Tournament prize pools, guarantees and overlays explained
Every tournament has a prize pool — the money paid to the winners. Understanding how it’s built helps you choose better tournaments.
Buy-in and fee
Section titled “Buy-in and fee”A buy-in like $10 + $1 usually means $10 goes to the prize pool and $1 is the fee (rake) the room keeps. Some sites show only the total ($11). Lower fees mean more value for players. See rake and rakeback.
Guaranteed prize pools (GTD)
Section titled “Guaranteed prize pools (GTD)”A tournament marked “$10,000 GTD” promises a prize pool of at least $10,000, however many players enter.
- If entries create more than the guarantee, the prize pool is simply bigger.
- If entries create less, the room adds the difference.
What is an overlay?
Section titled “What is an overlay?”An overlay is the money the room adds when entries don’t cover the guarantee.
Example: a $10,000 GTD event with a $10 prize-pool share gets only 800 entries → $8,000 from players. The room adds $2,000 overlay. That’s free money for the players in it — great value.
Payouts
Section titled “Payouts”Most tournaments pay roughly the top 10–20% of entrants, with most money going to the final table and especially the top three. See tournament payouts.
Finding value
Section titled “Finding value”- Look for overlays: smaller fields at odd times, bad weather days, holidays.
- Prefer lower fees and softer fields.
- Late registration can help you see if a guarantee is unlikely to be met — but you start with fewer big blinds. See late registration.
See also tournament types.
What does GTD mean in poker tournaments?
Section titled “What does GTD mean in poker tournaments?”Guaranteed: the prize pool will be at least the stated amount.
What is an overlay in poker?
Section titled “What is an overlay in poker?”Money the room adds when buy-ins don’t cover the guaranteed prize pool.
What does a buy-in like $10+$1 mean?
Section titled “What does a buy-in like $10+$1 mean?”Usually $10 goes to the prize pool and $1 is the room’s fee.
Why are overlays good for players?
Section titled “Why are overlays good for players?”The room adds extra prize money, so the tournament pays out more than players put in.