Wow! If you’ve clicked because you want to stop guessing and start playing tournaments with a plan, you’re in the right place. This guide gives clear, practical rules you can use tonight — bankroll multipliers, rough ROI math, which formats punish variance, and which reward steady play.
Hold on — quick payoff first: tournament “RTP” isn’t the same as a slot’s RTP. In tournaments we talk expected value (EV), return on investment (ROI) and long-run cash-rate. Read the next two short sections and you’ll be able to estimate whether a given buy‑in is worth your time, and how many buy‑ins you need in your roll to play without sweating every hand.
1) Basic taxonomy — the main tournament types (fast read)
Here’s the compact list you’ll refer back to:
- Freezeout (standard MTT) — single entry, play until you bust or win.
- Rebuy / Add‑on — early re-entry(s) allowed, inflates prize pool and variance.
- Sit & Go (SNG) — single-table, fixed start when table fills (classic 9‑max or 6‑max).
- Heads‑Up SNG — one‑on‑one ladder tournament.
- Turbo / Hyper‑Turbo — faster blind structures; favors aggression and push/fold skill.
- Progressive Knockout (PKO) / Bounty — part of every elimination is paid to bounty hunters.
- Satellite — win a seat to a bigger event (value often resides in equity of the seat).
- Freezeout with Re‑Entry — mixes standard play with more bankroll swings.
My gut says most beginners confuse freezeouts and rebuys — and that’s okay. The mental approach is different: rebuys let you treat the early stage as investment, while freezeouts reward tight, survivalist thinking.
2) Why “RTP” as used for slots is misleading for poker tournaments
Short point: slot RTP is a long‑term percentage of stake returned by the machine. Poker tournaments are games of skill + payout distribution; the organizer takes a rake (fee) and the rest becomes prizes. So you can compute expected value for a player, but you cannot state a single deterministic RTP for all entrants.
Medium expansion: treat tournament math as three elements — fee structure (rake), payout curve (top‑heavy vs flat), and your edge (skill over field). From those you derive your EV per entry. If you beat the field by X% on average, your long‑term ROI = skill_edge − platform_rake − variance_cost. That’s compressed, but usable.
Longer echo: for example, a $50+$5 tournament has $50 go to prize pool and $5 rake. If 1,000 players enter a single‑winner satellite for one $50,000 prize, the “RTP” per player is 50/1000 = 5% of their entry returned on average — but that ignores skill, rebuys, and bubble dynamics. Thus calculate EV for YOU, not a generic RTP. The math below shows how.
3) How to compute tournament EV and a simple “RTP-like” metric
Here’s a stepwise method you can use with a pen and phone calculator. Quick checklist first, then a worked example.
Quick checklist for EV calc:
- Find the buy‑in breakdown: prize pool / fee. (E.g., $50 + $5 → $50 prize, $5 rake.)
- Estimate your probability to finish in each payout position (use past results or assumptions).
- Multiply each payout by its probability and sum → Expected payout.
- Subtract the full cost of entry (buy‑in + expected rebuys if applicable) → EV per entry.
- Divide EV by entry cost to get ROI% (an RTP-like figure for that player).
Worked example (simple):
Assume a $55 freezeout, 200 entries, payouts: 1st $4,000, 2nd $2,500, top 20 paid. If you estimate your chance to cash = 10% and conditional chance to finish top 3 when you cash = 20% (so chance top 3 overall = 2%), you can assign rough probabilities and compute expected payout. If expected payout = $60, then EV per entry = $60 − $55 = +$5 → ROI ≈ 9.1% per entry. That ROI is your “tourney‑RTP.”
Hold on — that 9.1% is optimistic unless your estimate is conservative. Always stress‑test with worse assumptions (e.g., 5% cash chance) to see downside.
4) Practical bankroll rules per tournament type
Short rules of thumb that experienced players use:
- SNGs (regular stakes): 50–100 buy‑ins for steady play if you’re not a crusher; 200+ if you’re variance‑averse.
- MTTs (multi‑table tournaments): 1,000+ buy‑ins if you want to survive swings comfortably; many regs treat 1,500–3,000 as conservative.
- Rebuy events: treat each potential rebuy as another entry; multiply required roll by expected rebuys (e.g., avg rebuys 1.5 → bankroll ×1.5).
- PKOs: require a larger roll than equivalent freezeout due to lopsided payouts and higher variance.
To be concrete: a recreational player targeting $2 MTT buy‑ins/month at $10 should not rely on short samples. If you have a $500 roll, don’t enter a $50 regular MTT expecting consistent cashes — you’re underbankrolled.
5) Table — comparison of common tournament formats
| Format | Skill vs Variance | Typical Bankroll Multiplier | When to Play | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freezeout (MTT) | High skill, very high variance | 500–2000 buy‑ins | Long term grinders | Top‑heavy payouts; survival matters |
| Rebuy / Add‑on | Skill matters early; variance increases with rebuys | Depends on avg rebuys (×1.5–3) | Short events where early aggression pays | Early phases feel like stack building |
| SNG (single table) | Moderate skill, lower variance | 50–200 buy‑ins | Bankroll builders and practice | ICM becomes critical in late stage |
| Turbo / Hyper | Skill = push/fold and preflop ranges | 100–400 buy‑ins | Short time; high‑action players | Fast blind increases require aggression |
| PKO / Bounty | Skill + bounty‑hunting tactics | 200–800 buy‑ins | Players who exploit short‑stack plays | Bounty payout changes target selection |
6) Two mini cases — realistic examples
Case A — new MTT reg (hypothetical): You play $10 MTTs weekly. You track results: 100 entries, 12 cashes, 1 final table. Average payout per entry = $11.50. EV = $11.50 − $10 = +$1.50 → ROI 15%. That seems great, but bootstrap confidence: the standard deviation in MTTs is huge, so 100 entries is borderline; treat result as provisional until 1,000+ entries.
