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Poker tournament payout structures

The prize pool is every buy-in and rebuy, minus anything the host keeps. How you split it decides how the late game plays. Pay too few places and people gamble for first. Pay too many and the winner is barely rewarded.

How many places to pay

Worked example

Nine players each put in 20, so the pool is 180. With no host fee and a 50/30/20 split, first gets 90, second 54, and third 36.

Common structures

• Winner take all: simple and tense, best for small or casual games.
• 50 / 30 / 20: the usual choice for a table of 6 to 10.
• Even chop: everyone left splits equally, used when the game is called for time or the last players agree to a deal.
• Custom: any percentages that add up to 100.

Host fee

If the host keeps a fee for food or cards, subtract it before splitting, and tell players before the first hand.

Tourney Manny tracks the pool, supports winner-take-all, 50/30/20, even chop, and custom splits, and shows each payout.

Frequently asked questions

How many places should a home poker tournament pay?

Pay one place for 5 or fewer players, three places for 6 to 10, and four or five for 11 to 20.

What is a common poker tournament payout split?

50 percent to first, 30 percent to second, and 20 percent to third.

How do you chop a poker tournament prize pool?

Add the remaining prize money together and divide it evenly among the players left, or agree a split based on stack sizes.

Should the host take a fee from the prize pool?

Only if everyone agrees beforehand. Subtract it from the pool before calculating the payouts.