At the first World Series of Poker in 1970, there weren’t any poker tournaments – just cash games. The tournament format came later, and it was a hit, especially when Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 WSOP Main Event and triggered the greatest poker boom of all time. Even today, most players coming into poker are drawn by the allure of big cash prizes at the end of the tournament rainbow.

These are multi-table tournaments (MTTs), of course, but there’s another kind of tourney that you should know about: the single-table tournament (STT). This was a very popular format at the beginning of the poker boom, and STTs still have plenty to offer, whether you’re a new player or a grizzled veteran of the black felt battlefield. Here are three advantages that STTs hold over all other poker formats:
 

Flexibility

With MTTs, you often have to play for hours to win a prize, surviving fields that can number in the thousands – or even tens of thousands. With STTs, you’re already at the final table. You also don’t have to show up at a specific time to play; almost all STTs are played using the “sit-and-go” format, meaning the tournament starts as soon as enough players sign up. This allows you to set your own schedule like a cash game player, while still enjoying the fun and competition of tournament play.
 

Simplicity

Because you only have one table of players to worry about, the STT doesn’t require as many decisions to be made as MTTs. You don’t have to worry about table changes; you’ll always be at the same seat, with the same players surrounding you – until they get eliminated. There are also fewer decisions when it comes to stack sizes, since you’re not likely to find yourself deep-stacked in these events. As a result, the STT is the ideal format for beginning players to get their feet wet before moving on to more challenging poker games.

 

Availability

Possibly the greatest advantage of the STT: There’s always one waiting for you at Bodog Poker. You could log in right now and find an open seat. Again, these STTs aren’t on a fixed schedule. They run as soon as the table is filled, and that table can be as small as two players, heads-up. You can also play short-handed, 6-max and full-ring STTs. Whatever size you choose, the STT will give you more bang for your poker buck, so take advantage and give one a try today.