Poker Tournament in India

Are you a beginner looking to kickstart your journey in the world of poker? Or are you a seasoned poker player looking to make your mark and establish your prowess in this famed mind sport? Whatever your position is, you don’t have to worry as PokerBaazi is here to help you at every stage of your poker career with the best poker tournaments in India.

If you’re a novice player, these online poker tournaments shall provide you with some exciting opportunities to learn more about the different aspects of the game and win real money from guaranteed prize pools.

However, if you know about the role of basic maths in a poker game and have played thousands of hands at least, then these poker championships will help you create a name for yourself and win some serious money along the way.

While we have a variety of poker tournaments in India running on different schedules, this one is a list of tournaments that occur on a daily and weekly basis at PokerBaazi. Check it out.

Weekly Online Poker Tournaments in India

How are poker tournaments different from cash games?

To play any online poker tournament in India, you need to pay an entry fee called ‘buy-in’ to reserve your seat at the tables. The prize pool is formed from the collective entry fees of participants and is distributed to players in portions according to their winning positions. A tournament officially ends once a player collects all the chips from his opponents and is thereby, announced the winner.

How do Top Online Poker Tournaments in India Work?

Poker cash games are played for real money and follow a different format from poker tournaments. Here are the key differences between both.

Blind Levels

In poker cash games, blind levels always remain the same. In tournaments, the blind levels increase steadily after every few minutes.

Duration of the game

To play cash games, you can sit on a cash table, play as many hands as you want and leave the table at any time.

In contrast, you need to register for a poker tournament within a specified time and play till the tournament ends or until you are eliminated.

Buy-in

In poker cash games, there is a minimum and maximum amount of buy-in. In poker tournaments, all players need to pay a fixed entry fee.

Prize Structure

You can play cash games to win as much cash as you want from your opponents and walk away any time. In poker tournaments, only those players who finish in the paid positions win a portion of the prizepool. The higher your position, the larger the payout.

How does a poker tournament entry fee or buy-in work?

To play a poker tournament in India, you must pay the entry fee or buy in. The buy-in will be a player’s contribution towards the prize pool and the rake (the house fee). The buy-in is structured to disclose the rake fee as well. For example: If the prize pool contribution is ₹.50 and the rake is ₹.5, the buy-in for an online poker tournament will be ₹.50+5.

Different Kinds of Top Online Poker Tournaments in India

Freerolls

A free entry tournament, as the name suggests, is where the buy-in fee is zero or free. The players are rewarded with real cash bonus chips which can be used to play cash games at the tables of PokerBaazi. As such, freerolls are a popular choice among new poker players.

Satellites

A satellite poker tournament is a qualifying tournament where the winner wins an entry ticket to a bigger tournament or main event. Such tournaments allow players to participate in high-rewarding events or tournaments at an entry fee which is much lower than the original buy-in of these bigger events.

Flights

Flight tournaments are qualifying tournaments for a main event. These tournaments are played across multiple days and every player can play multiple flights. However, if you play multiple flights, only the highest stack is carried forward to the leading event. The player plays with that stack in the main event.

All surviving players of the flights enter the main event of the tournament with their highest stack, where they compete against each other in the final part of the tournament.

Bounty

Also known as Knockouts, Bounty tournaments are like regular tournaments with one exception; you get paid to eliminate your opponents. Every player carries a bounty that is derived from one’s entry fee. So, any time you bust another player, you get his bounty.

Therefore, bounty tournaments are highly profitable as you can make money both by finishing high in the tournament as well as by collecting bounties. Either way, you still walk away with profits.

Progressive Bounty

Progressive Bounty tournaments are also knockout tournaments with one key difference. As opposed to regular bounty tournaments, the bounties increase as you knock out more players. When you knock out a player, you receive half of the bounty and the other half is added to the bounty on your head.

Let’s say you play a poker tournament where the starting bounty is ₹10 Rupees. When you knock out an opponent, you will directly receive ₹5 Rupees and the remaining 5 Rupees will be added to your head. This means if another player knocks you out, he or she will receive ₹15 Rupees instead of the initial ₹10.

