Socializing is a big element of the entire casino atmosphere. That’s not just true about poker tournaments that are now broadcast live on TV. One of the most iconic “Vegas” scenarios involves two strangers high-fiving after one of them had a big win at the craps table.
That lack of a social element has kept some people away from online casinos. However, online casino brands started to notice this and created live casino tournaments to fix the problem.
In short, live casino tournaments take place on a live stream with multiple players who are competing against each other in a specific casino game.
The Difference Between Live Tournaments & Live Tables
With live streaming becoming so popular, online casinos have opted to run live table games where players can interact with each other. They do this like they would if they were sitting at a table at an in-person casino. Currently, the list of all casino games that can be played in this live format is growing.
Tournaments borrow the live streaming capabilities used in regular table games, but the difference is that there’s usually a minimum buy-in to enter them. In some cases, players aren’t necessarily competing for the money they generate within the game but for external prizes that the casino offers to tournament winners.
Benefits of Playing Live Casino Tournaments
If players can already play live table games or slots at an online casino to win real money, why would they be interested in paying a fee to enter these tournaments?
First of all, there won’t always be a monetary entry fee required to access these tournaments. Some online casinos love to run live tournaments for regular players with different types of entry requirements based on their rewards program.
In many situations, the entry fee is low or non-existent, as described, and the potential prizes are significant. Most people will gladly sign up for a chance to win 50 thousand dollars in a tournament with a 20 dollar entry fee.
Online casinos can run these tournaments with low entry fees and significant prices because they can get more people to sign up and play.
An in-person casino would need to fit too many players in a limited space to run tournaments with minimal entry fees and high potential prizes. This makes these tournaments almost an exclusive element of online casinos.
The Competition Element
This isn’t necessarily a benefit of playing these live casino tournaments, but it is one of the reasons people sign up. Playing for money is nice, but adding to that, the chance to relish a victory against another person adds another exhilarating factor to the equation.
It’s important to point out, though, that the competition element is different depending on the game and the tournament.
People who really like the head-to-head psychological battles will enjoy the poker and blackjack tournaments. They’ll be able to participate in the back-and-forth banter that traditionally takes place at these tables. In a tournament format, even people with lower available funds may be able to access a level playing field.
There might be a 50-dollar entry fee that grants each player 10,000 chips at the poker table. It’s important to remember that in tournaments, to access the prize, a player would need to bust the other players at their table to keep advancing. They wouldn’t necessarily be taking the chips home. That’s why 50 dollars can grant them a large stack of them.
Slots tournaments can feature a completely different competition element that players still enjoy. The entry fee concept is usually the same. To play, a person has to pay their fee, which will give them game credits that they need to continue accumulating.
There’s typically a leaderboard that keeps changing as different players earn wins in their respective games. While there’s not necessarily direct confrontation between the players watching their names go up or down, the leaderboard can get those competitive juices flowing.
These slot tournaments also allow players to test different strategies and bet more credits than they would if they were just playing with their own funds.
Popular Casino Tournament Games
As mentioned, Blackjack and Poker are two of the more popular table games played in tournament format. Usually, players are divided into different tables, and the winners of each table will advance to the next rounds. Also, players will continue to play until one or two of them are left standing.
When more players are involved in a tournament, even though they are split into different tables, the winnings amount will determine the rankings. This is a more popular format in very large online casinos that can get thousands of players to play each of their tournaments.
Slots and PowerBall games are the two other popular options. Since these are not played directly at tables, online casinos usually give players a specific set of slot games that will be part of the tournament. Players can come in and out of games as they see fit.
There are live rankings that show who the top players are. Each player will also have their own ranking updated as they play to know where they stand. In some of the larger online casinos, there are prizes for placing within the top 200 or even 300 players in the tournament. Players in the top 10 will usually win very interesting prizes.
Final Thoughts on Live Casino Tournaments
Live casino tournaments can provide something for everyone. That’s, without a doubt, one of the reasons they’ve become so popular. They can give someone access to a large sum of credits for a small fee, plus the chance to win big prizes. At the same time, other tournaments can be a haven for high rollers.
The head-to-head competition is something that many people relish as well. It brings a completely different dynamic, especially to slot games that are a solo experience in their regular form. Any person has the potential to win big if they find the right tournament with a low entry fee.
Even though only a limited number of players will win significant prizes, anyone can appreciate the chance to swing for the fences on a low investment. That’s true about casino games and other aspects of business and life. If you are not planning to take part in any tournaments and you want a rest, you can always play in games, such as Plinko. It does not take any skill required to play such games.
