Multi Table Tournaments

What is a MTT?

An MTT is a multi table tournament where many poker players play on more than one table simultaneously until there is only one table left, which is called the final table and typically consists of 9 players. Nowadays, it's common to find MTT's with hundreds of tables running everyday online that run for several hours.

Each player either buys into the tournament directly or tries to win entrance via a 'satellite' tournament; they start with an equal number of chips and each table uses the same timed blind structure, when the blinds go up on one table they go up on all of them, usually occuring every 10-15 minutes. Each player pays a big blind and small blind once per round, where the big blind is double the small blind; towards the end of the tournament an ante is sometimes introduced which has the effect of speeding up the action.

The tournament has a scheduled start time, each person intending to play must buy in before the tournament starts. Players online will be automatically be seated on 10 seater tables and there is usually a 5 minute break every hour.

Typically the payout structure depends on the number of entrants, the more players that join the greater the number of places that recieve a share in the prize pool. There are, however, exceptions to this rule; many tournaments offer fixed prizes such as a satellite tournament where the only prize available is entry to a bigger tournament with a significantly more expensive buy in than the satellite.

Types of MTT

The vast majority of online MTT's are played using Texas Hold'em in one form or another, There are a small percentage of Omaha and 7 Card Stud tournaments available too but combined they make up less than 5% of the MTT market at the time of writing.

There are a number of different types of MTT:

Freeroll

Entrance is free with a pre determined prize pool and payout structure.

Added money

There is a guaranteed minimum prize pool, the cardroom inject cash into the prize pool to guarantee a decent payout, depsite the number of players who join.

Turbo

The blind structure increases much quicker than a standard tournament, forcing players to play much more aggressively.

Rebuy

Any player who is eliminated from this type of tournament is given the chance to rebuy back into it for the same cost as the original entry fee; this usually only occurs during the first hour of the tournament. At the end of the first hour, players may be given the opportunity to buy an add on which entitles them additional chips for the same cost as the original buy in.

Satellite

A feeder tournament where the only prizes to be won is entry into a bigger tournament.

Bounty

Some players, usually celebrities have a bounty on their head, any player who emilinates such a player recieves the bounty money.