Best Sites for Real Money Online Poker Tournaments
Playing in poker tournaments can be especially fun and extremely lucrative. One good run of poker play (and luck) can result in a huge boost to your bankroll. But how can you find the best online poker tournaments for your style of play? If you are looking to play online poker real money tournaments, you’re in luck. Below, you’ll find a round-up of all the best online card rooms for tournament action.
Best Poker Sites for Tournaments in 2024
- 250+ Poker Rooms
- Min. deposit: $20
- Rollover: No rollover
- Games: All poker games
- 25 Free Spins
- Min. deposit: $20
- Rollover: 10x
- Games: All poker games
About Poker Tournaments
The World Series of Poker has been around since 1970 but it was the victory of previously unknown Chris Moneymaker in 2003 at the Main Event that vaulted poker tournaments into the mainstream. Moneymaker went from a $86 satellite tournament victory to collecting the champion’s bracelet — and the corresponding $2.5 million cash prize.
Between Moneymaker’s victory, the ability to view hole cards on TV broadcasts, and faster and more ubiquitous internet connections, online poker tournaments took off. Now, players have a variety of options from the top names in online poker. Check out the poker room reviews to find the perfect place to start your winning tournament campaign today.
Find the Perfect Poker Site
Finding the perfect poker site is easy. Just pick a game type, choose a payment method, or select the bonus you want, and we’ll find the perfect site for you.
Three Best Games for Online Poker Tournaments
Though you can find a ton of different variety online, the following three poker games are the most popular for online tournaments.
Texas Hold’em
Still the king of poker games, Texas Hold’em is the game for the World Series Main Event and the most popular poker variation online.
Omaha
Like Texas Hold’em, Omaha is community-card poker game. But instead of two cards face down, you get four and need to make a five card hand using two of your hole card and three of the community cards.
Types of Online Poker Tournaments for Real Money
Online poker sites have created a plethora of different types of tournaments. While the standard multi-table, winner-take-all tournament is still the workhorse of online poker, the other variations appeal to different players.
Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs)
Still the gold standard of online poker tournaments, a multi-table tournament begins with a bunch of players and ends when one has collected all the chips. Like World Series events, multi-table tournaments can have set blind levels designed to whittle players down and force action. Payouts will vary by number of the players and the size of the buy-in. Make sure to pay attention to the details of who gets paid and how much.
Sit & Go’s (SNGs)
Designed specifically for online poker play, a Sit & Go starts as soon as every seat and one or two tables is filled. Larger poker sites can have SNGs starting every few moments and typically only the top three players will get paid. A SNG is usually meant to focus on quick gameplay without the time-commitment of a larger MTT. Therefore, playing a few SNGs can be a good way for beginners to dip their toes into tournament play.
Turbo Tourneys
Whether a MTT or SNG, a turbo tournament is designed to go extremely fast. Players looking to play a bunch of tournaments in a short period or time love turbo tourneys. They are also good for card players that cannot commit a lot of time to play.
Shootout Tournaments
A shootout tournament is an MTT where, instead of moving players from table to table as the field shrinks, no tables are condensed until one player is left at a table. In this way, the MTT can play like repeated SNGs until one player takes down the entire field.
Satellite Tournaments
This is how Chris Moneymaker got his seat at the $10,000 buy-in Main Event. First, he won a satellite tournament that he paid $86 to enter. By winning the satellite, he received a chair at the Main Event. Some satellite prizes will also include all-expenses paid trips to the bigger tournament along with a seat.
Bounty Tournaments
A bounty tourney puts a slight variation on MTTs. Because tournament play is focused on going all-in, a bounty tournament awards a bonus every time you knock out an opponent. These bonuses can change the strategy of the game and push players towards riskier betting.
Other Poker Tournament Games
Beyond Texas Hold’em and Omaha, there are a ton of different poker variations you’ll find at the top online sites. Check out some of the other options online, such as:
- 5 Card Draw – Though not seen as much online, the classic Wild West poker game is still easy to learn and easy to play.
- Stud Poker – With its own subset of variations, Stud poker games feature some of your cards face up for everyone to see.
