Shootout Tournaments

What are Shootout Tournaments in Online Poker?

If you are a poker enthusiast, you have probably heard of the term ‘shootout tournaments.’ These are a popular variant of online poker tournaments that have a unique format and structure. Shootout tournaments are different from regular poker tournaments in several ways. In this article, we will explore what shootout tournaments are, how they work, and why they are becoming increasingly popular.

What are Shootout Tournaments?

A shootout tournament is a variant of online poker tournament where players play multiple single-table tournaments. Unlike regular tournaments, where the tournament ends when the final table is reached, shootout tournaments require a player to win their table before progressing to the next round. The winner of each table advances to the next round, and the process continues until there is one player left, who is declared the winner.

🔫 Top 10 Online Poker Sites for Shootout Tournaments

PokerStars
The gold standard for Shootout formats, PokerStars offers daily and special event shootouts, including in major series like SCOOP and WCOOP.

888poker
888poker regularly features Shootout-style Sit & Go’s and multi-table tournaments, ideal for players who enjoy structured progression.

PartyPoker
Known for its tournament variety, PartyPoker includes shootouts in both low- and high-stakes formats with solid prize pools.

Bet365 Poker
A reputable UK operator with occasional Shootout MTTs and custom game formats in its tournament lobby.

Unibet Poker
Best for recreational players, Unibet occasionally runs shootouts as part of their seasonal promotions and missions.

William Hill Poker
Part of the iPoker network, William Hill offers regular Shootout Sit & Go’s and qualifiers for bigger live and online events.

Ladbrokes Poker
Offers both standard and progressive shootout formats, particularly during poker series and leaderboard challenges.

Grosvenor Poker
Blends online shootout events with live casino qualifiers—great for UK-based players looking for hybrid action.

Bwin Poker
A clean and user-friendly platform where Shootout tournaments are part of regular online series and special satellites.

Sky Poker
Features small-to-mid buy-in Shootout tournaments with live-streamed coverage, building a strong community around the format.

How Do Shootout Tournaments Work?

Shootout tournaments are usually played in a series of stages, with each stage having multiple tables. Each table plays independently of each other, with the winner of each table advancing to the next round. The number of tables in each stage varies, depending on the tournament’s structure and the number of participants.

In the first stage, each table usually has 6-10 players, and the winner of each table advances to the second stage, where they play against the other winners. The number of tables in the second stage is usually half the number in the first stage, with each table having 6-10 winners from the first stage.

This process continues until there is only one table left, where the remaining players compete for the first prize. The prize pool is distributed among the top players, with the winner usually taking the largest share.

Advantages of Shootout Tournaments

There are several advantages of playing shootout tournaments, which make them appealing to players of all skill levels. Some of the benefits include:

1. More Chances of Winning

In a regular tournament, a player can be knocked out in the early stages and have no chance of winning the tournament. In a shootout tournament, a player has several chances to win, even if they are knocked out in the early stages of the tournament.

2. Exciting Format

The shootout tournament format is more exciting and engaging than regular tournaments. Each table is like a mini-tournament, with the winner progressing to the next round. This adds a level of excitement and tension that is not present in regular tournaments.

3. More Opportunities to Learn

Since each table is a mini-tournament, players have more opportunities to learn and improve their skills. They can identify their strengths and weaknesses and work on improving their game.

Disadvantages of Shootout Tournaments

While shootout tournaments have several advantages, they also have some disadvantages that players should be aware of. Some of the disadvantages include:

1. Long Tournaments

Shootout tournaments can be long and time-consuming. Since each table is a mini-tournament, players may have to play several rounds before they can win the tournament.

2. Tougher Competition

The competition in shootout tournaments is tougher than in regular tournaments. Since only the winner of each table advances to the next round, players need to be at their best to progress.

3. Variance

The shootout tournament format has a high degree of variance, which means that luck plays a bigger role than in regular tournaments. Even the best players can get knocked out early due to bad luck.

Conclusion

Shootout tournaments are a unique variant of online poker tournaments that offer an exciting and engaging format for players. They have several advantages, including more chances of winning, exciting format, and more opportunities to learn.

In October Vanessa returned to Europe, where she made money at the EPT UK & Ireland Poker Tour London, the WSOP Europe 2011 in Cannes, the Main Event of the EPT San Remo, and the 6th Nations Cup in London, as well as the Coral Late Night Poker in Cardiff. At the end of her incredible year, Vanessa finished in 3rd place in the $10,000 NLHE Championship Event at Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic and was awarded $338,351 in cash. Vanessa is now a coach of some of the best poker players in the game with more than 10 years of teaching experience and as one of the original creators of Poker Training Videos. ^{Show Source Texts}

There is little doubt that she will continue to be one of the most prolific professional poker players in years to come. When she's not playing poker, Vanessa Self is focused on her studies so she doesn't have to work to play. Not only did she complete her political science degree, but she also studied law at Yale, where she discovered poker while studying political science and received her J.D.. Vanessa plans to continue her studies at the Yale Law School and fight for human rights despite her success as a professional poker player. ^{Show Source Texts}

