If you are considering getting into poker tournament play then you’ll find a number of different tournament types to choose from. It can be difficult to decide which tournament to sign up for unless you are aware of your options. Therefore, I put together this overview of poker tournament varieties so you can familiarize yourself with what’s out there.

Sit & Go tournaments are among the most popular poker tournaments. A Sit & Go tournament is not scheduled. Rather, the tournament begins as soon as the seats are filled. Sit & Go’s are found at virtually every online poker site and range in buy-in prices as well as the number of players. You can play in a heads-up Sit & Go game, or play in a tournament with hundreds of other players.

I’ve talked about satellite tournaments before. A satellite tournament is one in which the prize is not cash, but rather entrance into a larger and more prestigious tournament. Playing in satellites is a great way to gain entrance into tournaments you couldn’t afford to enter otherwise.

If you are new to tournament style play then a freeroll tournament is a great option. A freeroll is often offered as a promotion by poker rooms and is a tournament with a cash prize but no entry fee. Freerolls are a great way to practice tournament play without sacrificing your bankroll.

Other types of poker tournaments include rebuy tournaments, where you can buy back in during tournament play if you wipe out; and guaranteed tournaments that have guaranteed prizes, rather than a prize based on the number of players.