• Casino & Gaming

What to Know About Online Casino Tournaments

Online casino tournaments combine the excitement of competitive gambling with the convenience of internet betting. The right tournaments will allow you to compete for thrilling prizes while playing your favorite games.

Tournaments pit players against each other for exciting prize pools. The best online casinos with tournaments even offer free entries to their loyal players. Keep reading to learn more about these tournaments, how they work, and where to compete.

How Online Casino Tournaments Work

So, how do online casino tournaments work? The specific rules of a tournament will vary from one site to another. However, most casinos follow a similar format for time, buy-ins, and distributing their prizes.

Online Casino Tournament Format

Casino tournaments add a new, competitive twist to your favorite games. These timed events reward players for winning at the designated game during the time period.

For instance, let’s say you are competing in a slots tournament. Every player starts with the same bankroll, and you score points for winning spins. The more points you earn, the better your place on the leaderboard.

Depending on the game and the tournament, you may be able to purchase additional entries in the tournament. This increases your investment, but it gives you more chances to climb the leaderboard and win prizes.

Buy-ins and Free Entries

Speaking of buying into the tournament, it is important to know how much each entry costs. Some tournaments require players to pay an entry fee upfront. In many cases, buy-ins help to build the prize pool for the event.

Many secure casinos also offer free online casino tournaments to loyal members. Free tournament entry tickets are also popular prizes in casino reward programs. Taking advantage of free entries minimizes your risk and maximizes your potential profit for winning the tournament.

Leaderboards and Prize Pools

Tournaments are timed events that can last anywhere from a matter of hours to several weeks. To keep track of every member’s performance, casinos rank every player on the tournament leaderboard. Keeping track of your place on the leaderboard can help you know how well you are doing in the event.

When the tournament ends, the players at the top of the leaderboard will split the prize pool. The prize pool is the total amount of money set aside for the winners of the event. A higher position on the leaderboard will earn you a more significant share of the prize pool.

Types of Online Casino Tournaments

There are many different games available to casino players. As a result, there are also many types of online casino tournaments from which you can choose.

Slot Tournaments

Real money slot games are among the popular titles at modern casinos. As a result, slot tournaments have also become very popular. These events are also sometimes called slot races.

In a slot tournament, you will either have a set bankroll or a set number of spins. Also, you must play the designated slot game to earn points in the event. Using a sound slots strategy that will maximize your number of spins is key to winning these events.

Table Game Tournaments

Slots are not the only popular game at casinos. Craps, poker, and other table games are also beloved by millions.

The good news is that you can also enter tournaments for your favorite table games. Like slot tournaments, you will have a set bankroll for these events.

Some of the table games included in the best online casino tournaments available include:

• Roulette
• Video poker
• Baccarat
• Keno

In some cases, you can increase your bankroll by purchasing additional tournament entries.

To climb the leaderboard in table game tournaments, you need to win. The more you win during the session, the higher you will finish on the final leaderboard.

Live Dealer Tournaments

Live dealer casinos allow players to enjoy the authentic casino experience from the comfort of their homes. The best live dealer sites also offer live dealer tournaments.

You can compete in tournaments for all of your favorite live dealer games. However, these events have a unique twist. Since there is a live dealer involved, there are often specific times that the tournament tables are open.

The prize pool for these events may also be lower. It is more expensive for the casino to run these tournaments because they must pay the dealer. As a result, buy-ins and stake amounts are usually higher, and the prize pool may be smaller due to the increased cost.

Blackjack Tournaments

Blackjack games are very popular in the US, and there are many variations to choose from. There is a wide variety of blackjack tournaments to compete in as well.

Like other tournaments, there are two main styles of blackjack tournaments: chip and round-based. In chip-based events, you can play as many hands as your bankroll will allow you to.

Making bigger bets can help you win more money and move up the leaderboard faster, but you also run the risk of crashing out sooner. Playing fast is also essential to maximizing the number of hands you can play.

Round-based events, on the other hand, limit the number of hands you can play. You receive points for every hand you win, so using a winning blackjack strategy is paramount.

Where to Find the Best Online Casino Tournaments

Competing in online casino tournaments for free can be tons of fun. The best tournament sites not only offer free events, but they also prioritize a great user experience and offer events frequently. Competitive prize pool structures with guaranteed rewards are also a plus.

Here are the top three online casinos with free tournaments for members.

BetUS

Members of BetUS can compete in a variety of casino tournaments, including blackjack and slot events. There are multiple weekly tournaments for both popular casino games.

Also, as a member of BetUS, you can compete in a free blackjack tournament every week. The guaranteed weekly prize pool is set at $2,500, and you have 50 hands to score the most points possible.

Members of the BetUS VIP program have even more tournament options. There are monthly events for every reward level. The higher your tier, the better the prize pool for your exclusive tournament.

BetOnline

BetOnline is another great place to enjoy exciting casino tournaments online for free. Some of the tournaments offered by this site include:

• Slot tournaments
• Blackjack tournaments
• Roulette tournaments

Members of BetOnline can compete in paid and free tournaments every week. There are six paid tournaments each week, as well as six free slot races. The games for these tournaments include top titles from respective developers, such as Pragmatic Play.

Every tournament prize pool at BetOnline is guaranteed. The wide selection of games makes it easy to find a tournament that fits your style of play.

Ignition Casino

Ignition Casino has exciting tournaments for members to play, especially if you are a fan of poker. There are paid and free poker tournaments every week for Ignition members to compete in.

The Ignition Rewards program provides even more chances to earn tournament freerolls. There is a wide range of prize pools, too, including events with six-figure prizes.

Some of the poker tournaments at Ignition include:

• Mystery Knockout Tournaments
• Triple Header Sunday tournaments
• $200k GTD tournament
• $2,500 weekly crypto freeroll
• Weekly Jackpot Sit & Go events

Even if you do not win the tournament, you can still walk away a winner. Members of this site can earn 1.5 reward points for every $1 they wager in poker tournament play at Ignition. 

Tips for Winning Online Casino Tournaments

Tournaments are fun to compete in, but they are even more enjoyable when you win. Here are three tips to help you get the most out of competing in casino online tournaments.

Take Advantage of Free Tournaments

Minimizing your risk while maximizing your reward is always a good idea when you are gambling. With that in mind, you should always take advantage of free online casino tournament events at your favorite sites. In a free event, any prize you win is pure profit.

Prioritize Guaranteed Prize Pools

Tournaments with large prize pools will attract a lot of players. However, some casinos are not as trustworthy as others. So, you should only compete in tournaments with guaranteed prize pools to ensure you will get the prize money you deserve for winning.

Adjust Your Strategy to Fit the Tournament

Tournament play is different than non-tournament play. You should adjust your strategy to fit the rules of the event. For instance, you may need to use a more aggressive blackjack strategy than you are used to when you are playing a round-based tournament.

What Are Your Favorite Online Casino Tournaments?

Online casino tournaments allow you to win massive prizes while enjoying your favorite games. Check out the guide to learn more about these events, including how they work and where to enjoy the best casino tournaments online.

Then, create your account at BetOnline or any of the other online casinos with tournaments detailed above. After creating your account, you can join a free tournament event today.