Best Online Poker Tournaments in New Jersey

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Mar 07, 2023 9 min read Last updated Apr 26, 2024

Looking to find and play the best poker tournaments in New Jersey? While you’ll see plenty of live events in Atlantic City, the best place to play is online for the rest of the Garden State. One could argue that the best New Jersey poker tournaments occur on the virtual felt.

Unlike cash games, where players can come and go as they please, tournament poker requires a bigger commitment. That’s because once you pay your buy-in, you play until you either bust or win it by finishing as the last player. Tournament poker can offer players a big payday from a single buy-in.

So, what are the best online poker tournaments in New Jersey? Keep on reading to find out.

New Jersey Online Tournament Calendar

As the prime destination for all things poker in the Garden State, we're thrilled to unveil our latest feature: the Online Poker Calendar.

Tailored specifically for New Jersey's dynamic poker community, this versatile widget keeps you updated with the latest information on online poker tournaments that are coming up.

Whether you're a seasoned player or just beginning your journey, our online poker tournament calendar ensures you're always up-to-date. Why not give it a go today?

The best online poker tournaments tend to occur on the weekends when traffic is at its highest. It’s common for New Jersey online poker operators to offer bigger buy-ins and guarantees on Saturdays and Sundays - PokerStars' Sunday Million being just one example.

Finally, various New Jersey online poker sites offer special tournament series yearly. For example, PokerStars NJ offers the New Jersey Championship of Online Poker (NJCOOP), while WSOP.com NJ has gold bracelet and ring-awarding WSOP events. BetMGM NJ and Borgata Poker NJ have festivals like the “End Boss Poker Series” and PartyPoker NJ hosts the US Online Championships.

How to Find a Poker Tournament in New Jersey

Do you want to find an online poker tournament in New Jersey? There are two main types of poker tournaments: sit & go and multi-table tournaments; we'll go over both briefly now.

Sit and Go’s (SnGs) are single-table tournaments that run whenever enough players register. There’s no set time, but rather start whenever the table fills up.

Conversely, most multi-table tournaments (MTTs) take place at scheduled times. Most online poker sites in New Jersey offer daily and nightly tournaments. Such tournaments tend to feature the same buy-in and start times.

How to Play Online Poker Tournaments in New Jersey

The best poker tournaments in New Jersey are subjective; it depends on what you like. Are you looking for big fields? Do you prefer small tournaments that require less of a time commitment? Poker players have a wide range of preferences, but the good news is that those who play online tournaments in New Jersey have plenty of options.

This section will provide a quick overview of the different types of online tournaments you can expect to find in New Jersey, and how to play them.

What are Online Poker Tournaments?

When it comes to poker, there are two different forms – cash games and tournaments. The former is restricted to a single table where players buy in, and the chip denominations match dollar for dollar to that buy-in. Stakes are set in advance and stay there (i.e. the blinds in a $1-$2 no-limit hold’em game will remain the same). Players battle each other to win chips from one another. Players can come and go as they please, purchase additional chips to top off their stacks, and quit anytime they’d like.

In tournaments, players pay a single entry fee and are given a predetermined amount of chips that do not usually correspond to the buy-in. For example, World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event players pay $10,000 to enter but start with 60,000 in chips. The goal is to finish as the last player standing, so once a player enters a tournament, they’re obligated to play until either they bust or win it all. As such, it’s more of a commitment as they can’t quit anytime nor come and go as they please.

What Are The Different Types of Online Poker Tournaments?

