Question about Tournaments

Let's say for the sake of argument, theres a Poker Tournament on FTP that is a guarnteed tournament for a max of 3,600 people for a prize total of 5k. And it pays the top 15, what happens if only 15 people enter? Do they automatically make it to the cash or what?

Wouldn't happen, (a) because FT wouldn't let it happen, and (b) if it looked like it was going to happen, knowing FT they would probably cancel the donkament or something.

Yea, I didn't think it would, but I was curious so I thought I'd ask.

Not sure I agree with DM about this.

Some sites post a minimum number of entrants for tournies. If the minimum is not reached, the tourney does not begin.

With that exception (and I can`t recall that FTP uses that system in any case, though there may be something buried in their Terms of Service), I would say that a guarantee must be honoured. Failure to do so lays the site open to complaint to their regulators and is terrible customer relations.

A few months ago, Poker Room failed to honour a guarantee, saying that it was an error. There was a huge outcry and they had to back down and pay up.

Well thats why I was asking because I didn't see any minimum number of entrants anywhere, and usually there are on big tourneys like that.

I have now read the FT site rules. The relevant bit says:

"34. Tournament registration must meet minimum requirements for that event or the tournament will be cancelled. In case of cancellation due to insufficient entries, all buy-ins and fees will be returned to the players' accounts."

However, I am not sure where they publish the "minimum requirements" for a tourney. It`s certainly not as prominently announced as on other sites, so it would be hard to know when the minimum has been met.

The pokerroom debacle was primarily a result of them actually letting the tournament run, then reneging on the guarantees.

Dorkus Malorkus said:

The pokerroom debacle was primarily a result of them actually letting the tournament run, then reneging on the guarantees.

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I know. Not an exact parallel, but indicative of the reaction that one might provoke by annoying the players.

FTP publishes the minimum requirement for their tournies. Like the CC FR last week was 50. So at 61 players, we made it by 11.

MrSticker said:

FTP publishes the minimum requirement for their tournies. Like the CC FR last week was 50. So at 61 players, we made it by 11.

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In some cases, Sticky, but only some, I think.

For example, the first guarantee tourney in the lobby right now (#16897710, $11,000 gtd) does not have that info anywhere, unless my eyesight has taken a turn for the worse.

Yes, I believe if there is a minimum req. it it posted in the tournament lobby under the maximum amount.

Egon Towst said:

In some cases, Sticky, but only some, I think.

For example, the first guarantee tourney in the lobby right now (#16897710, $11,000 gtd) does not have that info anywhere, unless my eyesight has taken a turn for the worse.

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The "(XX Min)" goes away after that number is reached. Some are as low as 2 and some are as high as 99 or more.

So, the short answer to the OPs question is "Yes". If there is a tourney that is guaranteed to pay out $5,000, then that money will be paid out regardless. If they start off saying 15 spots pay out to start and only 15 people register, then yes, they all make the money.

Having said that, it is extremely rare to see a guarantee tourney not easily exceed the guarantee. From what I've seen, it would appear that 90% or more of the registrants sign up in the last 30 minutes prior to start (most likely because each poker site spams their chat blocks at every single table).

Big article in one of the earlier this year issues of Card Player, was about how FTP, and PS both were only hovering near the break even point as far as their Guarenteed Tournies . They both had been suffereing big overlays (guarentee bigger than total buyins). Both seemed upbeat about how 'things were picking up' after so many online rooms left the US.

MrSticker said:

The "(XX Min)" goes away after that number is reached.

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Aha. Didn't know that. Thanks, m8.