Guide to Casino Tournaments

Competing is perhaps innate in the human nature, and not only. Think about it, we compete for a limitless amount of things; we compete at school for grades, in sports, animal exhibits, eating races, and much more. If we had to list every single competition man has participated in, the article would be endless. Whatever you can imagine, most probably has already happened.

This need for competition has spread also within casinos and the gaming industry in general. In fact, it is very popular nowadays that casinos organise tournaments and competitions. Traditionally, this was restricted to poker, however at this point one can participate in a tournament of all the other casino games available. One can compete in slot machine tournaments, black jack, video poker, roulette and even craps tournaments.

As the gaming industry has plummeted in recent years, the same has happened to the availability of casino tournaments online. The latter are very simple to participate in, and they will provide you with some fun, especially if you decide to play against your friends. In fact, the good thing about online competitions is that you can actually decide who you want to play against.

On this page you will get some information as regards to the different types of tournaments and how these work. Here you will find a very useful introduction to this world, especially if you’ve been considering whether to participate in one or not.

Slots Tournaments

Most gaming companies nowadays provide players from all over the globe with slot machine tournaments. The method how betting takes place varies from one company to the other, but in general there are 3 or 4 methods of how this is done. This is what we shall discuss now.

1. Casino Race

This is a form of tournament which is very popular, even though it requires lots of patience and perseverance from the participants’ side. This is because this type of tournament takes place in the form of daily tasks. So say that there are a certain amount of players to start with, each one has to win something daily in order to proceed to the next round. If one is not successful, or forgets to play, then he or she is out of the tournament. This keeps on going until there is just one winner. Such tournaments often offer very high prizes, in terms of thousands of dollars. Thus, it comes of no surprise that they are so popular and after all some patience is a small price to pay to win such huge sums.

Typically what happens is that the casino organises a slot machine race in one particular slot, and in which everyone can participate. Participation in general is free, but as we said it requires a daily effort both time-wise and financially. In order to keep on going in the tournament, one must have to win a certain specified amount on a single or multiple spins, depending on what the casino decides. Usually this amount is very small, although there are also cases where it is increased from one week to the other. The whole point is that players need to visit that particular slot machine everyday for a certain amount of time, and win the minimum specified amount. Of course, the player that is left last wins the tournament. Such tournaments can take quite a long time, even months, when nobody seems to want to give up. Let’s face it, if it was just you and another player left, would you give up the prize?

2. Tournaments with a minimum number of Spins

Sometimes in order to participate to a slot machine tournament one has to play a minimum number of spins over a stated period. In such tournaments the winner usually is either the one who got the highest net pay, or else the one that has the best winning percentage in relation to the effort. In the latter case it does not make a difference whether you stake high or not, and it is up to the casino to decide which method to use to in order to claim the winner.

The number of rounds that have to be played varies from one tournament to the other. Sometimes it can only be just a few tens of rounds, sometimes a few hundreds, and even thousands occasionally. Needless to say, the fewer are the rounds that have to be played, then shorter will be the tournament. Prizes for such tournaments also vary, and sometimes include not only cash but also things like free spins, trips, dinners and others. However, in general the winnings in this case are lower than those that could be won in a casino race, but then again, efforts are smaller. This type of tournament needs less commitment and also the probability of winning is bigger.

3. Tournaments where the best number of consecutive spins are considered

This type of tournament is very widespread, and we can even say it is the most common when it comes to slot machine tournaments. Here it goes that the winners are those players that managed to get the top numbers of best rounds consecutively. It can either include just one slot or multiple. Sometimes it says for instance that the players with the best 20 consecutive spins win. This, of course, means that you have to play 20 spins with real money.

In general there is no upper limit as to the maximum amount of spins that you can play, it is always the best 20 consecutive spins that are taken into consideration. So you can play for as long as you want, within a specified time frame, to constantly improve your records and try to get at the top of the tournament. In some exceptional cases, the minimum bet per spin in order to participate in the tournament is specified by the casino, however, this is rarely the case. Quite often it happens that those who stake higher will have the highest gains and so obtain good positions in the tournament.