This structure is followed throughout the tournament which means by the time you reach the final table, the bounties you collect might make you double the profit you initially aimed for.

Re-entry Tournaments

The prize pool comprises the players' buy-ins and the pool is distributed as per the announced amounts for fixed finishes. A tournament officially ends once all the chips in play rest with one player, who is declared the winner.

A re-entry tournament is almost similar to a rebuy poker tournament. The only difference between the two is that a player can re-buy after he is eliminated from the tournament as long as the late registration period is available. After the re-entry, players are allotted new seats at another table.

Sit and Go

Sit and Go tournaments do not have a fixed schedule or time. They usually begin when the required number of players at the table join the game. As soon as the seats are filled, the tournament begins. Sit and Go is majorly popular due to its relaxed format where players don’t have to register beforehand.

Turbo

In Turbo poker tournaments, the blinds progress at a faster rate than a standard tournament. In these tournaments, each blind level lasts for five minutes which is two times faster than the usual time period of 10-15 minutes. It is mostly popular among players who wish to play a short and fast game with high stakes.

Hyper Turbo

In Hyper turbo tournaments, the blind levels increase rapidly as compared to standard turbo tournaments. The blind levels keep rising every 2-3 minutes leading to much higher stakes. As a result, such tournaments end much quicker than regular online poker tournaments.

What are the Pay-Outs in Top Online Poker Tournaments in India?

Every poker tournament in India has a different way of dividing the prize pool. Generally, the top positions reward better returns. That’s the lion’s share you want to get your hands on as a poker player.

Standard Payout Structure

A standard payout structure generally depends on the number of entries. Most poker players do not win anything in a tournament unless they have finished ‘In the Money’. Therefore, the number of players who cash in an Indian poker tournament varies as per the payout structure.

Here’s a look at a typical reward structure commonly used in online poker tournaments:

How to read the payout chart of poker tournaments?

The columns on the left indicate the player position and the rows indicate the payout percentages based on the number of players. For instance, if a poker tournament has 20 entrants, then you will use the 19-27 column, meaning that five people will receive between 9%-40% of the prize pool.

Chip value

Every poker tournament in India has a different way of dividing the prize pool. Generally, the top positions reward better returns. That’s the lion’s share you want to get your hands on as a poker player.

When is the final Prize Pool established?

The final Prize Pool is crucial for any poker tournament; it determines the value of the reward.

1. The final prize pool is announced in freezeout tournaments once the entry period ends.
2. The final prize pool in Rebuys tournaments is only known once the rebuy period ends. The Prize Pool is often higher than at the beginning of the rebuy period.
3. The prize pool in Free Entry tournaments is pre-determined but the real cash bonus (reward) is based on the number of participants or as per the tournament rule.

How is the winner of a poker tournament declared?

The player who stays till the end with all the chips becomes the winner of a poker tournament.

What are guaranteed (GTD) poker tournaments?

A guarantee means an assurance of the minimum prize pool announced before the event. What this translates to in a poker tournament in India is that if there aren’t enough buy-ins to meet the guaranteed amount, it results in an overlay.

An overlay in an online poker tournament in India refers to a situation when the prize pool guaranteed is larger than the actual prize pool formed by the number of entries. Therefore, guaranteed rewards in tournaments are an important factor for professional poker players to consider while scheduling them.

How is a poker tournament set up?

Most online poker tournaments are played on a 6 or 8-seater poker table. Each table gets a single deck of 52 cards and a dealer. Players in tournaments are seated as per the following methods:

1. A Random Draw -Tables are randomly picked and seat numbers are handed over to or assigned to the players once they buy in.
2. Drawing from the Deck - In single-table tournaments, players are placed randomly on the table and each player gets a card. The high card gets seat one and so on. Ties usually mean a redraw or applying for the suit rank order; Spades>Hearts>Clubs>Diamonds.

As the game progresses in a poker tournament, the number of remaining players on the tables are unevenly distributed. Some tables might still have nine players, while some might have five players or fewer.

In online poker tournaments, a safe seating script ensures a fair redistribution. However, in a live tournament, it is the responsibility of the tournament director to ensure equal distribution of players.

