Tournament Types: Freezeout vs Buy-in

What the tournament type changes and how it differs from blind-structure styles.

The two tournament types

Freezeout

One life only. Once a player loses their chips, they are out of the tournament.

Buy-in

Rebuys and add-ons can be used during the rebuy period when the tournament settings allow them.

What changes when you choose Freezeout

Rebuys are turned off.
Add-ons are turned off.
Table staff only need to track eliminations and normal seating movement.

What changes when you choose Buy-in

Rebuys can be recorded if the tournament configuration includes them.
Add-ons can be recorded if the tournament configuration includes them.
Prize-pool calculations can include buy-ins, rebuys, and add-ons.

Important clarification

Tournament type is different from the blind-structure style. Blind structure helpers such as Classic, Deepstack, Turbo, and Home Game are structure suggestions for pacing and level generation, not the rebuy/freezeout rule set.

When to use each

Freezeout — best when you want a simple one-entry format.
Buy-in — best when your game allows rebuys or add-ons and you want staff to record those at the table.