Online Casino Tournaments Guide

If you have a competitive edge and are searching for some fun, exciting way to chase lucrative prizes/pots, a casino tournament is a brilliant option for you. 

The beauty is, in online casino tournaments, you can win big without risking much!

Pay an entry fee and unleash your competitive spirits playing your gambling favourites like slots, blackjack, and other table games in a tournament format. This guide gives you an overview of online casino tournaments and some valuable tips to win in them. 

How Do Casino Tournaments Work

Casino tournaments are gaming events that permit you to play with real money on qualifying casino games to win the grand prize money. It enhances the social aspect of gambling. 

In regular casino online games, you play a casino game and bank your winnings. In online casino tournaments, your entry fee is exchanged for chips or credits to play designated games. Depending upon the tournament event, credits can be 

• Free Spins
• Free Chips
• Bonus Cash

Lastly, you get a time limit for gambling. You have to complete all tasks and missions before the time ends. If you succeed, you win and reach the leaderboard. You also get a prize at the end of the casino tournaments online.

Mainly, there are four types of online casino tournament prizes

1. Fixed prize amounts
2. Progressive prize pools
3. Free Spin rewards
4. Jackpot bonuses

If you top the leaderboard, the big jackpot is all yours!

Note: The rules and the prize vary from one casino tournament to the other. Check the details before signing up and playing.

Rules and Basic Terminology Related to Online Casino Tournaments

• Buy-in – It is a term used in poker tournaments and poker rooms. It is the amount you pay to join a poker tournament. Its size directly relates to the pot (that includes a participation fee). The participation fee goes directly to the house.

• Comped Tournament – It is the best online casino tournament that welcomes VIP players. VIP clients can play using comp points in the tournament instead of chips. They can also win comps as an award format in a casino tournament.

• Entry Fee – It is another term used for buy-in to join online casino tournaments.

• In the money – It refers to making it to the final table in a blackjack casino tournament.

• One-Shot is a term used in slot tournaments that gives you one chance to enter the next stage. Some online casinos also offer one-shot tournaments. 

• Reloader – It is a term similar to rebuys in poker. It allows you to buy an extra session to play again by reloading your casino tournaments permit. 

• Sign-Up Freeroll – It refers to an offer given to new players to sign-up without deposit in casino tournaments with a chance to win real money prizes.

• Sit & Go – It’s a type of blackjack tournament. It refers to open-seated casino tournaments with a limited number of seats.

• Scheduled Tournament – These are tournaments promoted by the online casino in advance. You can join it after paying the entry fee.

• Survivor Slots Tournament – Some online casinos have a casino tournament with multiple elimination stages. Only the best player wins the prizes. It is also called the last man standing tourneys.

• Knockout Tournaments – It is associated mostly with blackjack tournaments that force players to play head-to-head against each other to eliminate the one. It is a fiercely competitive tournament that limits your time to ‘win back’ a bad run. 

• Time and Betting Limits – Most online casinos set a time limit to play your credits in slot casino tournaments. It limits your time for playing and betting. Therefore, you must learn to manage your time and play with a focus in slot tournaments.  

 

Advantages of Casino Tournaments 

The most considerable benefit of playing at casino tournaments is its large prize pots and competitive edge. 

 Here are some more advantages in online casino tournaments

• It has a fixed entry fee. As a result, when you enter a casino tournament, you know your spending limit. 
• It offers you a chance to enjoy extended playtime for no additional cost. You can enjoy the casino game of choice for much longer in tournaments using your money to wage.
• Compared to independent casino games that require a large bankroll to play, casino tournaments offer a wide variety of options to enjoy gambling games with restricted money. 
• Longer playing time in casino tournaments also offers more fun and opportunity to make up for all those ‘unlucky‘ spins without the risk of losing more money.

 

How To Enter An Online Casino Tournament

You can enter any online casino tournament by following some easy steps.

