Poker Tournaments Are For Everyone - Pros And Newbies Alike!

by Eric Madsen

So, you want to play in a poker tournament?

Well, you are not alone! Tournaments are growing bigger all the time.

Before we really get started, let's define "poker tournament." Tournaments are poker competitions where all of the players play at the same time and continue to play until only one player is left. The player that is left is the one to take home all the loot!

Tournaments Are Hot!

Why are tournaments such big events? They

Are fun to play in

Have low entry fees

Offer a large prize pool to be won

Are an inexpensive way for novice poker players to learn how to play the game

Provide a place for more experienced players gain experience

 

Types of Tournaments

While there are many different types of poker games played at casinos and online rooms, tournament play is usually reserved for Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and 7-card Stud because these games have a large following.

Poker tournaments can have as few as 6 players (single table tournaments) to thousands of players for larger events. Large tournaments consist of many tables, each table having 8 to 10 players. The tables are slowly removed from the tourney as players are eliminated, and players are balanced from table to table as needed. (These are known as multi-table tournaments). Finally all but the last table will be removed and these last 8 to 10 players play until only one of them remains.

Tournament Basics

To play in a tournament players have to pay two fees.

1. They have to pay an entry fee to the poker room hosting the tournament to cover the expenses involved. This gives the player an assigned seat and a set quantity of tournament chips with which to play (these chips have no cash value).

2. Players also pay a buy-in fee. The buy-in fee is held and paid out as prizes. The prize payout differs from tournament to tournament but typically it all goes to the few players fortunate enough to make the final table.

The object of a tournament is to win all of the chips. All tournament players start out with the same quantity of chips to play with and all start playing at the same time. Players play until they lose all of their chips and are then removed from the tournament. A tournament continues non-stop, often for several hours, until only one person remains.

As playing progresses the stakes rise, making it more and more difficult for players with short stacks to remain in the game.

Players are awarded prize money based on their finishing position in the tournament. The top finishers earn the most money with the 1st place winner usually receiving about 30% of the total prize money, the 2nd place winner about 20% and so on.

The number of winners and the size of the payouts depend upon the rules for the tournament being played and the number of people playing.

Re-buys and Add-ons

Some poker tournaments allow players a re-buy option. This re-buy option allows players to purchase more chips if they run out of them at the start of the tournament. A player can purchase the same number of chips that he/she started the tournament with. Some poker tournaments allow unlimited re-buys during the first hour of play, while other tournaments allow only a single re-buy.

An add-on option is similar to the re-buy option. Add-ons differ in that they are usually only offered once at the end of the re-buy period and can be purchased regardless of how many chips you have. As the name implies, these chips are added on to your stack of chips.

All proceeds from re-buys and add-ons are added to the prize pool less house fees (if applicable).

Betting

Tournament betting is structured with the betting limit increasing regularly. The changes in betting limits occur differently depending on the tournament
 

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Eric Madsen is an avid poker player and is webmaster of http://www.crazyjackspoker.com  and http://www.slots.onlinebettingreview.com
eric@madsenswebsolutions.com

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Online Casino Bonuses

 by Rea Nelson
 

Types Of Online Casino Bonuses

If you've ever considered playing at an online casino, you should be aware that the vast majority of them offer cash bonuses as an incentive to play. While there are some generous offers out there today, being made, it's very important that you understand how casino bonuses work and understand the terms and conditions of the offer.

The No Deposit Bonus

Some online casinos offer players free cash with no deposit required. These can be a great way to get started playing and to get a feel for the games at an online casino, but be aware of the complete terms of a no deposit bonus. In some cases the casino will require you to register a credit card to claim the free cash. This doesn't necessarily mean they are trying to steal funds from your card. There are reputable casinos who do this as a security measure to avoid bonus abuse and players claiming multiple accounts. It also gives the casinos a better chance of weeding out the bonus hunters from more serious players. At the same time, be aware of rogue casinos and do your homework before you sign up and play at any casino. Some casinos require you to make a small deposit in order to cash out your winnings from a no deposit offer. Some online casinos also require players to make a small deposit before cashing out winnings from a no deposit offer, again due to bonus abuse of other players. Wagering requirements and game restrictions often apply to this type of bonus.

The Cashable Matching Deposit Bonus

Many internet casinos offer a percentage match bonus when players make a deposit. These are pretty self-explanatory - for a 200% bonus, for example, you would deposit $100 and the casino will add another $200 to your account. These bonuses typically range anywhere from 10-250% or more. This type of bonus almost always requires the player to wager through the deposit and bonus a certain number of times and usually only certain games count towards the wagering requirements.

The Sticky Bonus

A sticky bonus is just that - it can never be cashed out. This may sound like a bad deal at first, but actually can be a great deal for a player. You can use the "money" from the bonus account to wager as much as you like. Even though the bonus itself stays put in your casino account, you will have more money available in your account to wager longer with that much more of a chance to hit a big jackpot or build up some good winnings at a table game like blackjack. We have seen some online casinos offer sticky bonuses that have been quite generous, in some cases over $300 and more.

Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements can be rather high at many online casinos nowadays. Some casinos require you wager as much 20 times your deposit and bonus amount or more before cashing out. There was a time that you only had to wager through your deposit and bonus once before cashing out at an online casino! Due to the high costs of this type of promotion and bonus abuse, wagering requirements have been raised considerably at virtually all online casinos.

Note that in some cases sticky bonuses carry no wagering requirements - this can be a great deal if you come across this type of promotion.

Game Restrictions

In many cases only certain games count towards the wagering requirements of the bonus offer. It's common to see Slots play count towards the wagering requirements. Games like Blackjack and Roulette are often excluded from the wagering requirements.

Always, ALWAYS read bonus terms and conditions.

You've downloaded the software, you've signed up and created your account and logged in. you've made your deposit and you're ready to play. But do you really know what you're getting into? As you can see there are many different kinds of bonuses and you need to know the wagering requirements, games restrictions and other terms and conditions when you play. Some online casinos will simply tell you that you need to but in some cases your winnings can be forfeited if you do not follow the promotional terms to the letter. So unless you're only there for a good time and don't care about your winnings, knowing the terms and conditions of a bonus offer is essential. If you are comfortable with a particular casino and it's promotional bonus offer, you might as well claim the free cash. If you're going to play anyway, you might as well accept the free money offer.

If you aren't comfortable with requirements of a bonus offer, pick another casino to play, or consider simply depositing without claiming a bonus. Many online casinos offer better odds and payouts than Native American casinos or even Las Vegas casinos, so often you still are getting a good deal for your money. Also, nothing can compare with the comfort and convenience of gambling at home in your pajamas.

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Rea Nelson has been an avid gambler at both online and land-based casinos since 1999. Her favorite game is Video Poker. Rea is also the webmaster of several gaming sites including http://www.allsafecasinos.com  and http://www.bestcasinodeals.com .

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