Understanding the Structure of Poker Tournaments

Each poker site has its way of structuring an online poker tournament. You can also play multi-table tournaments if you choose to do so. That being said, here is a checklist of things a poker tournament must announce and you should be aware of as a poker player.

1. The number of starting chips that each player will begin with.
2. The blind levels and their progressive structure.
3. The duration of each blind level.
4. Whether or not rebuys or re-entries are allowed and their specific durations.
5. A starting time or it is a sit n go.

Poker Chip Distribution: Starting Stacks

Every player has the same number of chips to begin with, also called a ‘starting stack’ in poker tournaments. However, the number of chips that poker players get at the start varies from one tournament to another.

Lower buy-ins usually have an average starting stack in the 2000-3000 range. The value of the chip stacks is also determined, keeping in mind the blinds and their levels.

What are blind levels in a poker tournament?

In poker tournaments, blinds are the bets placed before the start of each hand. The intervals at which they increase are pre-determined as per the format of the tournament. Since it effectively decreases a player's stack value/size, players must keep playing to increase their stack further.

Otherwise, the inevitable ‘blind out’ occurs when a player does not have enough chips to pay for the blinds. Although, blind levels vary from tournament to tournament, here’s a common base to give you a better understanding:

Blind levels in online poker tournaments increase at set intervals ranging from 3 minutes to 2 hours. The biggest determining factor on how shallow starting stacks are is in how fast the blinds go up. Further, hands played per hour also impact the tournament’s speed.

A live tournament is much slower than an online poker tournament and therefore, the blind levels are structured differently keeping in mind the number of hands being played at the time.

What are blind levels in a poker tournament?

How does a poker tournament entry fee or buy-in work?

To play poker tournament in India one has to pay the entry fee or buy-in. The buy-in will be a player’s contribution towards the prize pool and the rake (the house fee). The buy-in is structured to also disclose the rake fee. For example: If the prize pool contribution is Rs.50 and the rake is Rs.5, the buy-in for an online poker tournament will be revealed as Rs.50+5.

Different Kinds of Top Online Poker Tournaments in India?

1. Freezeout Poker Tournaments – A freezeout indicates that a poker player can only buy-in one time. Once a player runs out of chips in a poker tournament, the game ends.

2. Rebuy Poker Tournaments – Rebuy tournaments allow players to buy-in again within a stipulated timeline. Players rebuy if their stacks fall below a certain level or bust. The re-buy amount is the same as the buy-in or entry fee, minus the rake.
3. 3. Reentry Tournaments – A reentry tournament is almost similar to a rebuy poker tournament with the only difference being a player can rebuy only after being eliminated. Players also do not keep their seat in these online poker tournaments. It is considered a separate initial buy-in and players are reseated at another table.
4. Free Entry Poker Tournaments - A free entry tournament, like the name suggests, is where the buy-in is zero or free and a popular pick among amateur poker players.

What are The Pay-Outs in Top Online Poker Tournament in India?

Every poker tournament in India has a different way of dividing the prize pool known as pay-outs. Generally top-heavy and rewarding the top places with better payouts. That’s the lion’s share you want to get your hands on as a poker player.

A typical Payout Structure

The truth is the majority of poker players do not win anything in a tournament unless they have finished ‘cashed’ in the finishing position. The number of players who cash in a tournament in India varies indicates based on the payout structure. Here’s a look at a typical payout structure commonly used in online poker tournaments:

How to read the payout chart of poker tournaments?

The columns indicate the number of players and the rows indicate the payout percentages based on the number of players. For instance, if a poker tournament has 20 entrants, then you’d use the 19-27 column that explains to you that five people will be paid out between 9%-40% of the prize pool.

When is the final Prize Pool established?

The final Prize Pool is crucial for any poker tournament. The final prize pool determines the value of the payouts.

• In freezeout tournaments, the final prize pool is declared once the entry period ends.
• In Rebuys tournaments, the final prize pool is only known once the rebuy period ends. The Prize Pool is often higher than the beginning of the rebuy period.
• In Free Entry tournaments, the prize pool is set but the number of participants determines the payout structure.

