As poker has become both a more regulated and respected sport, tournaments at various levels have come about throughout the United States and the world. As with many sports, the game also appeals to celebrities and there are special celebrity tournaments for spectators to watch and enjoy.

Different types of poker tournaments exist. The most common are elimination tournaments where all players start with the same number of chips and play continues until one player has all the chips. As players run out of chips the tables are reduced until one table remains. Usually, all of the players at the final table get some sort of reward.

In shootout tournaments rather than reducing the tables as players are eliminated as in elimination tournaments, each table continues play until one winner is left. Then each winner proceeds to the final table for the last game.

Re-buy tournaments allow players who run out of chips to pay additional money for more chips and to “re-buy” their way into the game. These games generally have larger pots because more money is put in by the players. In addition, these games are more aggressive at first because there is less fear of being forced out of the game.

Many of the tournaments in the United States take place at Casinos, especially in Las Vegas. However, tournaments range from the local to the national level. Some areas even have satellite games where a group will get together and each put in a portion of money. The winner will get to use the money to play in a more expensive and prestigious tournament.

While poker tournaments used to be associated with brooding old men, today poker players are becoming synonymous with young educated professionals, celebrities and even women, according to a recent article in “People.” “While some pros dismiss the majority of celeb players as nothing more than pigeons waiting to be plucked, a handful--including Affleck, Tobey Maguire, James Woods and Lou Diamond Phillips--have earned reputations as accomplished amateurs,” writes Bill Hewitt (8/9/04).

In 2004 Ben Affleck was recognized for winning $356,000 in the California State Poker Championship. Perhaps this change in the attitudes about poker has made it more popular. The World Poker Tour, which is shown on the Travel Channel, is its most popular show.