One of the most overlooked opportunities provided by online casinos, is the chance to engage in tournaments. Traditionally, poker was the only game that came in a tournament format, and for obvious reasons. The very structure of the game has always been predicated on the idea of competition between multiple players. It wasn’t even until 1970 that poker machines finally became the video poker machines we are familiar with today; meaning, the game was set-up like traditional poker but involved playing alone (technically against the house) as opposed to playing against one or more other players.
However, these days all kinds of online casino games have been re-imagined to suit a competitive tournament style of game play that involves pitting one’s luck against a group of other players. Slots are no exception. If you don’t believe me, check out youtube.com and type in “slot tournaments”. The best part is, what began in regular brick and mortar casinos has finally made its way online.
The Advantages to Slot Tournaments
The advantages to joining in an online slot tournament are numerous. Many casinos offer ‘free spin’ tourneys with no buy-in. If you register for one of these, you’ll have the chance to compete for prizes without spending any of your own money. Tournaments also add a social atmosphere to online gaming: the leaderboard keeps you informed of your position and rank in the game, as well as tells you who’s in the lead. Many tourney’s also have chat applications set up alongside regular gameplay. You can use this to interact and boast or taunt other players. This adds a new level of competitive excitement to the online slot experience, without requiring you to get dressed up or leave the comfort of your home.
How Does a Slot Tournament Work?
So, you may ask, how does this work? After all, slots are traditionally solo enterprises. They consist of you, the house, and the spinning reels between you. In a slot tournament the gameplay is actually the same. The first thing you do is register for the tournament ahead of time. At the appointed time and day you log in and the casino will give you a specific number of free credits (as if you were playing in practice or demo mode). This is the same amount for each player so you all have an equal chance of winning. You then play the designated slot game and try to build up your free credits. When the tournament is over, the player(s) with the largest bankroll in free credits wins.
What Else Do I Need to Know?
You do NOT win the free credits you were playing with. The prizes for the top players will be posted along with the start and end times of the tournament. You can gauge whether or not you want to register based on the buy-in cost and the prizes being offered. The way the tournament operates will vary by the casino. The length of time for the tournament is determined by the casino. Some will run for several days but only allow a certain number of hours to be spent on tournament play. Others will have smaller tourneys that are over in as little as 15 minutes. The free spin tournaments usually have a cap on the number of people that can register to play, and fill up quickly, so it pays to pay attention. Finally, there are a number of sites out there that post various slot tournaments around the web, along with their dates and times. This can be a good way to keep track of the slot tourneys being offered at multiple casinos.
If you haven’t played a slot tournament, I recommend you sign up today. It’s the one time when gambling online that there’s an absolute guaranteed winner. How often do you find that in a regular casino?