There are two types of tournaments: Single-table and multi-table tournaments.

A single-table tournament starts once the required number of players has registered. A multi-table tournament is launched at a specific starting time.

To join a tournament, players pay an entry fee before a tournament starts. There is no rake for tournaments. Instead, players pay a small fee on top of the entrance fee, which goes to the house. Winnings are awarded to the top finishers in the tournament using a predetermined prize structure.

Players do not choose a seat at a table and then buy in. Instead they register in a tournament and wait to be assigned a seat. The players are seated at random around the table and each player is given a predetermined number of chips.
Players cannot buy more chips during a tournament, unless the tournament allows re-buys and add-ons. Once players lose all of their chips, they are out of the tournament (freeze-out).

A tournament finishes when one player has won all of the chips.
The game is the same as for cash games, with the following exceptions:

1. Players must always post blinds on their turn. They may not leave the table. If they are disconnected or stop playing, the blinds are posted automatically from their stacks, and the hands are automatically folded.
   
   
2. Every player must post a Big Blind followed by a Small Blind once around the table. In some situations (when either the player currently on the Small Blind or the Big Blind is knocked out) there may be a "dead dealer button.” This means that the dealer button does not move to the next player, but instead stays where it is. This is because the Big Blind and the Small Blind must not miss any player at the table on its way around. Another consequence of this is that sometimes a Small Blind is not posted.
   
   
3. Once a player has lost all his/her chips he cannot buy any more and is automatically removed from the table, unless the tournament allows re-buys and add-ons.

Re-buys and add-ons

A multi-table tournament may allow re-buys and/or add-ons. A re-buy gives the players the opportunity to buy more chips if they have run out of chips. If a player chooses not to re-buy any chips, the player is eliminated from the tournament.

An add-on gives players the opportunity to buy additional chips no matter how many chips they have left.

A multi-table tournament may offer both re-buys and add-ons or only re-buys. It is clearly displayed which of the two is allowed

Timeouts and disconnections

If a player times out during a hand in a tournament, the hand is folded if a bet has been made, or checked if no player has bet (regardless of whether the player is connected or disconnected).

Cancellation of registration

If a player wishes to cancel his tournament registration, he may cancel his registration at any time during the registration period. The player will then receive a full refund of his/her tournament buy-in and entry fee costs.

Cancellation or failure

If the tournament is by some reason cancelled by the house, the buy-in and entry fee costs will be automatically refunded or at a failure manually refunded within 48 hours.

Tournament status

The status of the tournament can vary. Information about the status can be found in the tournament lists in the client.