Tournament Over Tilt

I think a major reason why tournaments are popular is that they offer a loss limit for weak players but with the promise of a big reward.


Bad players engage in all sorts of silly money management schemes. Tournaments have one built in. "The most I can lose is $200, but I could win $3000!"


I think it is a similar urge as the one people have to bet big underdogs in sporting events.


I'm not saying everyone is like this, just many. And those many are what make tournaments profitable for a few.


Paul Talbot

by all means they MUST put the day to day activities first---otherwise any newcommers could be turned off.


let's call that their base, their foundation, upon which they can build IF they do 1st things 1st.


sorry I did not understand you point to begin with.

I started in tournaments (after about 6 hours of 2-4 and 3-6). After cashing at a few tournies last summer though, I began playing about ten hours a week of 15-30 to 40-80 to cover my WSOP buy-ins this April.

Tournaments are very popular in my cardroom, which is a 30 mile drive out into nowhere. Whenever the casino holds tourney events there is a big turn out.


I think one of the appealing aspects of a tourney is that it is an 'event' as opposed to a 'session' of undetermined length. And a player knows there is a limit or range of loss he won't exceed.


I've got a feeling the live games at my poker room would not be as popular, or populated as they are without the draw of tournaments. Having said that, I do think poker management neglects the games somewhat. At least they don't seem to show much imagination in how they spread them, preferring to let the players decide what games go. For example, there is almost no stud - only 1-4 hi only. Yet I think there is a good potential for stud of other limits. Now if players want to start a list then they can put their names up and when enough do they spread a game. But it doesn't happen because the action is with Holdem - higher limits and higher jackpots.