Tournament Types

One of the key benefits of tournament play is that the monetary risk is much more controlled than in regular cash ring games. Once you buy-in to a tournament, you're provided with a stack of chips with a goal of attaining every other player's chips. When one player accumulates all the chips, the tournament is complete. Your time in the game ends however, when your stack is depleted and you bust out.
Only Poker offers a variety of tournament formats to choose from. Learn more below.

Multi-table | Sit & Go | Heads Up | Re-buy & Add-on | Freeze-out | Shootout | Bounty | Satellites | Satellites to Live Events | Freeroll | Reward

Multi-table

If more than one table is needed to accommodate the number of registered players in a tournament, it is known as a multi-table tournament. During a Multi-table tournament, as players are eliminated, players will be moved randomly from one table to another in order to keep the number of players at each table as balanced as possible. Although we try to be fair and move players in relation to their position with the dealer button, a player may end up moving from their blinds and move to a blind position again.
Only Poker awards over $20 million in monthly tournament prize pool awards and over 5 Million via monthly guaranteed events including a daily $25K, weekly $100k and monthly $250,000 Guarantee.

Sit & Go

Sit & Go tournaments are events that do not have a scheduled start time. They start when the needed number of registered players is reached. When the prearranged number of competitors is reached each participant is notified that the tournament is about to start. Example: A No Limit Hold'em one table Sit & Go will start as soon as ten players are registered.
All Only Poker Sit & Go's are located under the Sit & Go tab within Tournaments. There you'll find a range of single table events ranging from 6 to 10 players, with turbo and regular blind structures available.

Heads-up

When a contest is between 2 players only, it is referred to as Heads-up. Heads-up Shoot-out tournaments are a good way to improve your winning game, as you will end up facing one opponent most of the time to win any tournament. The rules are the same with Heads-up play with the exception that the player with the "dealer button" posts the small blind and will act first pre-flop then last for the remainder of the hand. The player who posts the big blind is dealt first.

Re-buy & Add-on

A Re-buy & Add-on tournament allows for players to Re-buy and/or Add-on additional chips during the game. These tournaments have a predetermined Re-buy period but generally it is during the first hour of play up until the end of the first break. During the Re-buy period each player is allowed a fixed number or unlimited number of Re-buys depending how the tournament has been set up.
A Re-buy is permitted during the Re-buy period only when a player's chip count is equal to or less than the amount of chips the player had at the start of the tournament. For example, if players were given 1500 chips at the beginning of the tournament they may purchase a Re-buy ONLY if their chip count is less than or equal to 1500 chips. This means that if a player loses all of their chips in any hand during the Re-buy period they can remain active in the tournament by purchasing a Re-buy of additional chips. The cost of a Re-buy and the number of chips provided is generally the same as the cost of the original buy-in and number of chips provided when the tournament begins. Check the tournament information for details. A Double Re-buy allows players to purchase two Re-buys in a single transaction. Double Re-buys provide players twice the number of chips as a single Re-buy, at twice the cost of a single Re-buy. For example, if a single Re-buy costs $5 and provides players 1500 chips a Double Re-buy will cost $10 and provide players 3000 chips. The option to purchase a Double Re-buy will only be offered to a player when their chip count is zero. An Add-on will be available during the first five minute break of a Re-buy & Add-on tournament. All players that are still active in the tournament will have the option to purchase an Add-on of additional chips regardless of how many chips they have at the time. The cost of an Add-on is generally the same as the cost of the original buy-in. The number of chips provided with an Add-on is the same or slightly more than the original buy-in. Re-buys and Add-ons can be purchased by clicking on their respective buttons located at the Dealer chip tray or by clicking on the Dealer chip tray itself and then clicking the Add Chips button. There is no additional fee paid by the player when Re-buys and Add-ons are purchased which means that all Re-buys and Add-ons are added to the tournament prize pool. The total prize pool and the payout structure will not be finalized until both the Re-buy and Add-on periods have closed.

Freeze-out

In a Freeze-out tournament players make a single buy-in and upon losing all their chips, will be eliminated from the tournament. As players become eliminated the tables are combined with other tables until there is a final table and ultimately there is one player left with all the chips.

Shoot-out

A Shoot-out tournament consists of a limited number of players competing on different tables. In round 1, players compete until there is one player left at each table with all the chips. In round 2 the winners from round 1 are then combined at other tables and they again play until there is one player left with all the chips. A Shoot-out tournament can have between two (Heads-up) to ten players on each table competing over 1 or more rounds. The number of rounds and players per table varies and can be found in the tournament lobby.

Bounty

Following the multi table tournament format, Bounty events offer players the chance to recoup their buy-in and win cash, even if they don't place in the money. When buying in to a Bounty tournament, a pre designated percentage of the tournament buy-in in placed on each player's head as a bounty - players will receive an instant cash win for every player they bust out of the tournament.

Satellites

Satellite tournaments are events in which the prize is an entry to a larger tournament (with a greater buy-in amount). Many players earn a seat via satellites to our larger buy-in events. For example, players can buy-in directly to our monthly $250,000 main event, or win there way the big show via satellite for as low as $2!
Listed under the Satellite tab within Tournaments, you'll find that satellites can play out in a variety of formats, including multi table, shoot out or as a sit & go. Registration is identical however the difference comes in the manner by which the prize pool is paid out. For example, if you are joining a $10 satellite to our weekly $100,000 guaranteed event ($109 buy-in), one seat will be awarded for every $109 in the prize pool (or the buy-in of the event the satellite feeds). As registration and the prize pool grows, so are the number of seats to be awarded likely to grow. Any leftover prize pool money that cannot quite make it to the value of a whole seat is paid out as cash prizes. The number of cash prizes awarded after seats are allotted will depend on the particular tournament - so players are asked to check the Tournament Lobby for full details.

Satellites to Live Events

Throughout the year, Only Poker offers players the opportunity to take their game offline and in to the realm of brick & mortar casinos. Satellites to live events run in the same manner as regular satellites, only the 'seats' awarded are prize packages to live events including the World Poker Tour and Aussie Millions. Check under the Only Poker Events tab within Tournaments for a current listing, or check our Live Events page for full details.

Freeroll

Only Poker regularly offers tournaments that require no Buy-in or registration fees, no risks or conditions. These true freerolls are our way of giving back to our players.

Reward

At Only Poker, we reward every player. Gold Chips and Gold Cards, earned through Only Poker's Reward Program, are used as the buy-in currency for our Reward tournaments. All Gold Card and Gold Chip events are housed under the Gold tab within Tournaments and offer cash and prizes.