Tournament Poker Glossary of Terms
Tournament poker has its own lingo. For your convenience, here are selected poker terms related to tournament play and structure. It is assumed you have a basic knowledge of poker games. We also describe tournament types.
Tournament Poker Glossary of Terms
- Add On. Some tournaments allow players to add to their chip stacks even if they are not yet broke. Add ons add to the total prize money.
- Buy In. This is the amount of money a player must contribute to the prize pool of a tournament so they can join. It also serves as their starting chips.
- Entry Fee. Strictly speaking, this refers to the host's rake or commission for hosting the poker tournament. Entry fee can also refer to the rake plus the buy in.
- Play Money. After a player buys in to a tournament, they receive equivalent play money chips to use during play.
- Prize Pool. The total amount of cash to be given away to qualifying players. It includes the buy in and all additional buys. If the tournament host or sponsors contribute, it is also included. Players are paid according to a fixed or proportional percentage.
- Re Buy. In some tournaments, the option to buy new chips. Re buys add to the prize pool.
- Starting Chips. The chips a player has at the onset of a tournament.
- Starting Chips Bonus. A bonus is additional playing chips one gets from tournaments that provide such.
Tournament Poker Types
Just like other sports, poker has different kinds of tournaments. Some are more prestigious and lucrative than others. Like in tennis, for example, there are four major events each year: the Australian, French and US Opens and Wimbledon. High ranking players are eligible to join these majors, while lower-ranked players can enter as qualifiers by winning satellite tournaments.
It is similar in tournament poker, except that players usually buy their rights to join an event. Players can join either by buying in, winning a qualifying tourney, or upon invitation.
- Major Tournaments. These are the main events of the year featuring the best players. They receive good television coverage and help make poker such a popular game. Entry fees are heavy. Can last from a week up to several weeks. Best known as the World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker.
- Minor Tournaments. These are smaller events that last a couple of days and have smaller entry fees. Good for developing players.
- Freeroll Tournament. A freeroll is a tournament that has no entry fee on it but still give competitors a chance to win real money. Casinos and poker sites may host freerolls to promote their site. Funding comes from the host, sponsors and/or other sources.
- Guaranteed Tournament. One that has an assured minimum prize pool regardless of how many join the event.
- Satellite Tournament. A minor event, the prize of which is entry to a major one.
- Shootout Tournament. Each table must have one surviving player before moving to the next round. In a freezout, all but one player must be eliminated, and they alone take the prize.
- Multi-Table Tournament. An event where players are evenly distributed among several poker tables.
- Sit N Go. Single-table poker tournaments. As soon as seats are taken up, play begins.