Born in New York in 1984, Vanessa, like many other players, discovered poker in her teens and started playing home games. She realized early on that she could make a living from the game she loved and when she focused her career on her business as a professional poker player it wasn’t long before she began to build an impressive resume. The 2010 Mohegan Sun Main Event on the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) earned her $750,000 and confirmed PokerStars "decided to sponsor her and secured her position as one of the most talented new players in the game. She followed that with a fourth place finish on the European Poker Tour (EPT) at the High Roller event in London, earning her $225,000+. ^{Show Source Texts}

Self has had many successful wins at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). He won seven cash prizes including five final tables and two heads-up semifinals. In 2010, she won the North American Poker Tour Main Event with a first place prize of $750,000. In the midst of a trip to Prague that featured finishing third in the last 10 of the EPT Prague High Rollers, Vanessa Selbst sat down with PokerListings Germany Dirk Oetzmann this week to share some thoughts on what it takes to break the glass ceiling in poker and more. ^{Show Source Texts}

Jennifer Harman took the long road from Reno Kitchen Table Poker to the big game in Las Vegas to face the Poker Boom and the prestigious Poker Hall of Fame. The story of her life on the street lasted for several years with suitcases, cocktail waitress uniforms, years of high-stakes poker strategies at high stakes cash games, near bankruptcy, health crises and thousands of poker chips slam hulling her rake. Harman did not start out in a world dominated by men with their feet, but when she made a name for herself and a niche, she is now one of the most professional poker players ever to hold her own in this world. ^{Show Source Texts}

She also tried her hand at the world of entrepreneurship, but when that didn't work out, she hoped to usher in her return to the world of poker. Dr. Jennifer Jill Harman, associate professor of psychology at Colorado State University, is currently working as a family and drug counselor at Serval for years. As an applied social psychologist, she applies socio-psychological theory to intimate relationships to investigate public health issues ranging from STIs to prevention of domestic violence. ^{Show Source Texts}

On Harman's return to the poker tournament circuit, she finished 4th in the World Poker Tour Five Diamonds World Poker Classic, 5th in the first Pro Professional Poker Tour event and 2nd in the WSOP Circuit Championship in Rio. Jennifer Harman is one of the most iconic poker players in a game that wasn't very popular, but managed to stay afloat as new players came in. Harman signed to the now dismal Full Tilt poker site where she was an absolute beast and considered one of the most popular players in the game at the time. ^{Show Source Texts}

It is important to stress that it was Harman's success at the big cash games in Las Vegas that was decisive for her inclusion as she was the only female player to regularly take part in the famous nosebleed games in the Bobby's Room. Not only did the best female players join her, but many fellow players admired her skill at the cash game tables where Jennifer Harman spent most of her time. The big tournament winnings of the players were only topped on the best night at the Bobbies Room poker room in Bellagio Las Vegas where some of the biggest players in cash game play the highest stakes in the world. ^{Show Source Texts}

One of the greatest successes came when Jennifer played as part of a company with a team of professional poker players who came together to pool resources, with $10 million going to billionaire Texas banker Andy Beal. Back then The Bobbys Room, a high-stakes room in the Bellagio Poker Room, hosted a legendary cash game, a fight between a group of top professionals and Andy Beal's billionaires investors. Two bracelets, tournament winnings of over $2.7 million and sustained success at the green felt more than enough to secure Harman a place in the prestigious Poker Hall of Fame.

Bicknell, considered one of the most attractive women in poker, said that at the poker table she had not experienced much misogyny. In March 2021, she made the statement in a series of tweets after receiving criticism from women who argued that misogyny existed in poker and was a major reason that women were under-represented in only 5% of the poker community. The sparse image of women at high-stakes final tables is the main reason why I believe it is important for me to play live poker. ^{Show Source Texts}

I tend to respect poker players who work hard, who are humble about their success and who are kind members of the community as a whole. When I try to make money playing cash games, I have no idea how to leave any legacy, but my poker career seems to be happening in tournament poker, and tournament poker is always in the spotlight. Kristen Bicknell and Alex Foxen have launched a poker app for high-stakes tournament stars claiming to be the latest and best tracking software for professional players. ^{Show Source Texts}

Bicknell was the highest ranked live poker player in 2017 with a GPI total of 2,627.75. She has also managed to win in a HK-80,000 Asia Pacific Poker Tour High Roller event ($279,549 in 2018), a win in a 5K event at WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic ($1998.40), a 2nd place finish in another 5k event, this time at Deepstack Championship Poker Series ($200,000 in 2017) and a 6th place finish at A $100K Aussie Million tournament ($209,010 in 2019). Bicknell won her third World Series of Poker bracelet as part of the online series World Series of Poker 2020 ($356,412) by winning the $2,500 Limit Holdem 6-handed event. ^{Show Source Texts}