A single table tournament starts as soon as the required number of players has registered. To join a tournament, players pay an entry fee. There is no rake as such, only an additional fee over and above the entrance fee that goes to the house. Winnings are awarded to the top finishers in the tournament using a predetermined prize structure.
In a single table tournament players are not allowed to choose a seat at a table and then buy in. Rather, they have to register in a tournament and then sit on an assigned seat. The players can be given any seat at that table and each player is given a predetermined number of chips. Players cannot buy more chips during a tournament, unless the tournament rules specifically allow re-buys and add-ons. Once players lose all of their chips, they are out of the tournament. Once all the chips have been won by a player, the tournament ends.
Play is the same as for Cash Games except for the following:
- Players must always post blinds on their turn. They are not allowed to leave the table; if they do so, however, the blinds are posted automatically from their stacks, and the hands automatically folded.
- Every player is required to post a big blind followed by a small blind once around the table.
- Once a player has lost all his chips he cannot buy any more and is automatically removed from the table, unless the tournament allows re-buys and add-ons.