1. Create a casino account with the best new casino sites in the UK. If you already have one, no need to create another additionally for the tournament.
2. Download the software (if required) or access the casino game in your browser.
3. Visit the tournament section and browse the games.
4. Click register to play in a tournament.
5. If you are registering for a freeroll, do not pay any entry fee. Otherwise, you need to pay for it.
6. Visit the cashier to make a deposit to cover your Buy-in.
7. Create a gaming alias of your name and use it during tournament play.
8. Now, start playing as per the prompted scheduled time.

Congratulations Mate! Now, you are officially ‘IN’ to play in a casino tournament. 

Have fun and good luck!

 

Tournament Types

When you prepare to enter an online casino tournament, you will find its most common three types. 

• Free Tournaments 

It’s also known as ‘Freerolls.’ It is the best type of online casino tournament suitable for casual players, novices, or low-stake players. You don’t need to make any deposit or pay free entry to play it. You can play them for fun to win humble prizes. The prizes in it are real money awarded as part of promotions, casino bonuses, or loyalty schemes.

• Real Money Tournaments

These are classic or regular casino tournaments that last for a few days and consist of elimination phases and entry fees. You register with a casino site and play the eligibility game to qualify for the prize money. 

• Prize Pot Tournaments – In it, all the entry fees of players form a prize pot.
• Fixed Pot Tournaments – This type of tournament has set prize money (or a series of prizes) before a player enters it.

• Ticket Based Tournaments

These are exclusive invitation tournaments that you can enter only when a casino operator sends you an invite. It’s for all loyal customers of a casino site and features a lucrative prize pool. But, you get only limited time to participate in it. 

Apart from these formats, another type of online casino tournament happens exclusively for high-rollers and VIP players. It’s called ‘Exclusive VIP tournaments.’ It has huge prizes, and it gives high-stake players a unique chance to shine. In this tournament, not just the top player on the leaderboard takes home the winning money, but all its top 10 players win prizes that are worth a mention.

Note: Many online casinos can also have their unique type of casino tournaments. 

 

Game Options

• Poker Tournaments

In recent times, poker casino tournaments have become the most common choice for competitive gaming. Each online poker tournament is different and has distinctive buy-ins, a range of gaming styles, reward guarantees, etc. 

Popular Types of Online Poker Tournament

• Daily tournaments
• Weekly tournaments
• Themed tournaments – These are smaller tournaments designed to fit in around events like some sports event.
• Seasonal events – In it, your total prize money and buy-ins get big. It is a brilliant option for intermediate and expert players.
• Annual events – It takes place mainly in September or October of each year.

Whether you are a pro in online betting or a novice, consider these factors before entering an online poker tournament.

• If you are a rookie, find poker tournaments with a large number of inexperienced players. It will increase your winning chances and stop you from getting scared of experts. 

• Bet what you are comfortable with. Always choose the prize pool with the buy-in that fits your pocket.

• Keep an eye on rewards for playing. It provides you with a chance for free poker play.

• If you want to play different poker types like No-Limit Hold’Em to Progressive KO, Fixed Limit Omaha 8, Stud Hi-Lo, etc., pick the online poker tournament that offers a wide variety.

The most prominent poker tournaments: WSOP, WPT, and PokerStars Spring Championship  

Quick TIP: Choose your tournaments wisely that suits your skillset.

• Online Slots Tournaments 

Online casinos frequently host slot tournaments as online gamblers love them a lot. But not every competition is the same and can have different rules. 

Some online casino slot tournaments have rules like

• Time limits to end the game
• Permits to allow you to benefit from win streaks
• Minimum bet level per spin for competing in the tournament
• Limits to play only the predetermined slot titles in the tournament
• Wagering requirements on encashing the wins
• Permits to the player with the highest score first, to win in case of a draw

Popular Types of Online Slot Tournaments

• Free Slot Tournaments 
• Feeder Slot Tournaments Online (It has a larger payout than standard slot tournaments)
• Survival Online Slot Tournaments 

The most prominent slots tournaments online: Casumo Reel Races

Quick TIP: Know the game first and balance your budget according to the time limit.

