Poker Tournaments – Selecting the Best Poker Tournament

When selecting a poker tournament, look at the game offered, the type of tournament, the fee structure and the convenience.

There are hundreds of poker tournaments that are available all the time and because of that, it is important to read all of the information about a tournament before you decide to join one. In order to choose the right poker tournament for you, you need to work out whether the tournament will be worth your while, whether you will be able to play the game and how enjoyable you will find it.

Playing Live or Online Poker Tournaments

Over the last decade and particularly in the past five years, online poker tournaments have increased in popularity. Now, poker enthusiasts can choose to play competitive poker online or land-based. Generally, online poker tournaments tend to offer smaller prize pools than live tournaments, but this is not always the case. You may choose between live and online poker tournaments according to practicality and convenience, according to the number of options of types of poker tournaments available in one place or according to the reputation of the place. Since Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP, taking home $2.5 million, after entering via an online satellite tournament, more weight has been placed on online poker tournaments and serious poker players have started to take them more seriously.

Is the Entry Fee for the Poker Tournament Fair?

When entering a poker tournament, players will be required to pay a buy-in and an entry fee. The buy-in goes towards the prize pool, while the entry is an administrative cost. As a general rule, the entry fee for lower stakes tournaments is 10% of the pot, while the entry fee for bigger tournaments is usually less than 10% of the pot. Make sure that the fee structure is fair before you sign up. Of course, you need to choose a poker tournament whose buy-in and entry fee suit your bankroll. In other words, do not overextend yourself in order to enter the tournament – rather start smaller and work your way up.

Choosing the Type of Poker Tournament that Suits You

Different poker tournaments offer different games. The most common poker tournament games are Texas Hold'em and Omaha as these are the most popular. However, you can also find poker tournaments that offer Stud or mixed games such as H.O.R.S.E which is a combination of Hold'em, Omaha, Razz, Seven Card Stud and Seven Card Stud Eight or Better. It is wise to choose a poker tournament that is offering a game that you are familiar with and which you have practiced poker strategy in. It is difficult to play competitive poker, particularly if you are not familiar and confident with the rules of the game you are playing.

In addition to the game being offered, poker tournaments vary in the type of tournament structure that they are running according to. There are many different types of tournaments, such as single table, multi table, sit and go, satellite, freeroll and more. You need to choose the tournament structure according to what you want to achieve. For example, if you are looking for entry into a large tournament, then you must enter a satellite tournament.