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.
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