Our Complete Guide to Online Poker Tournaments in the UK

Posted by Harry Kane on Tuesday, June 18, 2024

If you cast your minds back to the noughties, you may remember World Series of Poker (WSoP) finals being broadcast live by terrestrial television channels across the globe. This popularised a typically niche and cult game among a new generation of players, at a time when the digital iGaming boom was still in its infancy.

This certainly helped to usher in the age of online poker and heralded a boom in the popularity of the game on a global scale, and while this has dwindled since the emergence of virtual slots and table game iterations, it appears to be on the cusp of another surge in popularity. But what’s behind this, and what role have contemporary online poker tournaments played in popularising the game more recently?

Why is Online Poker Becoming Popular Once Again?

According to the most recent figures, the global online poker market reached a value of $85.4 billion at the end of 2022. It’s also poised to grow markedly at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12% between now and 2030, so the market will peak at around $170 billion in just six years’ time.

This significant growth has been inspired in part by the coronavirus pandemic, which precipitated global lockdowns through 2020 and 2021 and still impacts our economy to this day. Of course, this also sapped social interaction and compelled people to seek out entertainment online, including immersive and challenging games that were capable of occupying the human mind.

Of course, few games require as much skill, strategy or instinct as online poker, which provided solace for many as lockdowns hit hard. This undoubtedly sowed the seed for the brand-new poker boom that we’re witnessing today, even though some have suggested that engagement levels and revenues are starting to return to their pre-Covid levels.

As interest has grown online, aspiring players have also sought out the action at the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSoP) and the performers who capture the headlines during this and similarly high-profile events. Take the iconic Daniel Negreanu (or ‘Kid Poker’), for example, who famously lost more than $2 million playing poker in 2023 but has since embarked on the comeback trail.

Just as the renowned WSoP winner Chris Moneymaker captured the imagination in 2003 (when he won a seat in the Main Event of the 2003 World Series of Poker through an $86 satellite tournament victory), contemporary stars like Negreanu, Adrian Mateos and current GPI number one Jesse Lonis have been propelled into the spotlight as the game of poker has risen from the ashes of obscurity once again.

Given the increase in demand since Covid, it stands to reason that operators have sought to expand their poker verticals and ‘raise the stakes’ so to speak. This has manifested itself in innovative real cash games with diverse buy-ins, alongside huge poker tournaments that are accessible and take on a number of different formats.

Of course, poker isn’t alone in this respect, as many online casino verticals and similar entities have also experienced rapid growth that has been sustained since the Covid-19 pandemic. These include video slots, blackjack and roulette, while cryptocurrency adoption and meme stocks have also benefitted from sizable demand in recent times.

Many people turned to forex market and similar investment entities during the same period, as the combination of increased accessibility and promise of new income streams proved alluring to individuals. Online poker has also been reborn by such trends, and there’s no sign of this abating anytime soon.

Exploring Poker Tournaments and Their Most Common Structures

When you browse the full range of poker tournaments (and cash games) available online, you’ll see that there are various formats and structures in play. Broadly speaking, of course, online tournaments will require players to buy in for a predetermined amount, creating a collective and cumulative pool that constitutes the total prize fund up for grabs.

As a result, competitors start on a level playing field, as individuals begin with equalised chip amounts and cash holdings. Players will then compete for the main pot, although many tournaments (namely progressive bounties) will offer tiered payouts and prizes throughout. This aids the popularity and accessibility of tournament play.

Every online poker tournament is also completely fair and transparent, thanks to the deployment of advanced random number generator (RNG) algorithms. Typically, this will ensure that the deck is constantly shuffled (even in-between hands), in order to optimise the randomness of results and account for the fact that the so-called “seed number” will ultimately be repeated.

This is preferable to systems where the algorithm already knows the cards that will be dealt prior to the end of the draw. This is more vulnerable to hacking and manipulation, but no reputable poker networks will use this type of RNG algorithm. So, you can usually rest assured when playing high stakes poker tournaments, especially high stakes entities.

These universal facts and conditions aside, it’s the diversity of available poker tournament formats that helps to set the game apart. But what are the most common or popular formats, and how does each of these competitions operate? Let’s find out!

