If you’ve ever watched any of the number of Poker Tournaments
on TV you’re probably aware of the excitement these tournaments
can generate. There’s really nothing like going “all in” when
you’re playing heads up, knowing that the entire prize pool is
at stake. Well Tournament Poker is not just for the pros
anymore. Your favorite Online Poker Room probably has a
tournament going on right now. If you’ve never played in an
online tournament here’s some things you ought to know.

Anatomy of an Online Poker Tournament

Most online poker rooms offer tournament play. A quick visit to
their website will tell you everything you’ll need to know about
their upcoming tournament schedule. Information like the buy-in,
type of tournament, starting time is clearly displayed; you
simply read the schedule and then make your decision. Here’s
what a typical tournament entry looks like:

6:00 PM ET (10:00 PM GMT) 30+3 NL Texas Hold’em

This simply means that the tournament starts at 6PM Eastern
Standard Time, it’s a No Limit (NL) Texas Hold’em Game. The
30+3 is the buy-in. These numbers tell you that it will cost
you $33 to play in this tournament; it’s listed this way to let
you know that you will be paying $30 toward the prize pool and
$3 to the pokerroom. To play in this tournament you’ll need to
register sometime prior to 6PM. Registration essentially means
paying the entry fee ($33).

A few minutes before 6PM you should launch the pokerroom and
login. Further details are specific to the pokerroom you’re
playing at, but most likely you’ll automatically be taken to
the tournament at the appropriate time.

At the start of the tournament, everyone will have the same
number of chips (1,500 is a typical number). Play will commence
as usual, blinds, the dealer button and betting order will be
handled just like in non-tournament play. As hands won and lost
and chips are moved around the table, some players will lose all
of the chips and be eliminated. The tournament will continue
until one player has won all of the chips. That person will be
declared the winner and will take home the largest share of the
prize pool.

Most tournaments will have more then one winner, some larger
tournaments can have five or more. The final player will win
the biggest prize; the second, third, forth... place finishers
will each win lesser prizes. Any player that wins a prize is
said to have finished “in the money”

About The Author: David Olsen has been writing about online
casinos and casino strategy for over five years and is
considered an authority in the online gambling world. His
latest website is all about the poker and video poker. Visit it
at: http://www.playvideopoker.us/poker_rooms

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