League Structure  

The Seattle Poker Open is structured in a unique way, to be as fair to all players (experienced or novice), and have an over-all competetive, fun feel to it.  Instead of competing for cash prizes at each event, players compete for points, which will accumulate thoughout the season, and qualify them for the Season Championship.  Every player is eligible to earn points in 3 ways: Participation Points, Placement Points, and Attendance Points*.  You can also utilize these points as you earn them each week of the season in the Weekly Points Leader race.

We also offer 3 unique structures of tournament play: Standard, Extended, and Sit 'N Go. Please see the Blinds section for the specifics of each.

  • Every player can play in as many or as few events as they choose.  There are no restrictions on how often you can play. 
  • Seasons last approximately 12 weeks, and we hold 3 season per calendar year (Winter, Spring & Fall)
  • At the close of the Season, we will hold the Championship Event.
  • Every player in every Multi-Table Tournament will earn 2 Participation Points. Sit 'N Go Tournaments and the Ring Game do not award Participation Points.
  • The final 8 players (the final table) in Standard and Extended Tournaments will be awarded Placement Points as follows:

    • 1st place:
    		100 points
    2nd place:
    		60 points
    3rd place:
    		50 points
    4th place:
    		40 points
    5th place:
    		30 points
    6th place:
    		20 points
    7th place:
    		10 points
    8th place:
    		5 points

    * Since Sit 'N Go Tournaments have a maximum of 8 players, Placement Points will be awarded as follows for EVERY Sit 'N Go:

    1st place:
    		60 points
    2nd place:
    		40 points
    3rd place:
    		25 points
  • Every event will offer a pool of 5 points for every player that attended that event.  The top 33% of the total players will receive a percentage of the Attendance Point pool.  For tournaments that have 24 players or less, this will be the top 8 players.  For every 3 players over 24 in attendance, points from the Attendance Pool will go to one extra player (ie: 27 players pays out to 9th, 30 players pays out to 10th, etc.).  The percentages are derived from the standardized casino tournament payout structure, and are listed below:

    Player Finish
    24 players
    27 players
    30 players
    33 players
    36 players
    39 players
    42 players
    45 players
    48 players
    1
    35%
    34%
    34%
    34%
    33%
    33%
    32%
    32%
    31%
    2
    21%
    20%
    19%
    19%
    18%
    18%
    18%
    18%
    18%
    3
    14%
    13%
    13%
    12%
    12%
    12%
    12%
    12%
    12%
    4
    10%
    10%
    10%
    9%
    9%
    9%
    8%
    8%
    8%
    5
    7%
    7%
    7%
    7%
    7%
    6%
    6%
    6%
    6%
    6
    5%
    5%
    5%
    5%
    5%
    5%
    5%
    5%
    5%
    7
    4%
    4%
    4%
    4%
    4%
    4%
    4%
    4%
    4%
    8
    4%
    4%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    9
    3%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    3%
    10
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    11
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    12
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    2%
    13
    1%
    2%
    1%
    1%
    14
    1%
    1%
    1%
    15
    1%
    1%
    16
    1%
    Attendance Pool Points for tournaments with less than 24 players will use the percentages for 24 player tournaments.

    This method of awarding points is to ensure that the winner of an larger tournament is awarded more points than the winner of a smaller tournament, since it is more difficult to win a larger tournament, yet still provide more points to more players in a larger tournament.

    For example: Player A finished 3rd in a 48 player tournament and receives 2 Participation Points + 50 Placement Points + 29 Attendance Points, or 81 total points for the tournament.  Player B finished 3rd in an 18 player tournament and receives 2 Participation Points + 50 Placement Points + 13 Attendance Points, or 65 total points for the tournament.

    *PLEASE NOTE: Sit 'N Go Tournaments will not have any Attendance Points.

  • The league is divided into Divisions, with each hosting bar being their own Division.  Points earned will be tabulated within each Division, and each Division will have it's own Stats List.  Players are allowed, and encouraged, to compete in as many divisions they wish, to better their chances of qualifying for the Championship.
  • Points will accumulate throughout the season, accruing for every regular season event the player participates in within each division, and can be tracked on the Stats page should you wish to upgrade to a VIP Membership.  Points will not roll over to the next season - they expire at the end of the season they were earned in.
  • Please allow 48 hours for your points to be added to the stats page.
  • A Season Championship will be held at the end of every season with a Championship Prize awarded to the winner.  The top players from each division, based on total points, will be invited to participate in the Championship.