When choosing online poker rooms for tournaments, you cannot approach it like a cash game player.
An online cash game player must look at VIP programs, rakeback, number of amateurs, multi-table gameplay restrictions, and other factors.
As an online MTT player, you should judge poker sites by different metrics, like the tournament schedule, lucrative series, entries in each event, and the blind structures. In this article we talk about the 5 best poker rooms for MTTs players.
GGPoker
At the beginning of 2023, GGPoker’s leadership in MTT lineups is beyond doubt.
GGPoker stands out as a premier destination for online poker enthusiasts, boasting a player base that often exceeds 200,000 users online daily. This platform is renowned for hosting some of the best tournament series in the poker world, including partnerships with the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Notably, the 2020 WSOP Main Event set a Guinness World Record with its staggering $27,559,500 prize pool.
The poker rooms tournament offerings are predominantly No-Limit Hold'em, but there's also a significant focus on Short Deck and Omaha MTTs. Buy-ins cater to a wide range of players, starting from as low as $0.05 and scaling up to $25,000 for high roller events. GGPoker is known for keeping its tournament schedule fresh and innovative, being the first to introduce the Mystery Bounty format. In this format, players can win a random prize upon eliminating an opponent.
GGPoker has been instrumental in popularizing multi-day tournaments. It's a rarity for a week to pass without a tournament series taking place on GGPoker. The platform alternates between smaller series with tens of millions in guarantees and colossal events that offer prize pools in the hundreds of millions. For instance, the WSOP Winter Circuit in December 2022 featured a massive $150,000,000 prize pool.
Additionally, the MicroMILLION$ series provides low-limit players the opportunity to compete for substantial guarantees with modest buy-ins. Omaha enthusiasts are also well-catered for with their own dedicated tournament series.
PokerKing
PokerKing is often classified as the second tier of online poker sites, but in terms of tournaments, it is second only to GGPoker and PokerStars. Series worth tens of millions of dollars happen several times a year. The most famous of them is OSS. In February 2023, $25,000,000 was won. Tournaments on the OSS schedule are divided into 3 buy-in levels: high, medium and low.
The Winning Poker Network (WPN) is home to The Venom, a standout tournament known for its substantial prize pool, which ranges from $5 million to $10 million. This level of guarantee is typically seen only in the most prestigious MTTs hosted by major platforms like PokerStars or GGPoker.
Satellites for The Venom start months in advance, offering players a chance to secure a spot in the tournament for as little as $0.11. This provides an accessible pathway for players to compete for significant winnings.
In March 2023, PokerKing, a member of the WPN, revised its tournament schedule to better accommodate European players.
The adjustments included:
- An increase in the number of daily MTTs, particularly between 14:00 and 21:00 Moscow time.
- A rise in the frequency of tournaments with lower buy-ins.
Following these changes, the total number of tournaments on the schedule went up from 1,254 to 1,605. Concurrently, the prize pools for the more affordable tournaments also saw an increase, from $610,000 to $986,000. The expansion of low-cost MTTs, coupled with a moderate average number of participants per tournament, positions PokerKing as an attractive option for players seeking value and competitive opportunities.
RedStar Poker
In 2022, traffic increased at RedStar Poker. In previous years, it was difficult to call the room suitable for tournament players, but now, the situation is changing. One example of a change in direction is the iPoker Festival series. The €5,000,000 tournament series in 2023 was a record for both RSP and the entire iPoker network.
RedStar Poker is one of the poker sites where we host exclusive weekly freerolls. To participate and start playing for free, collect the entry information on our schedule.
The iPoker network is developing its tournament schedule and adding new series, but there are still small fields and a huge number of inexpensive MTTs. This low level of competition and relatively high guarantees are perfect for beginner players. You can also get into any of the major RSP tournaments through satellites.
PokerStars
Over the past couple of years, PokerStars has completely lost its position as the leader in tournament poker.
Previously, the key to Star’s success was the largest online tournament series and the Sunday Million. WCOOP and SCOOP still offer guarantees of hundreds of millions of dollars, but the GGPoker series prizes look more impressive. A similar story happened with the Sunday Million: it was surpassed by several MILLION$ tournaments.
Despite recent setbacks, we can’t rank MTT poker rooms without talking about PokerStars.
The room has an excellent range of MTT structures, but also its support for different types of poker. There are MTTs in several varieties of PLO, but also about Badugi, 8-Game, HORSE, RAZZ, draw poker, seven-card stud and short deck. All this motley variety is found on the daily tournament schedule and is much more diverse than competing poker sites.
The Sunday Million has not disappeared either. In 2023, the legendary event celebrated its 17th anniversary. According to established tradition, Stars held a festive tournament with an increased prize pool. This time, the Sunday Million guarantee was $7,500,000. The winner received a nice round sum of $1,000,000. Entry to the tournament cost $215, but you could get into the tournament for less through satellites.
The leading tournament series are WCOOP and SCOOP, without a doubt.
At the SCOOP spring festival in 2022, $75,000,000 was awarded. WCOOP turned out to be even more impressive – $108,000,000. In 2023, PokerStars continued to raise the stakes. The total SCOOP guarantee has now reached $115,000,000. They also run smaller series, like the Micro Millions and Turbo.
888poker
888poker is widely recognized as a prominent player in the online poker industry, often mentioned alongside giants like PokerStars and partypoker. It hosts a variety of tournaments throughout the year, with prize pools that can reach into the millions.
One of the most notable series on 888poker is the XL Series. In February 2023, players competed for a share of over $8,000,000. The tournaments in the XL Series are categorized into different levels of buy-ins: high, medium, and low, ensuring accessibility for players with varying bankrolls.
888poker also features the ChampionChip Series in its tournament lobby, which offers players the opportunity to qualify for prestigious live events, including the World Series of Poker (WSOP).
The 888poker network is known for its signature tournament, the Sunday Mega Deep, which boasts a generous prize pool that often exceeds $100,000. This level of prize money is usually found in the major tournaments offered by the industry's leading platforms.
Qualifying satellites for the Sunday Mega Deep begin well in advance, with entry fees starting as low as $0.01. This allows a broad range of players the chance to start playing for a substantial prize pot without a hefty investment.
