If you have played in any of the several recent “Missions” themed promotions on Bet365 of late, then you will have noticed that one of the prizes available has been the chance to win tournament tokens for the new Premium Steps tournament that was revamped and released on the site following the Bet365 revamp of 2015.

So what is it about this newly revised version of the popular long-standing tournament on Bet365 that has got so many people excited about how they could turn an initial investment of just €0.50 into a huge €800 windfall?

Let’s take a little time to find out a bit more about this flagship Bet365 Poker feature.

What is the Premium Steps tournament on Bet365 Poker?

The Premium Steps Tournament is a series of matches contested between three players with short stacks. Players are free to buy in at any of the nine steps depending on how much they want to spend, but the further along the steps they buy in, the greater the cost to enter the tournament is.

At each Step in the tournament, players play against two other players to be the final player standing at the table. The lucky player to achieve this receives a prize of a free tournament token onto the next step of the tournament. The runner up receives a consolation prize of a tournament token for the previous step in the tournament (or at Step 1, a small cash prize of €0.25).

There are a total of nine steps in the event and on the final ninth step, the lucky player out of the three contesting the final that wins that final table event, will take home the top prize of €800 in cash added to their Bet365 Poker account.

Players are free to enter the tournament at any Step, but the further into the tournament the step is, the higher the cost of the initial buy in.

Outlined below is a table which details each of the nine steps, what the buy in is for each and what the prizes are for the winner and runner up in these three-player matches.

Do I earn Merit Points while playing in the Bet365 Premium Steps tournament?

That depends on what you used to buy into the tournament with. If your initial buy in was for Merit Points, or you earned a tournament token to try your luck in the next phase of the competition, then you will not receive any merit points for this play.

However, if you use real cash to buy into the event, you will receive Merit Points for that step at the usual rate.

Can I play Premium Steps on mobile as well as the website?

Yes, following the major upgrade to the Bet365 mobile poker client last year, you can now play all levels of the Premium Steps tournament via a mobile device as well as on the website.

What is the effect of playing against just two other players at the Premium Steps tables?

In the new Premium Steps tournament, the fact that you now face off against just two other players, combined with the fact that all players start the game with short stacks, changes the feel and pace of the tournament entirely.

Formerly, Premium Steps events saw more players with larger stacks competing at each step level, this led to games lasting a considerable amount of time while the eventual winner was decided.

However, changing the format to small stacks and fewer players has made the events far more faster-paced. Players are now forced into acting and play a wider range of hands simply because they do not have the number of chips available to do anything otherwise.

The upshot of this is that the new style of Premium Steps tables are played to a conclusion far more quickly and that when the tournament is in play, there is a lot more action at the tables.

In one sense this is a positive as it means players can play through a number of steps in a relatively short amount of time. However more experienced players who would have previously used the larger stacks and additional time to gain an upper hand in the event, could be frustrated by the fact that they are forced to play more hands, more quickly in this format.

Is there a time limit when Premium Steps tokens need to be used by?

If you receive a Premium Steps token, either as a prize for winning a previous Premium Step match up, or perhaps as a prize for one of the “Missions” prizes that Bet365 have been running regularly over recent months, then you need to be aware that these tokens do have a shelf life.

From the date you receive your token, by whatever means, you have a total time period of two months within which to use the token, after which if the token is not used, it will expire.

Furthermore, if you receive a Premium Steps token as a prize by whatever means from Bet365, you have to use it on the Premium Steps tournament at the stated buy in level. You cannot use a €1.10 Premium Steps token, for example, to play in a €1.10 Sit & Go game or similar.

Is it worth trying to climb the Premium Steps to the top prize?

Of course, winning the top prize in this promotion, especially from Step 1, is a tall order and not an easy task for even the most skilled of poker players. However, the new competition does have some very attractive options in place to make giving this promotion a try.

First up, in addition to a first prize of a tournament token to the next step, the addition of a runners-up prize of a tournament token to the previous step does take the sting out of losing away somewhat as you at least get another chance to continue in the tournament, at no extra cost, from that new step. This is especially beneficial the higher up the Steps you climb.

Add to that a very cheap starting price, or even the chance to buy in using Merit Points, rather than cash and you have a promotion available all year round, which anyone can take part in at any time.

If you haven’t given Bet365’s Premium Steps the once over yet, it may well be worthwhile doing so.