Case B — SNG specialist: In $20 SNGs you have a 25% ROI over 500 games. This is much more stable: SNG variance is lower than MTTs, so a 25% ROI here is believable and bankable with ~100–200 buy‑ins.
Here’s what bugs me: beginners often transfer SNG confidence to MTTs. Don’t. Different animals.
7) Practical strategy tips (novice to intermediate)
- Play the payout structure — adjust aggression when bubble is near and when ICM dictates folding or shoving.
- Track your sessions — record buy‑ins, rebuys, payouts, field size and structure type; you can only estimate EV if you have data.
- Choose structure to match your bankroll — if your roll is small, prefer SNGs or low‑variance MTTs with deeper stacks.
- Use satellites for ROI leverage — sometimes buying small satellites to access a big field is mathematically superior to direct buy‑ins.
My honest experience: learning to fold marginal hands in ICM situations saved more money than any fancy bluff I tried for months. Patience beats heroics in the long run.
8) Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Over‑estimating your long‑term ROI — hold yourself to conservative estimates (subtract 25–50% from optimistic ROI for a safety margin).
- Ignoring rake and fees — always calculate EV using the total cost (buy‑in + entry fees + any service fees).
- Mixing formats without adjusting bankroll — rebuy events and PKOs need different bankroll rules than freezeouts.
- Chasing variance (tilt) — set stop‑loss and session limits. If you lose X buy‑ins in a row, take a break.
9) Where to practice and find formats (practical note)
If you want a place to practice live dealer poker variants or explore tournaments with a modern lobby, many players use consolidated platforms that offer multiple formats and crypto options. One option to view the lobby and live formats is available here — check tournament filters, buy‑in tiers and whether the site hosts small buy‑in satellites or live poker tables; run small volumes first to confirm cashout and verification speed.
Hold on — don’t treat the site as magic. Test deposits and a few cashouts, verify KYC speed, and only then scale up. That validation step saves a lot of stress.
10) Quick checklist before entering any tournament
- Know total cost: buy‑in + fee + expected rebuys.
- Check payout structure: top‑heavy or flatter payouts?
- Assess field: soft (recreational) or tough (reg‑heavy)?
- Set session stop‑loss and target profit.
- Ensure KYC docs are uploaded to the platform to avoid withdrawal delays.
- Confirm platform customer support availability and payout limits.
11) Mini‑FAQ (most beginners ask these)
Q: How many tournaments do I need to judge my skill?
A: Wow — good question. For SNGs, 200–500 games gives a reasonable signal. For MTTs expect 1,000+ entries to see a reliable pattern. Keep a log and calculate rolling ROI.
Q: Should I ever play rebuys?
A: Only if you consciously treat early rebuys as investment into deep‑stack edges and have the bankroll to support expected rebuys. If you’re emotionally tempted to rebuy because you “messed up,” that’s a red flag.
Q: Is a satellite worth it?
A: Sometimes satellites provide +EV because the seat’s value exceeds the buy‑in. Calculate the monetary value of the seat (or its equity in further prize distribution) and compare to direct buy‑in EV.
Q: How does PKO change strategy?
A: You gain EV by capturing bounties; that often shifts the correct GTO/I CM approach — players will shove with wider ranges to collect bounties, and exploiters can trap by calling more often in late stages.
12) Responsible play and Canadian regulatory notes
To be clear: poker tournaments are 18+ (or 19+ in some Canadian provinces). If you’re in Ontario, Alberta or BC, confirm local rules and whether a platform is licensed for your province. Always complete KYC early — platforms commonly require ID and proof of address before your first withdrawal. Know the platform’s withdrawal limits and expected pending times; short tests (small deposit, small withdrawal) are the fastest way to check reliability.
Here’s a plain reminder: set deposit limits, enable self‑exclusion tools if play becomes compulsive, and use local resources (provincial help lines) if you suspect problem gambling. If you need local resources in Canada, check provincial health sites for problem gambling contacts.
For practical references when choosing a platform, many players look at the lobby and the customer service speed. I often preview options on platforms that list live poker and tournament filters — you can view an example lobby and promo information here before committing real money; again, start tiny and verify cashout mechanics.
13) Final echo — how to turn this into a routine that works
At first you’ll be guessing — that’s normal. Then you’ll track results and adjust. Over months you’ll move from luck‑driven to process‑driven. Keep these three habits: log entries and results, test one structural change at a time, and respect bankroll rules. Long-run success is a series of small, smart decisions, not one big hero play.
To be honest, poker tournaments are both maddening and addictive. They teach discipline if you let them. If you focus on EV, apply conservative assumptions, and avoid tilt, you’ll make steady progress.
Sources
- Industry payout structures and tournament design (practical analytics and standard payout curves).
- Player experience aggregated from live and online MTT/SNG playbooks (practical case studies).
About the Author
Experienced online poker player and coach based in Canada, with years of SNG and MTT play across multiple platforms. I write to help beginners avoid obvious money leaks and to show practical math that turns hope into repeatable decisions.
18+ / Play responsibly. If poker or gambling is causing you harm, seek help via your provincial gambling support services. All content is informational and not a promise of winnings.