Questions To Ask When You Are Playing In A Charity Poker Tournament

I assume those who are reading this blog are interested in playing in charity tournaments both to support a charity, and to win some money.

With the recent lift of the cap on top prizes, some charities are changing how they operate their tournaments, so that the charity continues to net the same amount of money for each tournament. Here's what to be aware of:

1. How much of the entry fee is going to the prize pool? There is no state regulation of this percentage. Some charities contribute less than 50% of entry fees to the prize pool, while I have played in other tournaments were the amount of the entry fee contributed to the prize pool was 75-80%.

2. What does the charity do with "add on" charges? If the charity has an optional add on during the tournament, you should inquire as to whether this amount is also added to the prize pool. It is likely not added to the prize pool, but instead used to increase the charity's revenue for the event. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but something you should be aware of.