• Satellite Tournaments: We’ve already spoken about tournaments, which enabled Chris Moneymaker to participate in the 2003 WSoP Main Event and have blazed a similar trail for others to follow since. Satellite tournaments describe simple structures in which players are rewarded with entry into a higher stakes poker event, rather than a sizable cash pot or guaranteed minimum. You can gain entry to online and brick-and-mortar tournaments when competing in satellites.
• Rebuy Tournaments: While you’ll start with a finite period of chips (up to a specified value) in rebuy tournaments, you’ll also be able to regularly rebuy more chips as the game progresses. This enables you to stake more and access more chances to win when compared with alternative tournament formats, which is ideal for high rollers or players with a strong appetite for risk. Rebuy tournaments are commonplace online and often characterised from competitive buy-ins and high demand.
• Progressive Bounty Tournaments: Conversely, progressive bounty poker tournaments tend to appeal to casual or inexperienced players. This is because competitions of this type allow you to earn cash prizes at regular intervals, simply by winning specific hands and eliminating rival players from contention. These tournaments also provide competitive buy-ins, although high guaranteed minimums are far rarer due to the frequency of payouts recorded throughout. Progressive bounty tournaments also tend to unlock deep stacks.
• Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs): As the name suggests, MTTs feature a number of different tables and large player pools. These tables are all in action simultaneously, creating a fast and high-octane game that may expose you to various playing styles at once. So, you’ll have to be a seasoned and flexible player to succeed in MTTs, where vast prize funds are available and every single participant buys in at the same fee. They also receive the exact same stack in exchange, while the blinds will rise at pre-determined game junctures until just a single competitor remains.
• Guaranteed Tournaments: Guaranteed tournaments are a slight anomaly on this list, as they can technically comprise any of the formats or structures referenced. However, their unique selling point is that they offer a guaranteed minimum prize pool, which will be distributed according to a predetermined structure. This rule will apply even if certain tournament conditions aren’t fulfilled, while tournaments of this type create huge pots and tend to be favoured by the highest rollers in town!

What Poker Games Underpin Poker Tournaments

Not only are there plenty of poker tournament formats available, but these highly competitive events can also be underpinned by different games. However, there remain a handful of games and models that are used in competitive tournaments online, some of which hold iconic and familiar status among players. These include:

• No Limit Texas Hold ‘em: Make no mistake: Texas Hold ‘em is arguably the quintessential poker game and one that adopts a familiar structure. More specifically, players are dealt two initial hole cards (which are unique to them) and five further community cards. You’ll then have to construct the best five card hand according to a predetermined poker ranking chart. Just note, there are also ‘fixed’ limit versions of the game available online, so you’ll need to decide which game best suits your outlook, bankroll or risk management profile.
• Omaha: Classic Omaha is another iconic on and offline poker game, and one that has spawned multiple iterations. This basic game also sees a total of five community cards draw, although in this instance, you’ll have anywhere between two and four hold cards to potentially increase your chances of building a winning hand. Omaha typically benefits from simple betting rounds and lower pots, so this game has become increasingly popular among novice or casual bettors.
• Pot Limit Omaha: This version of Omaha introduced a predetermined maximum bet limit, which will vary considerably from one table to another (there are high and low stakes formats available). The max bet can never exceed the total value of the chips in the pot. Usually, games and tournaments of this type deliver competitive buy-ins and ante values to players, so this iteration of Omaha also comes highly recommended to new players online.
• Omaha Hi-Lo: This is a poker variant that goes by several different names: including ‘Omaha 8’ or ‘Omaha Eight or Better’. This is described as a ‘split pot’ game, in which the best-ranked and winning hand enables the player in possession to win exactly half of the final pot. Conversely, the remainder of the accumulated pot is awarded to the participant with the best ‘lowest’ value hand, creating more chances to win overall. Interestingly, Omaha Hi-low features four hole cards, while it’s unusual structure and payout makes it highly appealing to new and curious players who are in the market for something completely different!

The Last Word and the Role of Individual Rooms and Platforms

When it comes to individual casinos and poker rooms, these entities all play a seminal role in shaping the overall betting experience. After all, they’re the delivery mechanism for specific tournaments and cash gameplay, while there are numerous factors that may impact players across the board.

For example, they offer a diverse selection of game and tournament iterations, based on established game models like Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha and Seven Card Stud. You’ll find a much larger choice of game variations online, while tournament structures can also be adjusted and refined more easily in the virtual realm.

Most poker rooms also integrate various payment options into their gameplay experience, while also leveraging the best and most reliable software. This enables you to truly immerse yourself in competitive tournament gameplay, which is varied, completely transparent and allows you to wager using several different cryptocurrencies.

Crypto has certainly had a significant impact on virtual poker tournaments, making them more accessible and secure than ever before. When combined with emerging virtual and augmented reality technologies, they’ll also propel online poker towards the final frontier of its evolution, as it finally offers a realistic alternative to corporeal gameplay.

Ultimately, it’s unclear whether the evolving nature of poker tournaments ushered in the recent boom or popularity, or such entities have adapted to the rising demand among players. Regardless, poker tournaments are now incredibly popular online, and will continue to take the iGaming market by storm in the years ahead.