Guide to Casino Tournaments

Slots Tournaments

Over the years, casino tournaments have expanded to include an incredible number of games. At inception, casino tournaments were limited to poker tournaments, slots tournaments, and blackjack tournaments. Today's top-tier online casinos routinely provide registered players with access to a variety of low-cost tournaments. Without a doubt, it's the slots tournaments that rule the roost. As the most popular casino game in the house, slots tournaments reel players in by the truckload. Once known as one-arm bandits, slots are the moneymakers for players and the casino.

Slots tourneys are routinely offered at online casinos for a rather small entry fee. Land-based tournaments at Las Vegas Strip casinos are similar to many of the online slots tournaments. It's important to remember that slots tournaments are all about good fortune. The luckier you are, the more you will bank. The outcome of any given slot spin is completely independent of every other slot spin. In other words, there is no failsafe strategy to win a slot tournament, save effective bankroll management. Casinos recommend placing the maximum possible bet on the maximum possible number of pay lines to stand the best chance of winning.

With slots tournaments, players can win lots of money since there are guaranteed payouts for every tournament. Another reason why players compete in slots tournaments is the thrill factor. Traditional slots games can be rather monotonous, but tournament play pits you against other players for prizes. That makes them really exciting. It's worth pointing out that slots tournaments are usually played on a specific slot machine game. If you shop around, you can find online casinos offering slots tournaments on multiple slots games. Either way, you'll have to register to get started. If you're lucky, you may find a slots tournament with zero entry fees.

Blackjack Tournaments

Blackjack tourneys are incredibly attractive to card players. As the quintessential casino card game, blackjack often goes toe to toe with poker as the players' game of choice. There are many different types of blackjack tournaments. These include elimination series blackjack tournaments where the competition gets whittled down as different phases of play are completed. As the showdown between blackjack players nears, the prize pool rapidly escalates. There are also standard blackjack tournaments with a single round of play. Much like poker, SNGs (Sit & Go) tournaments take place. Once all the seats at the table have been taken, the tournament begins in earnest. STTs (Single Table Tournaments) and MTTs (Multi-Table Tournaments) are showcased in grand style.

Similar to slots tournaments, blackjack tournaments are also affordable. That's part of their appeal. Blackjack tournaments shift the focus away from player versus dealer action to player versus player action. It's usually based on chip count. The player with the highest number of chips at the end of the tournament wins. Luckily, there are payouts awarded for the top 10 finishers and sometimes the top 100 finishers. Naturally, the payouts are biggest for the best players and smallest towards the lower end of the tournament winners circle. Much like poker, there are also satellite blackjack tournaments. This means that you can play your way to a big win in a prestigious tournament.

Sometimes, rebuy opportunities present in blackjack tournaments online. Contrary to opinion, there aren't a whole lot of online blackjack tournaments available to players nowadays. Skilled players lucky enough to find them stand to win significant cash prizes when they finish in the top tier. It’s the guaranteed payouts that make blackjack tourneys so exciting. Even if the number of entrants is low, the event still takes place with the same prize pool. Blackjack tournament types include live money blackjack tournaments, mini & major blackjack tournaments, accumulation tournaments, elimination tournaments, and SNGs.

Roulette Tournaments

Roulette is the spin & win attraction that keeps players coming back for more. Few games have the appeal of roulette, and the tournament format is super exciting. Unlike traditional online casino games of roulette, the tourney format is peppered with action. Players saddle up for a power-packed session of play. Tournament roulette online is rare, like blackjack. With enough player interest, roulette tournaments have the potential to rival blackjack tournaments.

Video Poker Tournaments

Video Poker tournaments are played differently from other tournaments. Players are typically given a set number of credits at the start of the gaming session. The tournaments last from 24-hours to 48 hours on average, with chips, used instead of cash and coins. At online casinos, players buy into these tournaments and have a set allocation of gambling credits allocated to them. Players will have time to play the video poker tournament. The video poker machines used in the tournament will track each player's gaming session, the number of available credits, and all winnings the player has accumulated over time. Only the top finishers get rewarded in video poker tournaments, not everybody who enters. When entry fees are levied, players may break even, perhaps even generating a small profit. Winners of video poker tournaments can walk away with substantial payouts.

The types of games available at casino tournaments vary by each specific category. These include slots, card games, table games, and other games.

Slots– video slots with 5 reels, 6 reels +, progressive jackpot slots, daily jackpot slots, Megaways, and others.

Blackjack - Classic Blackjack, Atlantic City Blackjack, Vegas Strip Blackjack, Pontoon.

Roulette – European Roulette, American Roulette, French Roulette.

Video Poker – Aces & Faces, Tens or Better, Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, Deuces and Jokers, Double Bonus Poker.

Casino tournaments are governed by a set of rules and regulations. These are set by casino management. The terms of play for casino tournaments warrant an understanding of the lingo.

• Entry fee – the entry fee is the equivalent of the buy-in. Whenever a player registers for a tournament, the entry fee has to be paid to participate.
• Buy-in - the buy-in pertains to poker contests at poker rooms. It's the amount that has to be paid to participate in a tournament. The bigger the buy-in, the bigger the poker pot.
• VIP Comps – VIP players tend to get the best treatment with comp points, rather than chips. These are also the rewards offered to players. 
• Extender Tournaments - these types of tournaments allow players to buy add-ons to boost the payday at the end.
• In/Out of the Money – In the money indicates that a tournament player has made money in a challenge. Out of the money indicates that the player has lost money. To get into the money, you have to make it to the final table of a tournament.
• Freeroll Tournament - this is a specific type of tournament where new players register for a chance to win real cash.
• SNGs or S&Gs - these are known as Sit & Go tournaments. There is a set number of seats at the tournament.
• STTs and MTTs – Single Table Tournaments and Multi-table tournaments.
• Scheduled Tourneys – these are scheduled in advance, and players can pay the entry fees.
• One-shot slots tournaments – players are given a single chance to progress through to the next stage of the tournament.
• Survivor tournaments - these consist of multiple levels of play, each of which is an elimination stage. The top player wins the contest.
• Standard slots tournament rules - players receive a set number of credits for a slot machine game, with a time allocation for using those credits.