There are lots of different tournament formats in poker. But poker flighted tournaments are definitely something special.

Allowing a wide range of people to take a shot at a particular event, these tournaments lead to a captivating playing experience. Take a look at the world of flighted tournaments in poker, including their structure, advantages and the unique experiences you can have when you play in one.

Structure of poker flighted tournaments

Flighted tournaments in poker consist of multiple starting days, or flights. Each acts as a separate phase of the tournament. The number of flights vary depending on the event. In some events, you’ll get two start days, while in others you’ll have many more.

These flights act as qualifiers, allowing players to progress to subsequent stages based on their performance. Players who are eliminated during a flight might have the option to re-enter in another flight, but of course it’ll cost you an additional buy-in.

Advantages of flighted tournaments

There are lots of advantages to flighted tournaments. Firstly, it allows more people to take part in popular tournaments. This is useful when it comes to major live events like the WSOP, but it really comes into its own in online poker. For major online poker rooms like bet365 (bet365 bonus code here if you haven’t signed up yet), it can be a great tool for increasing player fields and prize pools.

It also means there’s a really healthy competition. With so many players taking part and being whittled down in each flight, it can lead to a more diverse playing field in the subsequent flights. Which is never a bad thing.

But one of the best things about it is the increased flexibility and multiple different ways to advance. You can choose the flight that suits your schedule and availability, and this helps to make the tournaments you want to play more accessible.

Unique experiences and atmosphere

There’s a really exhilarating atmosphere that comes with playing flighted tournaments. It blends the camaraderie of a shared experience with the competitive spirit of the game. As players progress through the flights, they can meet new opponents and forge connections with the wider poker community.

With multi-day play, you can experience the evolving dynamics of the game. Strategies adapt, chip stacks fluctuate and intensity builds as the field narrows. This leads to its own set of challenges and surprises, making each stage of a flighted tournament unique.

Are there any drawbacks to poker flighted tournaments?

There are a few ways that poker flighted tournaments might not suit every player. For example, they simply take longer than traditional tournaments. So if your schedule is squeezed already, you might not have time to play a flighted tournament.

They can also end up costing more. Sometimes they have increased tournament fees, but one of the big ways they can stretch your budget is because they often offer options to re-enter. This can turn one entry into several. So make sure you budget for this, if that’s what you want to do.

Plus, with the nature of these flighted tournaments, where the player field are narrowed at the Day One of the flights, the competition can get pretty stiff during Day Twos (and beyond). This can be a fun challenge, but it can also be intimidating if you’re newish to poker.