Thus, such tournaments often pay off when you get the highest gains in a number of consecutive spins, whereas the percentage net profit is rarely considered. So, even though they are free, you are still required to invest a certain amount of money in them, and if you are aiming to win the tournament the higher you invest, the bigger are your chances.

4. Tournaments with given credits

This is a type of tournament which usually does not take very long, just a few hours or even minutes at times. What happens in these tournaments is that every player is given a certain amount of credits by the casino to play at a particular slot machine. This credit can be seen like “play money”, and all you have to do is to try to win as much as possible. For every spin, a small amount of these credits are taken away, and ideally one uses all the credits made available to him. Of course, the end sum of money won cannot be withdrawn, but it is only the player with the biggest amount of credits that gets to cash in the prize. Most of the time these tournaments are free, although occasionally you are asked to pay a fee in order to participate.

Black Jack Tournaments

When you participate at an online Black Jack tournament your body starts acting weird; your breathing rate increases, and so does the heart rate, a thin layer of sweat also forms over your forehead. This is the result of the adrenaline pumping through your veins, and making your mind work more sharply because you actually enjoy the competition. Here it is not only the final prize that’s at stake but also your pride. You want the recognition of being the best among the best, although some extra cash in your pocket is a very good incentive as well.

Black jack is most probably the most popular casino game worldwide, in real casinos and online casinos alike. If you’ve ever played this game, or know someone who does, it is not difficult to understand where all this popularity comes from. Black jack is a very easy game to understand, and it does not take a lot until you start playing. Still, you can also use some strategy to improve your odds.

Black jack tournaments have provided casino players with an exciting twist to the ordinary Black jack game, and have gained tremendous popularity in recent years. The basic principle is, of course, that of trying to get as close to 21 without going over board. Most often players compete against each other and the bank, although there are a couple of variations as to how these tournaments go on. Then once the profits are compared, the person who has won the most is the winner of the tournament. Here it comes of no surprise that players that have good card-counting skills stand a better chance than others.

The first type of Black jack tournament which we shall write about is very simple to understand. Seven players stand at a table, and multiple tables are participating. Then after a certain number of hands, usually 10, the player with the lowest total in every table is excluded from the tournament. This keeps on going until you have one player left in every table. These then compete against each other to define the ultimate winner.

In another type of tournament, every player plays against the dealer, and the target is to get amongst the names on the leader board, ideally at the very top. Such tournaments, usually do not take very long. Here we are speaking in terms of half an hour or so.

These two are the most common types of Black jack tournaments, but not the only ones. It is practically impossible to go into detail about all the different methods of organising Black jack tournaments. Here it is important that we also point out that the rules may also vary from one tournament to the other. Thus it is of utmost importance that you know the rules before starting your game. Some tournaments allow players a certain number of hands that can be played, whereas others allow a certain number of chips to play with. The latter is the most common method although, as we said, this varies, and so be careful and make sure you know exactly what you’re playing for and how you are supposed to play.

Baccarat Tournaments

Baccarat tournaments are perhaps not as common as poker or black jack tournaments, but they are certainly just as fun, if not more we’d say as you can also relax while playing. Yes, this game is relaxing, and the overall feeling in such tournaments often makes you feel at ease. Although you are competing against other players, the way everyone plays does not directly impact the others. As such you will be more comfortable knowing that there is not a chance that you will give someone else an advantage. Baccarat tournaments do not require lots of thought and strategy, and therefore it won’t feel as though your head is about to explode after playing.

Even better news than this is the fact that often Baccarat tournaments have bigger prizes than other card games. Often the registration fee is also higher but the relative profit that can be made is a very good incentive. The final prize can be either a fixed amount or a pot, but whatever the case might be, prizes are big. Moreover, since Baccarat is mostly a game of luck, everyone has an equal chance of winning.

What happens during a Baccarat Tournament?

The rules for playing online Baccarat tournaments are not different from those of the normal game, since all players play against the house. However, what is different here is that you will be competing against all the other players at the same time. The player that has the biggest amount of chips is the winner. So we can say that what is important is the amount of games won and lost in relation to what other players did.

