Poker Tournaments

Poker tournaments have increased with the popularity of the game. A tournament can have as little as two competitors. Playing on a single table this is called a ‘heads-up’ tournament. Other tournaments may have players numbering in the thousands. The winner is the player who wins every poker chip in the game while the other players are placed based on the time of their elimination.

Before entering a tournament a player usually pays a fixed buy-in. The chips used during the tournament have no cash value and is used instead of cash. A player is eliminated when he has run out of chips.

Poker tournaments can either be open or invitational. The most prestigious open poker tournament is the World Series of Poker (WSOP). The first WSOP was held in 1970 at the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas. It was an invitational meet at that time where six of the best known players were invited to compete. Today, the WSOP is the largest as well as the most popular poker championship in the world. Held in Las Vegas thousands of poker players attend this annual event in the hope of winning a WSOP bracelet. This is a solid gold bracelet that is the dream of any serious poker player. The bracelets have become a feature of the series since 1976. The $10,000 buy-in no limit Texas Hold’em is the Main Event of the WSOP.

Another major event in poker is the World Poker Tour. Since 2002 the World Poker Tour has become one of the most recognized names in internationally televised gaming and entertainment. It has filmed more than 350 hours of programming broadcast in more than 150 countries. The show is usually carried on ESPN.

The European Poker Tour (EPT) is the largest poker event in Europe. It was launched in 2004 by 2000 Million Live on TV winner John Duthie in collaboration with Full Tilt Poker. Held annually since then the EPT show is broadcast to about 40 countries around the world. The EPT which attracts the best players in poker world is also known for offering the largest prize money in any poker tournament.

Other popular poker tournaments include the Asia Pacific Poker Tour which is the biggest poker tournament on the Asian continent; the Latin American Poker Tour, the largest of its kind in Latin America; the Crown Australian Poker Championship, also known as the Aussie Millions. The Caribbean Poker Adventure is also an event that is highly featured on the poker calendar.

The common methods of playing in poker tournaments include the knockout where players are eliminated as soon as they lose their chips. The final remaining players sit at one table called the final table. Other methods are the re-buy and the shootout tournaments.