Sweepstakes poker is taking over.
It’s a type of online poker that follows a sweepstakes model, meaning you play with
virtual coins or tokens instead of actual money. Players who collect enough of these
coins then get to redeem them for sweepstakes prizes. Cash transfers and gift cards
are most popular, and you can use a site like ClubsPoker to start playing.
Unsurprisingly, sweepstakes poker tournaments are most popular. Not only are they
more competitive, but they also offer the bigger Sweeps Coins (SC) prize pools, which
are needed to redeem prizes. So, let’s break down sweepstakes poker tournaments
right here, breaking down where to play and how they work.
Sweepstakes Poker Tournaments: Breakdown
Sweepstakes poker tournaments are just like regular online poker tournaments, whether
you’re playing Texas Hold’em or Omaha. The only difference is that you’re playing with
virtual Sweeps Coins instead of real money. Any Sweeps Coins you win from these
tournaments are then automatically eligible to be exchanged for rewards, such as 100
Sweeps Coins for $100 worth of gift cards.
There are different types of tournaments you can enter, including:
■ Freerolls: No-entry tournaments with SC payouts
■ Sit & Go: Small, instant-start tournaments
■ Multi-table tournaments: Scheduled events that typically have large prize pools
Most of these tournaments are Texas Hold’em, as it’s the player’s favorite, but you can
also find other types of sweepstakes poker variations if that’s what you’re looking for.
The available tournaments list what variation they are and any buy-in that’s required, so
there’s never any confusion. It’s simply about picking what’s best for you, such as a
Texas Hold’em freeroll tournament if you’re more of a casual player.
How the Tournaments Work
If you’ve ever played a regular online poker tournament before, sweepstakes
tournaments work pretty much the same way. The major difference is that you buy in
using Sweeps Coins and use them throughout each hand. Players are then gradually
eliminated as blinds increase, with the top 10% to 20% of finishers bagging Sweeps
Coins prizes and the final winner getting the biggest share of them all.
So, if you’re one of those winning players, any Sweeps Coins you win will be
automatically added to your account’s Sweeps Coins balance. After each tournament,
you’ll have the freedom to redeem those coins for prizes if you wish to. Or, you can
keep entering new tournaments to further build your SC collection, opening the
opportunity for bigger prizes and rewards.
Depending on what type of sweepstakes poker tournament you’re taking part in, the
games tend to be more fast-paced, especially if it’s Sit & Go. The bigger tournaments,
such as annual special promotion ones, are a little different and can last all day. But it’s
certainly worth keeping in mind that sweepstakes poker tends to be on the faster side.
Where to Play Sweepstakes Poker Tournaments
The good news is that you can enter and play in sweepstakes poker tournaments
across different platforms:
Sweepstakes Poker Sites
The big name sweepstakes poker sites are Global Poker, ClubsPoker, and ClubWPT,
all of which have thousands of worldwide players. Global Poker is our top pick because
of its excellent weekly tournaments — Sunday Scrimmage and The Hydra — as well as
the competitive ‘GP Championships’ that include the Rattlesnake Open and Eagle Cup.
The Rattlesnake Open for this May is currently going on, where 200 trophies and a prize
pool of 1.5 million Sweeps Coins is guaranteed, which gives you an idea of just how big
these tournaments are starting to get.
Sweepstakes Casinos
A growing number of sweepstakes casinos now offer sweepstakes poker in their game
libraries. For example, Stake.us has the exclusive ‘Stake Poker’, which has popular Sit
& Gos and buy-in tournaments, while Pulsz casino has Texas Hold’em and other
variations of poker to play. Sweepstakes casinos are all free to join and they regularly give out Sweeps Coins as part of sign-up bonuses and weekly promotions, so it’s easy
to stack up on coins before you play.
It’s Also Possible to Play for Free
The great thing about sweepstakes poker and sweepstakes poker tournaments is that
it’s also possible to play for free if you want to.
Instead of entering tournaments using Sweeps Coins, you can enter using Gold Coins,
which is the free-to-play currency that can’t be redeemed for prizes.
All you have to do is go on a sweepstakes poker site and find a ‘Gold Coins’ tournament
lobby.
This way, you can play without any pressure involved and it’s purely for fun.
This is actually a great way for you to get to grips with sweepstakes poker and how the
tournaments work if you’ve yet to play before, and you can then progress into
competitive Sweeps Coins tournaments after building a little experience.
How to Get Free Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins
For those ready to dive into their first sweepstakes poker tournaments, it’s a good idea
to stock up on free GC and SC first so that you don’t have to deposit money for coin
packages.
You can get these coins across both sweepstakes casinos and sweepstakes poker sites
by:
◼ Claiming sign-up bonuses
◼ Collect ‘Daily Login’ coins
◼ Enter social media giveaways
◼ Refer friends and both get rewarded
◼ Send mail-in requests to your chosen site
Mail-in requests are especially useful over time, as all you have to do is send a letter to
your sweepstakes casino or sweepstakes poker site asking them for free coins.
Because these sites follow a sweepstakes model, they legally have to provide you with
a free form of entry so that players can play without making a purchase. You’ll only get
a small handful of Sweeps Coins whenever you do this, but those coins can ultimately
be used in tournaments and get you in contention for prizes.
Verdict
Sweepstakes poker is the next big thing in the online poker world.
With the likes of Global Poker and ClubsPoker booming, and even sweepstakes
casinos like Stake.us starting to offer poker, now has never been a better time to start
playing.
Remember, sweepstakes poker tournaments vary from standard Sit & Go ones to huge
multi-table tournaments like Global Poker’s Rattlesnake Open, so choose wisely which
ones you want to enter.
For those that require buy-ins, you sometimes might have to save up your Sweeps
Coins or stick with free-entry tournaments for the first part.
Sweepstakes poker is also one of the only legal ways to play online poker in the
majority of US states, but you need to be aged 21 or over across most sites if you want
to play right now.