What are Wild Seat Poker Tournaments?

Wild Seat™ Tournaments allow our members to have a chance to win up to 10,000 times their buy-in, instantly. Wild Seat Tournaments are patent-pending and are only available on this website and other websites of the Gamesys Group that offer linked Poker. We also have a wide range of scheduled multi table tournaments to offer. We have lots planned with a wide variety of other innovative Poker formats, and we plan to expand the selection over time. Stay tuned!

How do I take part in a Wild Seat Tournament?

The Wild Seat Tournaments are 'On Demand Tournaments' which mean they start as soon as there's enough players. In this case a Tournament will start when there are four people sat at a table.

You can register at any time by clicking the Wild Seat Tournament icon from the Poker Lobby, and then clicking the 'Register' button. Remember, the Tournament will start as soon as four people sit down, and you will automatically be dealt into the game, so make sure you're keeping track if you get there first.

What can I win?

Rather than winning the chips on the table, everyone is given a 'box' at the start of the game, filled with a randomly assigned prize. This is normally between 2x and 10,000x the value of the buy-in, however for the £20 Wild Seat game, you can win between 2x and 1,000x. The winner of the game gets to open their box to reveal their prize amount. This means you can win huge amounts, no matter what is on the table!

How do I register for a Wild Seat Tournament?

From the Poker lobby, you can see the range of Tournaments that are currently on offer. Clicking on a game tile saying "Wild Seat" will take you to the Tournament information screen. There you will see a counter for the number of players currently registered, such as 2/4. To join, click on the green "Register" button, and confirm your buy-in. You will be taken to the Poker table, and the Tournament will begin as soon as four players have joined. If you change your mind before the Tournament starts, you can unregister by clicking on the Leave button at the top left of the table.

How long does a Wild Seat Poker Tournament last?

A Wild Seat Poker Tournament tends to take between eight and twelve minutes, but of course it's all up to the playing style of the participants! Some people will like to make speedy decisions, and sometimes players will get through the games quickly by betting big and being knocked out. No two Tournaments are ever identical, and you may find that a £2 Wild Seat Tournament is played more quickly due to quicker blind increases. You can find more information starting Chips and Blind increases in the game information section within the Poker Lobby.

Can I choose my seat?

No, seats are picked at random at the start of the Tournament. Though you'll see your own Avatar and can view the Player List within the Poker Lobby, you won't know exactly where anyone is sitting in relation to each other until the Tournament begins.

Can I leave a Tournament once I've selected to buy in?

Yes, but only before the game starts. If you click the 'leave room' button (door and arrow symbol in the top left of the game page) you'll be given a confirmation message asking if you wish to leave. If you confirm your choice to leave, you'll be removed from the Tournament and will get your buy-in back.

However, if you lose connection or close the game window without selecting to leave the room, your Tournament will still be in play and you won't get your buy-in refunded. Instead, you will still be in the Tournament and will continue to receive cards and post blinds and antes. When the action is on you, you will be automatically folded if you are facing a bet. The system is designed this way so that you don't miss out if you lose connection - You can return to the site at any time and can re-take your seat at the Tournament as long as you still have chips. You will be able to go back in through the Poker Lobby and re-join your previous game.

As the games cannot be paused when you leave a room, you may find a reduced amount of Chips due to active Blinds.

If you've had problems loading up a Tournament or taking part, you can find more information here.

What are Tournament Buy Ins, Entry Fees, and Prize Pools?

To play in a Poker Tournament, you register and pay the Tournament buy-in. A small fraction of the total buy-in, called the 'entry fee', is retained by Smooth Bingo for administration of the Tournament. The large majority of the buy-in goes toward the prize pool, which funds the prizes. The entry fee is normally 10% or less of the buy-in. In some cases, a Tournament may have zero entry fee, or zero buy-in, with free prizes provided by Smooth Bingo. For full details on Tournament buy-ins and entry fees, please visit the Game Rules section in the Poker Lobby.

Do you offer a Demo mode for Wild Seat Poker, or games with 'Play Money' to practice?

No, we do not currently offer play money tables or a Demo mode. The smallest buy-in is £0.01, or you can watch for opportunities to win free-play tickets. You can learn how to play in the Academy. When you click on any Tournament tile in the Poker Lobby you can see the Academy in the 'How to Play' section.