There are many different types of online poker tournaments. Here are some popular online poker tournaments explained:

• Sit-and-Go (SnGs): A single- or multi-table tournament without a scheduled starting time that begins when the number of needed players has registered. Sometimes written as “sit ‘n’ go” or “sit-n-go” and thus abbreviated as “SNG.”
• Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs): MTTs comprise many different tables, each with a certain number of players competing for a seat at the final table. As players are eliminated, the number of tables shrinks, and players are consolidated as eliminations occur. Most major poker tournaments are played in an MTT format.
• Freezeout Tournament: A tournament where a player only has one chance. Once they are eliminated, they are done with no opportunity to rebuy or enter again - hence the name 'Freezeout.'
• Rebuy/Re-Entry Tournaments: Unlike in a freezeout, when a player busts a rebuy/re-entry tournament, they can pay the buy-in again for a fresh stack, thus giving them another chance in the tournament. Rebuys and re-entries are only offered for a predetermined amount of time.
• Shootout: A multi-table tournament in which players separately play down to a single winner on each table, and then the winners advance to the next round. For example, a “shootout” event at the World Series of Poker might begin with 1,000 players playing at 100 ten-handed tables, with the 100 winners of each advancing to play at ten more ten-handed tables in the second round. The ten winners of those tables would then play a final ten-handed table to determine a winner.

Why Play Online Poker Tournaments?

Many players enjoy online poker tournaments as it allows them a lot of play for a single buy-In, they start on an equal playing field as all the other players, and it offers a larger for those lucky enough to make it deep and especially for those who win.

Poker tournaments also present different situations than cash games, such as ICM, bubble play, and stack-size considerations; what’s more, each situation comes with its own set of strategies.

What Online Poker Tournaments Can I Play in New Jersey?

There is no shortage of online poker tournaments you can play in New Jersey. Between PokerStars NJ, WSOP.com New Jersey, BetMGM, and Borgata Poker NJ, several poker tournaments are taking place right now! Seriously, they’re available 24/7 in varying formats and at different buy-ins.

That said, what most players look forward to are the unique online poker festivals held in New Jersey. These include online gold bracelet and ring tournaments held on WSOP New Jersey – which shares a player pool with Nevada. Then, other festivals are held on PokerStars NJ (i.e. NJCOOP) and BetMGM NJ & Borgata Poker NJ (i.e. BetMGM Poker Online Championships).

Play Bounty Builder Poker Tournaments in New Jersey

In 2020, PokerStars New Jersey introduced online bounty builder poker tournaments, also known as Progressive Knockout (PKO) tournaments, to New Jersey players. The online bounty builder poker tournaments proved quite popular, and players in the Garden State still look forward to the unique format.

What are Bounty Builder Poker Tournaments?

In aBounty Builder/PKO tournament, the second you knock a player out, half of their bounty is added directly to your PokerStars account in cash, while the other half is added to your bounty. As a result, PKO tournaments tend to be filled with more aggression as players are incentivized to make lighter calls in the hope of knocking out players to collect their bounty.

Given the format, there’s always a massive bounty up for grabs in the end, meaning when it’s down to the final two players, there will be one last PKO bounty remaining, one that is oftentimes more than the first-place prize.

What Are The Best Bounty Builder Poker Tournaments to Play in New Jersey?

Regarding bounty builder (AKA PKO) tournaments in New Jersey, PokerStars NJ rules the roost. That’s due in no small part to their popular Bounty Builder Series across three starts – Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey. As of January 1, 2023, Michigan and New Jersey player pools merged, building even higher bounty prizes!

The first-ever Bounty Builder Series on PokerStars New Jersey US offered over $2 million in guarantees across all platforms, including $500,000 in New Jersey alone. The series featured buy-ins ranging from $5 to $1,000, with the Main Events priced at $300.

In the 2020 Bounty Builder Series on PokerStars New Jersey, Daniel "AvaGray" Lupo won the $300 Main Event for $6,273 plus $7,984 more in bounties. Mike "miw21000" Wang also racked up 174 points to take down the KO leaderboard and an accompanying $4,000 prize.

That year, the NJ series surpassed it's advertised $600,000 in guarantees by drawing combined 9,481 entrants and awarding $710,910 in prize money.

Online Poker Tournaments in New Jersey FAQs

PR & Media Manager for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.

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