Two events with the same field and buy-in can feel very different, depending on how many places get paid and how much goes to the top.
Key terms
- Prize pool: the money set aside for prizes, after fees.
- Places paid: how many finishing positions get money.
- Min-cash: the smallest paid finish.
- Bubble: the last unpaid finish. Bust one spot before the money and you get nothing.
- Top-heavy: a bigger share goes to the last few places.
A payout table, worked through
Say 100 players enter a tournament with $250 of each buy-in going to prizes. The prize pool is 100 × $250 = $25,000. Many live events pay somewhere around 10% to 15% of the field. Here's one made-up way to pay the top 12:
| Finish | Share | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 30% | $7,500 |
| 2nd | 20% | $5,000 |
| 3rd | 13% | $3,250 |
| 4th | 9% | $2,250 |
| 5th | 7% | $1,750 |
| 6th | 5% | $1,250 |
| 7th to 9th | 4% each | $1,000 each |
| 10th to 12th | 1.33% each | about $333 each |
The min-cash, about $333, is only a little more than the $250 each player put into the pool. First place is about 22 times the min-cash. The jump from 10th to 9th is about $667, and from 2nd to 1st is $2,500. That's what "top-heavy" means in practice: most of the money sits at the final table.
Top-heavy vs flatter payouts
A top-heavy table rewards going deep. A flatter table pays more places or shrinks the gaps between them. Neither is better, but they change your goals:
- Top-heavy: building a big stack for a final-table run matters more. Min-cashing barely moves you.
- Flatter: more players make some money, so survival near the bubble is worth more.
The bubble
With 13 players left in the example, 12th pays about $333 and 13th pays nothing. That's the bubble. Near it, a short stack gains a lot by surviving one more elimination, so short stacks tighten up and big stacks push them around.
That's why tournament chips aren't like cash-game dollars. In a cash game, doubling your stack doubles your money. In a tournament, doubling your stack doesn't double your expected payout, because you can only win first place once. Losing all your chips ends your tournament, and that cost is heavier near the money. Players call this idea ICM (the Independent Chip Model). Cash vs tournament strategy explains how it changes your decisions.
Fees and bounties come out first
Don't assume the posted buy-in is the prize-pool share. Check the organizer's breakdown for fees, bounties or other deductions. In a bounty event, part of each entry pays for knockouts, so the regular payout table is smaller than the buy-in suggests. Buy-ins and fees shows how to read the split.
Published payouts can be provisional
Guarantees, attendance, re-entries and house rules can all change the final payout table. Every re-entry adds to the prize pool, so the numbers often aren't set until registration closes. Treat any general description as a guide and check the official prize schedule once it's posted, usually after late registration ends.
Satellites pay differently
In a satellite, the prizes are usually identical seats to a bigger event. First place and last seat get the same thing, which changes bubble play completely.
Quick answers
How many players get paid in a poker tournament?
It varies by event. Many live tournaments pay around 10% to 15% of the field; check the posted payout schedule.
What is the bubble in a poker tournament?
The last finishing position that doesn't get paid. Once the bubble bursts, everyone left is in the money.
What is a min-cash?
The smallest prize in the payout table, paid to the players who finish in the last paid places.
Related: Your first live tournament · All tournament guides
By the TorontoPoker.org editorial team · Updated September 2026 · 19+ · Play responsibly