Tournament

1. Poker competition in which blinds and antes increase over time and a player pays a set buy-in to enter.
2. The opposite of a ring game or cash game.

Popular Uses

One day a chump, the next day a champion. What a difference a day makes in tournament poker. -Mike Sexton

You Should Also Know...

There is a significant difference in strategy between cash games and tournaments, stemming from the increasing blinds in tournaments and the inability to re-buy if you run out of chips (except, of course, in re-buy tournaments). While many strong players are good at both game formats, many specialize in one or the other. Chris Ferguson and Phil Hellmuth are two successful pros who are tournament specialists.

Related Terms

Cash Game, Ring Game, Donkament, Rebuy, Add-On, Buy-In