How is the winner of a poker tournament declared?

The winner of a poker tournament is the only player who remains with all the chips.

What are guaranteed (GTD) poker tournaments?

A guarantee is nothing but an assurance of the minimum prize pool announced before the event. What this translates to in a tournament in India is that if there aren’t enough buy-ins to meet the guaranteed amount, there is something called an overlay.

An overlay in online tournament terms refers to a situation when the event begins as if several players have already busted. Therefore a guarantee of a tournament is an important factor for professional poker players to consider while scheduling their tournaments.

How is a poker tournament set up?

A majority of online poker tournaments are played on a 9 or 10 seater table. A single deck of cards and a dealer is dedicated to each table. Players are seated in tournaments based on one of the following methods:

1. A Random Draw - A random selection of the table and seat number is handed over to or assigned to a player once they buy-in.
2. Drawing from the Deck - In single table tournaments, players are randomly placed on the table and each gets a card. The high card gets seat one and so on. Ties usually mean a redraw or applying the suit rank order; Spades>Hearts>Clubs>Diamonds.

As the game progresses in a poker tournament, the number of players on the remaining tables do become unevenly distributed. Some tables might still have 9 players, while some tables could have busted a few players and have only 5 players.

In online poker tournaments, a safe seating script ensures a fair redistribution. However, in a live tournament, it is the responsibility of the tournament director to ensure equal distribution of players. Therefore players often could get moved to maintain the equilibrium of a tournament.

To not affect a player’s position during reseating, poker tournaments ensure that a player in a small blind position is reseated in the same position on a new table. If there are further ambiguities like when three players are moved from a table, there will be a redraw on the new table to redetermine the button position.

Understanding the structure of poker tournaments

Each poker site has its own way of structuring an online poker tournament. You can also play multi table tournaments if you choose to do so. But here’s a checklist of things a poker tournament must announce and you should be aware of as a poker player.

• The number of starting chips that each player will begin with.
• The blind levels and its progressive structure.
• The duration of each blind level.
• Whether or not rebuys or re-entries are allowed and their specific durations.
• A starting time or it is a sit n go.

Poker Chip Distribution (Starting Stacks)

A poker cash game allows players to choose their buy-in. However, in poker tournaments, every player has a uniform number of chips, to begin with also called ‘starting stack’. The number of chips that poker players get at the beginning can vary from tournament to tournament.

Lower buy-ins usually have an average starting stack in the 2000-3000 range. The effective value of the chip stacks is also determined keeping in mind the blinds and its levels.

What are blind levels in a poker tournament?

In poker tournaments, blinds are the mandatory bets that must be played before the starting of each hand. The intervals at which they increase in a tournament are pre-determined. This effectively decreases a player's stack value/size and encourages them to further increase their stacks.

Otherwise, the inevitable ‘blind out’ occurs when a player does not have enough chips to even pay the blinds. Blind levels vary tournament to tournament, but here’s a common base to give you a better understanding:

Blind levels increase at set intervals ranging from 3 minutes to 2 hours. The biggest determining factor on how shallow starting stacks are is in how fast the blinds go up. Further, hands played per hour have an impact on a tournament’s speed.

A live tournament is much slower than an online poker tournament and therefore, the blind levels are structured differently keeping in mind the number of hands being played at the time.

When does a poker tournament begin?

• Scheduled – Scheduled poker tournaments to have a set starting time.
• Sit N Go – Sit N Go (SNG) tournaments only begin once a minimum number of players have registered.

Who can play a poker tournament?

Anyone can play a poker tournament and that’s the beauty of a poker game. Unlike other sports, you can compete with the best in the world without having any qualifiers.

When do you ‘call clock’ in a poker tournament?

Anyone can ‘call clock’ on any other player at their table during a poker tournament in India. However, as per poker etiquette, it is done when a player takes excessive time to act. It is also etiquette for a player to not intentionally stall the game.

The challenged player is allowed one minute to complete their action once you 'call clock'. If he or she further runs out the ‘on the clock’ minute, the hand is declared dead and the hand will automatically fold.