Tue, 09/13/2011 – 07:41 – PokerPages Staff

When playing online poker at PokerStars there are two main ways in which you can play the game.  Both ways offer a fantastic poker experience, but with major differences between the formats it is important that beginner poker players are aware of what they are getting themselves into before they sit down at the virtual table.  If you’ve ever wondered what the differences are, read on and be illuminated.

Cash Ring Games

Cash ring games are the sort of games that people play around kitchen tables up and down the country.  Likewise, if you’ve ever walked into a casino and just started playing poker at a table, the likelihood is that you are playing a cash ring game.  All poker bets at cash ring tables are for real money, with the possibility on some tables of playing for some seriously high stakes.  It is important to be aware at all times that each bet you place is for your money from your account.

Tournaments

Whether playing a single or multi table tournament, the premise remains the same: your entry fee, or buy-in, buys you a stack of chips from which all of your bets are taken.  Other than your buy-in, no more of your money is at risk, as every other bet is for ‘imaginary’ money.  Chips have no monetary value, with the prize structure of tournaments dictated by the number of players participating and the size of the buy-in.  Unlike a cash ring game, where you can choose to walk away and cash up after any hand, in a tournament players only leave the table when they are out.

Want to learn more? PokerSchoolOnline is the internet’s number one source for poker related learning.

Mon, 09/05/2011 – 10:23 – PokerPages Staff

While browsing through the list of poker games at PokerStars, a beginner poker player will see many tournaments.  Although various aspects of tournaments will differ dependent on special poker rules or circumstances, the basic principles remain the same.

Buy-In
Each tournament will have a buy-in amount advertised.  Buy-ins are types of poker bets that you use to enter tournaments, and purchase the stack of chips you are given to bet with during the hands of poker.  The chipstack you have in front of you has no monetary value outside of the poker tables.  Prize money for the tournament will be amassed from the buy-ins of all players entering.  If a tournament is billed at being $5/$.50, it means that you pay $5 into the prize pot, and $.50 goes to the “house”.

Single or Multi Table Tournament
As your chips have no monetary value, you play until you either run out of chips, or you run out of opponents.  You cannot ‘walk away’ from tournament play without forfeiting all of your chips.  Single table tournaments consist of one table, and the last player left wins the jackpot.  There may be prizes for other players, depending on the tournament rules.  Multi-table tournaments can carry on for a long time, with multiple tables running in tandem.  As players are eliminated, the tables consolidate until you are down to the last table, where the winner will be found.

The Bubble
In tournament play, the bubble is the name given to the time when all players left are guaranteed a prize.  This will only be calculated when the total number of players has been determined, and the prize structure confirmed.  

Want to learn more? PokerSchoolOnline is the Internet’s number one source for poker related learning.  When you are comfortable with the tournament rules you can gain experience by playing for free at PokerStars.net.