’re good, these are easily offset by the wins, but you need to have the patience and the bankroll.

How to Choose the Right Tournaments to Play

Now that you’re amped up to play at one of the top online real money poker sites we’ve recommended, it’s time to talk specifics. When you log in, you’re going to see a ton of different tournament options to choose from. How do you decide which tournament is the right fit for you? Here are four factors to consider when making the choice.

1. The Buy-In

Determine what level buy-in you are comfortable playing. Remember, the online poker rooms with the best tournaments have buy-ins ranging from as low as $0.01 up to $100,000. If it’s your first time playing poker online, start small. If you’re a regular moving to a new site, jump right into what feels comfortable.

2. The Tournament Structure and Details

Remember that not all poker tournaments are created equally, some offer different games and you might just want to play Texas holdem. Find the right fit for what you want to play. This search will include a look at the poker variation, blind structure, and payout structure.

3. The Size of the Tournament and the Time Commitment

Before you select a tournament to play from your favorite online poker site, determine how much time you have to commit to the game. If you only have a few hours, don’t play a tournament with several hundred or several thousand people. Find a game that most likely will be completed in the time frame you’re comfortable with.

How do you know how long an online poker tournament is going to last? You can’t know for sure, but there are ways to get a general idea. If the tournament is played regularly (daily, weekly, or monthly), look back at previous game lobbies. Look at the number of players that entered and how long the tournament lasted. While this won’t be exact, it will give you a general idea of what to expect.

4. The Prize Pool

Lastly, make sure the tournament is intriguing enough to keep you focused. If you’re just playing for fun and don’t care about the prize pool, disregard this step. But for players looking to turn a profit, look at the guarantee or expected prize pool.

Getting Started Playing Online Tournaments Now

There is no better time than the present to get back into online poker. As many states open up the floodgates of regulation, players of all skill levels are flocking back to the game.

To get started now, select one of the best online poker sites for tournaments recommended on this page. Create your free account, make a deposit, and pick out a tournament. You can have the cards in the air for real money within a matter of minutes.

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