Poker Tournament Play – Eligible Contestants in Poker Tournaments

As long as you are the right legal age, all you need is to learn the game, practice your strategy and have the buy-in and you can enter a poker tournament.

The Legal Age for Playing Poker Tournaments

The legal age for playing poker tournaments varies between countries. In general, in the United States, players need to be at least 21 years of age before they can compete in a poker tournament. In the UK, the legal age for gambling is 18 and so to participate in a poker tournament players must be at least 18. In fact, these ages are not only relevant for poker tournaments, but for casino gambling in general. It is imperative to check what the legal age of gambling is in the country you find yourself in, before you enter a poker tournament.

The legal age for playing in poker tournaments is especially relevant for Annette Obrestad. In 2007, Obrestad became the youngest player to ever win a gold bracelet at the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE). She turned 19 the day after the main event. While Obrestad is a professional poker player in Europe, she has not been able to compete yet in the United States. Born in 1988, she will be eligible to play in poker tournaments in the United States only after her 21st birthday. The 2010 WSOP, held in Nevada will be her debut into competitive poker in the United States.

I am Legal. Can I Play Poker?

Once you have reached the legal age for gambling, you are able to participate in poker tournaments. Of course, it is highly recommended that you learn the game and improve your poker tournament strategy before you enter a poker tournament.

Learning the Game of Poker

There are many resources available to help players learn the game of poker. There are plenty of books and articles to read, as well as tips and advice from professional poker players. Once you understand the basic rules of the game, choose one variation to focus on and practice that variation until you are confident of your skill. Many online casinos offer a free play mode where players can practice their game without risking any of their own money.

Practice your Tournament Strategy

Tournament strategy is different to ring game strategy and the tournament strategy you use will depend on the type of tournament that you play. You can practice your tournament strategy by entering freeroll tournaments at an online casino.

Can you Afford the Poker Tournament

Besides for freeroll tournaments at online casinos, all tournaments have a buy-in amount and often an entry fee. The buy-in amount goes towards the total prize money and the entry fee is an administrative fee. You need to be able to afford the entry into a tournament in order to be able to enter it. There are many different poker tournaments around and they all have varying buy-in amounts. You can find online tournaments with buy-ins of as little as $1, while if you want to enter the World Series of Poker main event, you are looking at a buy-in of $10,000. As long as you can afford the entry, you are able to join the poker tournament.