When browsing the online poker lobby, it’s natural to get drawn to the biggest tournaments on the platform; the ones in bold, bright-red text, offering $100K guarantees and five-figure prizes for first. But then, after seven hours of play without reaching the bubble, you realise you’ve made a mistake.
As a tournament poker player, you should consider a variety of factors before starting your session, such as your bankroll, any time restraints you’re under, and the structure of the events on the platform to find the format that works best for you. Choosing appropriate tournaments for your situation gives you a better chance of playing your A-game, increasing your potential ROI and making you a more profitable player.
There are four primary categories of tournament structure to choose from when playing at an online poker site:
Sit & Gos
Sit & Gos (also known as SNGs) are small-field events with a fixed number of participants – usually ranging from nine to 180 players. As these tournaments have a limited number of players, they finish much faster than traditional MTTs. Whereas a standard multi-table tournament can last 8 hours+, most SNGs are finished within an hour or two – or even sooner if you play a 9 or 18-handed game. This makes them ideal for players who only have a limited time to play; you can have a complete tournament experience without having to spend the day glued to your PC.
SNGs are also a great learning tool for players who want to improve their tournament game. Their smaller structure means that you’re more likely to reach the latter stages of events more often, improving your bubble play, final table strategies, and even your heads-up game, preparing you for deep runs in large-field events.
However, the downside of SNGs is their limited prize pool. With a fixed number of players, the prize pool is the same for every event, and rarely reaches the heights of traditional MTTs. For example, a $1 180-player SNG will only have a prize pool of around $150 after the rake has been taken.
Multi-Table Tournaments
In contrast, multi-table tournaments have unlimited entry places, with many events on bigger platforms regularly reaching thousands or tens of thousands of players. The obvious upside to this is the potential prize pools on offer. A $1 MTT with 2,000 players can have a prize pool of more than $1,500, with a prize of $300+ for first place. Some sites will even offer guarantees on their most popular events, making sure that there’s always significant money to play for.
While the large prizes are one of the biggest draws of MTTs, you’ll have to work to see the benefits. More players in an event means that multi-table tournaments last significantly longer than SNGs, requiring a greater time commitment if you want to play. Many of the bigger events can last between 8-12 hours from start to finish, potentially taking up your whole day – there’s a reason why poker sites run their biggest tournaments on Sundays!
Many players prefer the traditional experience of MTTs, and while deep runs in these events are exciting, they take considerable focus to play well. There’s nothing more heartbreaking than playing for five hours, only to lose focus at a key point and min cash for $2.59. If you want to play MTTs, make sure you have the time and discipline to do so.
Satellites and Freerolls
Both satellites and freerolls are niche formats that aren’t as popular among mainstream players, but can be profitable if played correctly.
Freerolls are ideal for beginners; there’s no cost to enter these events, and they offer the possibility of winning real money. The fields are usually much softer than standard MTTs, so you’re less likely to be punished by strong players for making mistakes. However, the prizes offered by these events are small, usually around $10-$20 for the winner. Couple that with large fields of thousands of players, and you may decide that they’re not worth your time.
Satellite events give you the chance to win an entry to a larger tournament; almost like a qualifying round. For example, you can win a ticket to a $100 MTT via a $5 satellite, making them a great option for low-budget players who want to take a shot at a bigger event. As all the prizes are the same in a satellite, it creates a unique dynamic as you approach the end of the event, so it’s important to be aware of the strategy adjustments that you need to make compared to standard MTTs.
Tournament Checklist – What to Consider
To help make your decision as simple as possible, we’ve created a checklist of things to consider at the start of your session. By going through this list, you can easily decide which events are right for that day’s play:
- Time Constraints – How much time do you have to play poker? Can you only play for an hour or two, or can you play all day? If you can only play for a limited time, consider playing small-field MTTs.
- Bankroll Restrictions – What’s the current state of your bankroll; do you have the money for large events, or do you need to grind low-stakes tournaments? Playing low-stakes MTTs can potentially double or triple your bankroll if you make a big run, but they require a significant time commitment.
- Structure – What kind of events do you like playing? Do you want fast-paced events with a lot of push-fold poker, or do you want to play deep-stacked events with a lot of postflop play? Both SNGs and MTTs offer turbo and hyper-turbo formats, but only MTTs offer true deep-stacked play.
- Goal – What are you looking to achieve in your session? Ask yourself each of the following questions:
- Do you want to improve your overall tournament game? If so, SNGs may be your best option.
- Do you want to build a bankroll from nothing? Freerolls are the events for you.
- Do you want to take a shot at a big event? Try satellites.
- Do you want the biggest possible payout for your money? MTTs are the way to go.
The answers to these questions will likely change each day you play, so it’s important to run through this list each time to optimise your session. If you want to compare the formats in more detail, LegalUsPokerSites.com’s guide to poker tournaments provides an in-depth breakdown into each structure.
Taking time to find the optimal format for your session will help improve your performance when you hit the felt. As the competition improves, finding marginal gains from off-table skills such as these can give you an edge over your opponents.
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