Poker Tournament Variants: A Guide to the Different Formats and Rules
As you play poker more often, the probability of encountering different tournament variations increases. These variations come in different rules and formats that can impact your gameplay in a given event. You may be curious about if there is a set format for tournaments, and how blinds and antes operate. This article will answer these questions and others by examining some common tournament formats available at online poker sites.
- Texas Hold’em: Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker game in the world and is played in most poker tournaments. In this variant, each player is dealt two cards and then uses five community cards to make the best hand possible.
- Omaha: Omaha is another popular tournament variant where players are dealt four cards and must use two of them in combination with three of the five community cards to make the best hand.
Seven-Card Stud: Seven-Card Stud is a classic tournament variant that has been around for many years. In this game, each player is dealt seven cards, and the best five-card hand wins. - Razz: Razz is a tournament variant that is a lowball version of Seven-Card Stud. The lowest hand wins in Razz, so players must strive to make the worst hand possible.
- Freezeout: A freezeout tournament is a tournament in which players cannot re-buy once they have lost all their chips. This format is popular in live poker events because it ensures that the tournament will end in a set amount of time.
- Rebuy: A rebuy tournament allows players to re-buy chips if they lose all their chips. This format is popular in online poker events because it allows players to stay in the tournament for a longer period of time.
- Shootout: A shootout tournament is a tournament in which players play until only one player remains at each table. The winners of each table then play against each other until a winner is determined.
- Satellites: A satellite tournament is a tournament in which players can win a seat into a larger tournament. This format is popular in live poker events and allows players to enter a tournament for a smaller buy-in and potentially win a seat into a larger tournament.
We hope this guide has given you a basic understanding of tournament play and how it differs from cash games. If you’re interested in entering poker tournaments, we suggest starting with a low-buy-in tournament like those mentioned above.
