Multi-Table Poker Tournaments

A multi table poker tournament is just that - a tournament where there are over 10 players competing so it's played over more than one table. As players are knocked out, the number of tables required is reduced until there are just 10 players left all on the same table (the Final Table). These players play down until one player has all of the chips and he's crowned the winner and is rewarded with fame, glory and money (well, winning online tourneys doesn't always guarantee the fame and glory but the cash is always there!).

One difference to Sit&Go tourneys is that MTTs will have a set starting time as opposed to a set number of players. Here at Virgin Poker we continually have MTTs starting up with a range of entry fees and a variety of prize and structures. For a definitive listing of all of our MTTs click here.

There are never more than the minimum number of tables required to seat all players so you'll always have somewhere to sit! As the number of players reduces, the number of tables is also reduced. A table is removed as soon as the remaining players can all be seated around the remaining tables.

Example: When there are 41 players there are five tables, four with 8 players and one with 9. When a player is eliminated and there are 40 players remaining, one table is closed and the players are moved to the remaining four tables which are then full (10 players).

The table that is closed is the one with the least number of players seated. If more than one table has the smallest number of players, the table to be closed is randomly chosen from the two. Players from the closed table are randomly seated in the available seats at the remaining tables.

In hand for hand play mode, all hands are dealt at the same time at all tables. This occurs whenever there is more than one table, and there is a significant change in prize money between two places. For example, in a 350 player tournament, the tournament changes to hand for hand play when there are 41 players, 31 players, 21 players and 11 players remaining. It stays hand for hand until one player has been knocked out in each situation.



Satellites are tournaments that qualify a player for a subsequent tournament that has a larger buy in and therefore a larger prize pool. It is most commonly used for tournaments feeding players in to live poker events. In order for players to have a chance of qualifying for these big buy-in events a series a satellite tournaments are run in which the winners of each level win progression to the next satellite up, rather than a cash prize. It's a difficult way of doing things but gives you the chance of big prizes for a small buy-in. Chris Moneymaker won the WSOP 2003 having qualified in a $20 satellite!

Freezeout: You make your original buy-in, get all of your chips and once you lose them all you're out.

Rebuy: A rebuy is a tournament in which players who are knocked out have the chance to … you guessed it – rebuy. In the Tourney Info Box you'll be told for how long the rebuy period is open for (after that you're out once all of your chips have gone) or how many rebuys you are allowed. In most rebuy tournaments there will be an 'add on' – this is basically one last rebuy at the very end of the rebut period. In a standard rebuy tournament any player can purchase an 'add on'

A 'guarantee' in a tournament occurs when a minimum prize is guaranteed even if there are not enough entrants to cover this cost. For example, in standard tournament when there are nine entrants each paying a buy in of €10 the prize pool would be €90. However if this tournament had a €100 guarantee then clearly the prize pool would be €10 more. When poker players describe a tournament as offering 'overlay' this is an example of what they mean.

See our full list of Guaranteed Tourneys to find some overlay of your own.

In most MTTs the top 10% of the field are paid out prize money, from a couple of percent for the low placed finishers to 25%-30% for the winner. Click here for our standard tournament payout guide but you need to check the Tourney Info Box for each tourney you play in to confirm the final payout.

Finishing on the 'bubble' is the most frustrating position to finish in poker as this is the place one outside the cash prizes. However on Virgin if you finish on the bubble in any guaranteed pot tournament will refund you your buy in. Click here to find out how.

If you're a little late to register for the tournament you wish to play in often you will still be able to enter it. In most of our larger MTTs we will run late registration which means that entry will remain open until the first player is knocked out.

If you qualify for through a Satellite tournament and then discover you will not be able to play in the next round then it needn't go to waste. You can simply un-register from the tournament which you have qualified for and the equivalent sum will be credited to your Tourney Credits. You can then use these to buy in to an alternate tourney which you are able to make.

It is also possible to accumulate tournament credit in order to enter a more expensive tourney or use tournaments credits to cover a portion of the buy-in and real money from the regular poker account to cover the remainder of the fee.

In a standard MTT on Virgin Poker you tourney structure will often be:

Clock:	12mins
Starting Stack:	1500
Starting Blinds:	10/20
Antes:	After Level 7

However if you look through the list of tournaments available you will be able to find structures that vary from Deepstacks (5000 chips, 15 min clock) to Lotto Frenzy (100 chips, all-in frenzy!) so there's always something to suit the amount of time you have available.