All the participants will start with an equal amount of chips, and they are placed randomly at a table to play against the dealer. Several rounds are played, the exact amount varies according to how many players are participating because each round consists of a fixed number of deals. At the end of each round the chips are counted, and those players with the highest numbers advance to the next round. This same procedure keeps going until there is only 1 player at each table. Finally the remaining players will play again until the winner can be declared.

Video Poker Tournament

When discussing video poker, video poker tournaments is the most vast subject we could talk about. This is because each event has its own individual rules, making every event unique. Here we can give you a little introduction as to how tournaments work and some common variations. Playing tournaments in video poker is different from simply playing video poker because in a tournaments you will be given “play credits” and the aim is to get as many credits as possible throughout the tournament.

So, instead of playing with real money, you will get “play money” after you buy the so-called buy in, or in other words the registration fee. Some tournaments are for free, although in such cases winnings are considerably lower. Once the fee is paid, each player may either lay in a given time frame or set a number of hands to try to increase the credit as much as possible. The players with the biggest amount of credits win.

Hand Limit vs Time Limit

The main difference between tournaments is whether one has to play in a specific time frame, or whether one is limited by the total number of hands to play. In the first scenario you will play at a given video poker machine for a certain amount of time, like say for example a total of 45 minutes spread over 3 rounds of 15 minutes each. Otherwise, you can also be playing with a limiting amount of hands, like for instance you will play 200 hands and then the person with the biggest number of chips wins. Sometimes events include both the hand and the time limit. This means that for example you will have 20 minutes to play a maximum of 600 hands. In this case the game finishes either when the 20 minutes are over or when you finish all your hands, depending on which one occurs first.

Now maybe you might be asking yourselves, but what difference does it make whether you have a time or a hand limitation? In fact, there would be a difference in the type of strategy used. If you have the opportunity to play for as long as you want time-wise you can take all the time needed to make mathematical calculations. On the other hand, if you have a time limit it is important to try to play as many hands as possible.

Roulette Tournament

Roulette tournaments are fun to play and a popular twist to the standard roulette, ideal for those players who are especially skilled and who are hungry for some competition. When playing standard roulette, one would be playing against the casino, but a tournament transforms the game into a competition between multiple players. All these players are given a fixed amount of chips, and the target is that after a certain amount of time or spins, depending on how the tournament is being played, you get as many chips as possible. Signing up for a roulette tournament is pretty much the same as signing up for a poker tournament.

Most online casinos have a tournament lobby where you can choose which tournament fits your budget and register. When doing so pay attention to the participation fee, and also to the type of payout given. Some use a winner-takes-all policy, whereas others give prizes to the first 20 players for example. Other than that the tournament format is not any different from the standard roulette.

All roulette tournaments will have a specific starting time, as well as an end time. Sometimes a tournament can last a few hours, sometimes days and at times even weeks. Before starting to play, one has to pay a buy-in fee which is equivalent to a registration fee in order to be given an amount of chips. Then start playing and try to get as many chips as possible in the stipulated time frame. Nevertheless you will also have the opportunity to stop whenever you think you have a good amount of chips. So it is not obligatory to use all the time available to play.

Craps Tournament

If you know how to play Craps, or even have a slight idea of the rules, then you can easily participate at an online craps tournament. These are fun and potentially very profitable as usually the final prize is quite considerable in value. Craps tournaments are often held in similar ways as with other casino tournaments, and most often you will get to pay a registration fee before you can start playing.

The registration fee can vary from a few dollars to a couple of thousands. However, always keep in mind that generally speaking the higher the buy-in fee is, the bigger are the prizes. So you can just choose the one that suits best your wallet, or maybe decide to stake for something big. The decision is entirely up to you. Then you will be given a stack of chips, same as all the other players, and your aim would be to collect as many chips as possible. The player with the biggest amount of chips wins.

Mot probably you will be playing with the same rules as those used for normal craps, although their might be a fixed range when it comes to the bet. What we recommend is that before you actually start playing, you read carefully the rules for that tournament. Tournaments keep on going round after round, and they can be either limited by a fixed time, or else limited by a predetermined number of throws. After each round the best players will advance to the next round, and at the end the best players in that tournament will be competing against each other, with the ultimate best one winning the pot!