Quote:
Can you explain the $1/$2 "tournaments" to an out of towner?
You are referring to the "shootouts" as opposed to the "freezeouts" which is the standard tournament style. How did we get here?
Imagine a conversation like this...
Social Gaming Regulator: You can't have cash games, only tournaments.
Poker Room Operator: Why?
SGR: Because I said so. And I can fine you $1,000 or more anytime I like. And take away your license.
PRO: OK, please don't do that. But while we're talking, could you define a tournament for me? That's not written in any of the laws or regulations.
SGR: Uhhh, OK. A tournament is a poker game where there is a fixed buy-in and a set of rules that define the winner after a certain amount of play or time. But the chips have no cash value.
PRO: OK, then how about this. I have a tournament with a fixed buy-in of say $200, and a pre-set time limit of 90 minutes. Because of the time limit, we'll call it a "shootout", like a shootout at high noon.
At the end of the pre-determined time the prize pool is distributed according to the chip stacks, like when players make a deal to equity chop. But in the shootout everyone knows that there will be a chop after 90 minutes.
Chips have no cash value, but the prize pool is distributed according to stack size. That sounds like it meets your definition of a tournament. OK?
SGR: Sure, why not.
PRO: Thanks for your time. No more cash games. I'll just run two types of tournaments from now on: traditional "freezouts" and "shootouts".
SGR: Great. Like I said, no cash games, only tournaments.
(notice, there's no mention of the blinds going up... blinds are fixed at 1/2, and in a $200 freezout you get T$200 chips to start ... no cash value of course ;-)