Poker has seen an incredible increase in popularity over the last decade or so. But still, the real game changer has been the introduction of online poker. Not least exciting are the wide variety of online poker tournaments available. Events where you don’t have to leave your home to participate. You simply enter via your computer and play whichever kind of poker tournament you like best from the comfort of your own home. So let’s have a little closer look at what different kinds of poker tournaments are available at the foremost online casino sites and which are the best online poker tournaments for you!
What is an Online Poker Tournament?
A poker tournament is essentially a series of poker games where winners move through the rounds until they reach a final, where an overall winner is awarded a prize. The trick is to stay alive financially till you reach the final table, and then win! You start with a stack of chips, and if you lose these chips, you’re out. Real life tournaments have been around for ages, but these days there are so many different kinds of online tournaments. Online poker tournaments have completely changed the way the poker industry works, and it’s very easy to join into a variety of poker tournaments. It’s as easy as logging on to your computer and choosing the best online poker tournament for your poker level and style.
Different Types of Poker Tournaments
You get online poker tournaments in a wide variety of styles. The most important thing to consider is which level of player you are, whether you consider yourself a beginner, an intermediate player, or a professional. Of course, there are tournaments in a wide range of poker types. Texas Hold’em is by far the most popular poker game, but games like Omaha or Stud are not that far off in popularity. And the beauty with online poker is that you can easily gather interested players worldwide, which leverages everything. You will always find a tournament going on in exactly the type of game you prefer!
Speed poker
But it doesn’t stop there because there are many types of tournaments even within one type of poker. You have the typical speed tournaments that are ruled by the clock. This type of poker tournament is a little similar to speed chess. These games, also called turbo tournaments, are getting very popular, not least because you get that high-intensity feeling. A rush in itself. Each player normally gets 15 seconds to act on his or her hand, if they fail to do so, their hand is considered dead. Some players feel they play better when they need to think quicker. Others are completely lost in this type of set-up. It depends on your personality.
Multi-Table Poker Tournaments
You’ve probably heard about poker multi-table-tournaments, or MTT’s, as well. These are incredibly popular online and have become the standard in online poker tournaments. It’s a very simple process. You buy chips and start playing. Play as many tables as you like, but once those chips are gone, you’re out. As the number of players reduces, tables are typically joined together.
Sit N’ Go Tournaments
Sit and Go Poker Tournaments are also called SNG’s. The difference from a multi-table tournament is that an SNG consists of one or two tables only. Players sit down, focus on that table, and take it from there. As always, when the chips are gone, you’re out. Online you will find a bunch of Sit and Go’s. They start up as soon as every seat on the table is filled, which normally doesn’t take long. Poker tournaments online take place 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In fact, many times you’ll find it difficult even to get seated at an SNG, as they fill up so quickly.
Shoot-out Tournaments
The Shoot Out is a combination of a multi-table and an SNG. There are a great number of tables, but the difference is that you play at one table only until you win that table, then you mix with the other winners from the other tables of that tournament. The final parts of the tournament consist of the last players that are in the game.
Where Do You Play?
You play poker tournaments on a huge variety of online gaming sites. You might think that casinos are typical places, but there are many sites that cater specifically for poker. Most serious poker players prefer these specialized poker sites, often known by the alias 'poker rooms.' Joining a tournament is simply a matter of buying in and logging on when the tournament is scheduled to begin. Sometimes it takes a while for the tournament to start. Other times it’s a matter of seconds.
Poker software
Most of the best poker sites need you to download specialized software. There are many benefits to downloading poker software, not least speed and security. But if you stop and think about it, administrating a poker tournament online with tens of thousands of players, or more, calls for strong software that you need to download. Simple as that.
Just Get Started
Once you’ve chosen your platform, downloaded the software and bought chips, you can choose your tournament. As you can imagine there are hundreds of poker sites available and each boasts a variety of poker tournament styles. And if you want more information on poker tournaments or even poker rules, you’ll find many articles right here on our site.
