A tournament is defined by three things: how players enter, how they are eliminated, and how the prize pool is divided. The format names below are shorthand for particular combinations of those three.
Reading the format before entering matters, because each one changes correct play. A bounty event rewards eliminations; a satellite rewards survival and nothing else.
Formats at a Glance
| Format | How it works |
|---|---|
| Freezeout | One buy-in per player; losing a stack ends the event. |
| Re-entry | Eliminated players may buy a new seat while registration remains open. |
| Rebuy | Players may top up or rebuy during a defined early period. |
| Bounty | Part of each buy-in is paid to whoever eliminates that player. |
| Satellite | A small event whose prize is a seat in a larger one. |
| Sit and go | Starts as soon as the seats are full, with no scheduled start time. |
| Shootout | Players must win their table before advancing to the next round. |
| Deepstack | Larger starting stacks relative to the blinds, so play lasts longer. |
| Turbo | Short blind levels that compress the event into fewer hours. |
| Progressive knockout | Half of each bounty collected is kept, half is added to the winner's own bounty. |
Entry and Re-Entry
- Freezeout
- One buy-in. Losing the stack ends the tournament for that player.
- Re-entry
- A new seat may be bought after elimination, while registration remains open. The number of entries is often capped.
- Rebuy
- Chips may be bought during a defined early period, sometimes without being eliminated first.
- Add-on
- A single optional purchase of chips at the end of the rebuy period, available to everyone.
- Late registration
- Entry after play has begun, usually for several levels, with a starting stack that is already short.
Prize Pool Variations
| Format | How the money is split | Effect on play |
|---|---|---|
| Standard payout | Top ten to fifteen per cent of the field, weighted to the top | Payout pressure rises near the bubble — see ICM. |
| Bounty | A fixed sum per elimination, plus a reduced prize pool | Calling ranges widen, because eliminations pay immediately. |
| Progressive knockout | Half of each bounty collected, half added to your own head | Big stacks become more valuable targets as the event runs. |
| Satellite | Equal seats to a larger event, rather than cash | Chips above the qualifying amount have almost no value. |
| Winner-take-all | One prize | Survival has no value except as a route to first. |
Structure and Speed
- Deepstack events start with more big blinds, so post-flop play lasts longer.
- Turbo and hyper-turbo events shorten the levels, which compresses the event and raises variance.
- Shootouts require winning a table before advancing, which turns each round into a short-handed match.
- Sit and go events begin when the seats fill, with no scheduled start time.
- Day structures in large live events spread play across several days, with stacks carried forward.
Whatever the format, the number that governs decisions is the stack measured in big blinds, as set out in cash games vs tournaments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the bubble?
The stage just before the payouts begin, when the next player eliminated finishes with nothing. It produces the largest strategic distortion in a tournament.
Why do satellites change strategy so much?
Because every qualifying place pays the same. Once a stack is large enough to qualify, additional chips add almost nothing, so folding becomes correct in spots that would be routine calls elsewhere.
Is a rebuy event the same as a re-entry?
No. A rebuy lets a player buy chips while still seated, often without being eliminated; a re-entry requires elimination first and starts a new entry from scratch.