The average novice, real-money skill games player will spend a great deal of time playing single sessions. This is a good way to learn the ropes, tweak strategies and start building a bankroll. However, the real money is in skill games tournaments.

If you think about it, you could stake $10 for a chance to win $10; a little less actually if the skill game site takes a commission on that particular game. Or, you could stake $10 for a chance to win hundreds, if not thousands, by playing skill games tournaments.

Skill games tournaments are just like single session games except that you will be playing for a longer amount of time, competing against a number of other players. The design of sill games tournaments really depends on the skill game and set-up involved.

Skill Games Tournaments – Multi-Player Games

If you’re playing a multi-player skill game like chess, you will be competing against one opponent at a time. Each opponent you defeat progresses you further into the skill games tournament, competing against more opponents, one by one, all the way to the end.

Skill Games Tournaments – Single-Player Games

If you’re playing single-player skill games, like Solitaire or Sudoku, each player will receive “leader board points”. Points are awarded based on how many games the player finishes in the allotted time, and how quickly each game is completed.

Skill Games Tournaments – Prizes

As with most tournaments of this sort (online casino tournaments, online poker tournaments, etc.), most prizes are divvied up into a prize pool. The payout structure of the prize pool will determine how many players get paid, and how much they will win. The number of paid players will depend on how many enter the skill games tournaments.

A typical prize structure would pay the top 15%-20% or so. A tournament with 100 players may pay the top 15 to 20 finishers. The higher a player finishes, the more they will win. Let’s say the prize pool is $500. 1st place might get $150, 2nd place $100, continuing to scale down through the ranks. If the top 20 get paid, chances are the last 5 or so will receive the same prize of about $10.

Skill Games Tournaments – Can They Be Rigged?

This is a common question that comes up around online gambling situations, but rest assured, skill games tournaments are not rigged. Skill gaming sites have no reason to rig a tournament. They do not profit from the prize pool, nor is there any advantage to them for one player winning over another.

The skill gaming site charges a buy-in and fee to every paid tournament. The buy-in is the larger amount, and the fee the smaller; usually 10% of the buy-in. So you might pay $10+$1 to register for a skill games tournament. The $10 buy-in will go straight to the prize pool, while the $1 fee goes to the skill gaming site. Aside from this fee, the skill gaming site gains nothing from a tournament, or its outcome.

Skill Games Tournaments – How to Play

In order to play in skill games tournaments, you’ll need to be a member of an online skill games site where they are available. So the first step is to sign up an account and get some funds deposited into your bankroll. Note that you will likely receive a welcome bonus, matching your first deposit, on average 100% up to $100 or $200. Be sure to take advantage of this to maximize your profit potential.

Now if you remember in the text above, we recommended being well practiced at the skill game you are planning to enter a tournament for. If you need some practice, be sure to play free games, or single-session real-money games, to make sure you’re ready for the tournament level.

Now look at the tournament lobby. You should see a list of available skill games tournaments. The lobby will show what skill games are being played, what time the tournament starts, how many players can enter (and whether it is full), the entry fee, etc. When you’ve found an appropriate tournament, click once on the tourney name in the lobby, then look for a “Register” button to appear, usually on the right side.

Click register, and the entry fee will be automatically deducted from your bankroll. You may be prompted to confirm your registration for the tournament first. If so, click yes and continue. The prize pool and structure will be shown, along with any other rules you may need to know before playing.

All that’s left is to wait for the skill games tournament to begin. During this waiting period, be sure to look over the rules and information so that you can make the most of your experience and hopefully come out with a tidy profit.

Note: You can unregister from a tournament so long as you do so within the time limit. Once the tournament has begun, you cannot unregister. When you unregister for a skill games tournament, your full entry fee is automatically returned.