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.