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There is nothing like some friendly competition to create the perfect maelstrom at an online casino. Operators are always working tirelessly to appeal to existing players and keep them engaged at the site in which they are playing.
While some will be happy to participate on a casual basis, more seasoned players will want to sacrifice more of their hard-earned money and test themselves in some of the finest tournaments. Like bonuses, tournaments are multi-faceted, and they come in various forms.
Without further ado, let’s give you a whistlestop tour of some of the most prevalent and commonly advertised tournaments that can be found at online casinos.
Freerolls
Freerolls, which tend to refer to poker tournaments, work like any standard competition, except there is one caveat, and that is that there’s no entry fee. Normally, for poker tournaments, you will have to stump up a buy-in or rake amount to participate.
However, freerolls are often seen as a test of endurance whether you are playing Texas Hold’Em [3] or Omaha games. You will start with the same chip stack in free tournaments and the blind levels will arrive within set time limits.
It’s fair to assert that online poker rooms have become more creative with their approach to free poker tournaments. Beginners may be more likely to gravitate towards weekly freerolls where the cash prizes are less than extravagant, but for those who want a seat at the top table, then the Satellite freerolls may be more catered to their tastes.
After all, who wouldn’t want to put their skills to the test and compete against poker’s finest at a WSOP (World Series of Poker) Main Event [4]?
Cash Races
Used for slot tournaments, there is nothing that new about them, but they continue to be a mainstay of revered casino sites. Taking place around the clock, there is an inherent social element to Cash Races, and they can be quite rewarding.
Points will be generated based on win multipliers, and usually, you will need to wager promotional entries (PEs) per round or spin. So, for example, if you are playing at 300 PEs a spin, a win of 6000 PE is a 20x multiplier (300 times 20).
The win multiplier levels out the playing field, and essentially, the more often you play during a week, the greater the chance you have of winning. As always, players should read the terms and conditions, so they know what is expected of them before signing up.
Hot drop jackpots
Also deeply entrenched in slots are the hot drop jackpots. There is an irrefutable fact that online casinos will payout for big wins, and hot drop jackpots are essentially progressive jackpots.
These will be applied to some of the biggest and best-known titles in a casino’s library of games, such as Cleopatra’s Gold. The prize pot will continue to rise until someone grabs the lot, and wins can run into the thousands of dollars. But you will need to act fast to get a slice of the pie.
Any given casino tournament [5] can be lucrative in its own right, and the onus is on players to keep their eyes peeled to their chosen site to see what tournaments are being plugged. For example, some of the most renowned online operators such as North Casino will continually update the tournament tab month to month with the finest slots tournaments to grab the attention of new and existing players.
Knockout tournaments
Used predominantly for poker, knockout tournaments will see a cash bounty placed on the heads of those who register.
These are truly enthralling as each time a player dumps out a fellow player in a tournament, they will amass a cash prize. The further they go, the more money they will accrue, and unlike MTTs (multi-table tournaments) and Sit & Gos, you don’t need to finish in the money to earn a cash prize.
Conclusion
Although we have only pinpointed a few tournament types available at online casinos, the framework and format of each are slightly different. They all offer something unique, but players must read the terms and conditions thoroughly to know what they are letting themselves in for.
Moreover, players who wish to throw themselves into such tournaments must bankroll their accounts properly and be judicious. Above all else, always gamble responsibly!