Online slot tournaments are becoming more and more popular, with different options to suit different needs, fast paced action and potentially big prizes, they are a fun and easy way to play.
Different types of online casino tournaments
Slot tournaments all work in basically the same way, but depending on which type you go for there are a few differences in number of players, how long they take, chances of winning and potential prizes.
The first and most lucrative type is a scheduled tournament, these have a fixed start and end time ranging anywhere from minutes to months. These often let you enter at any time and sometimes you can buy in again for a second chance, while the high number of players can mean big prizes. However the extra players mean that your chances of winning are less than in other tournaments.
Next are sit and go casino tournaments which don’t have a fixed start time, they stay open until enough players join and then begin. They tend to have fewer players, meaning less prize money but a higher chance to win! They also tend to run for a shorter time, so you’ll get results much more quickly.
So depending on whether you’re a quick, low stakes player or a committed high roller, you’ll be able to find a tournament to suit you.
How they work
Casino tournaments start with buy-ins; some casinos offer free or comped entry, while others with a bigger jackpot will cost you. Once all players are paid in, each player gets a certain amount of credits, which they have to use up in the time given, this can get quite frantic with all the players trying to get as many spins as they can. Once the game is over, the winner is usually the one with the most credits on their machine, although different tournaments might award prizes for things like lowest score too. The winners then receive a set prize, rather than the amount of credits on their account.
The prize fund is determined by the number of players and how much they put in, so for example 100 people each paying £100 would give you a prize fund of £10,000. Some of this would go to the casino, with the rest being divided up between the top players.
What is comped entry?
Comped entry is for card carrying members of a casino that have a certain number of points already. Essentially if you’ve spent enough money in the casino they often offer free tournaments to players as a reward.
Strategy
There really is no full-proof strategy to this kind of game, you just have to hope the slots are kind. But there are ways to play smart, by working out your odds and the value of your bets you can improve your chances of winning money overall. But of course, there are no guarantees!
Working out your odds
One of the best things about online casino tournaments is that they give you the chance to take your time and work out the odds before you enter, with all the information you need to decide to get stuck in. To work out the odds in a slot tournament all you need to know are the number of people playing and the number of prizes on offer. As an example if we take our 100 players from earlier, and there are 20 prizes available, then you have a 1 in 100 chance of winning the top prize, and a 20 in 100 (or 1 in 5) chance to win any prize at all. Then if you really want to get scientific about it, you can work out the ‘value’ of your bets by factoring in the entry fee and compare that to the potential prize money!