• Blackjack Tournaments

Blackjack tournaments are less common compared to poker and slots. In it, you gamble against both other players and the dealer. You don’t need to manage your bankroll in the tournament as you enter it paying a fixed entrance fee. Your goal in the blackjack tournament is to win as many chips as you can. 

Popular Types of Blackjack Tournament

• Elimination blackjack tournament 
• Accumulation blackjack tournament – In it, you play against every entrant and attempt to win as many chips as possible.
• Live-money blackjack tournament – In it, your chips have cash value.
• Points Tournament – It’s a tournament with a time limit to make as many ‘winnings’ as you can.
• Sit ‘n’ Go blackjack tournament

Most recommended online casino blackjack tournaments: 32Red online casino tournaments, Bet365 Online casino tournaments.

Quick TIP: Competitive blackjack events are scarce, so stick playing blackjack casino tournaments only from leading blackjack software developers.

 

Essential Tips For Competing in Online Casino Tournaments

Poker Tournament Tips

• Know Your Stages

Every online poker tournament has three stages – an early stage, a middle, and a late stage. Having enough chips at the beginning of the game does not mean you waste them away with a weak hand in hopes of hitting big. So, play tight in the early stage, loosen- up a little in the middle stage and play aggressively at the later stage.

• Play in the Right Mindset

Just because you can play at any time in casino tournaments does not mean you should!

The game needs you to focus on strategies and rules to win. Playing under the influence of any emotional anxiety, rage, or stress can severely impact your performance and your chances of winning.

• Avoid Getting Distracted/Interrupted

Whether it is poker or any other casino tournaments, concentrate fully on what you are doing when playing it online. Any interruption can disrupt your flow of gaming. Finish your chores, check your network connections, close all other session windows on your PC, take your phone off the hook, and prepare yourself for game time. 

Online Slots Tournament Tips

• Always Bet Max

The tournament credits do not get rolled over into your account if you don’t spend them. So, if you want to qualify for the large wins – bet high and bet hard.

• Play at Top Speed

If you are playing in a timed slot tournament, spin the reels as fast as you can to increase your winning chances. Ensure to set the reel spins to their quickest setting and keep your fingers ready on the start and stop button for a double-quick speed. 

• Read the tournament rules carefully.

Sometimes wins can come with wagering requirements. Therefore, read the rules in advance to understand the terms for scoring, placing minimum bets per spin, time limits, etc.

• Delay your entry post-kick-off time.

Don’t make the rookie mistake to jump right in and spin away your chips as soon as the tournament begins. Such rush activity causes servers to slow down, affecting the overall gaming experience. If you delay your entry by ten minutes after the kick-off time, you get better chances of cashing in on as many spins as the time limit allows.

Blackjack Tournaments Tips

• Know The Rules 

Each type of blackjack tournament has small variances in gameplay. Therefore, before entering a blackjack casino tournament, check the specific rules or get a rule guide from the casino in advance. 

• Play for Short Term Gains

Whichever type of blackjack tournament you pick, each hand has a pre-set amount. So, aim to have as many chips as possible quickly to qualify for the rounds. 

• Think Fast and Act Fast 

The core concept behind the blackjack tournament is building your stack of chips rapidly. Any wastage of time and the other players at your table can overtake you. Think fast and act fast to avoid getting left behind.

• Keep To Yourself

Playing blackjack at casino sites can be highly socialising. But, a blackjack tournament is not about making friends online. It’s about making money. Don’t be rude to fellow players, but try focusing on your game and keep things to yourself. 

 

Conclusion

Online casino tournaments can give your bankroll a vital push, but you must first pick the best game suited to your skillset. Always play online casino tournaments at the best casino sites in the UK. They can provide a wide range of gaming options with promotions and bonus offers.