Hand for hand play in WPT tournaments refers to how hands are played after the bubble bursts. Everyone else in the tournament has the same amount of chips, usually when only two players remain at the table. For those new to WPT tournaments, hand for hand play might seem like an odd concept—why aren’t all players given the same stack of chips?
Why does it happen?
Players are often asked, What is hand for hand play? Simply put, it is a rule change implemented by the World Poker Tour (WPT), allowing players to fold their hands before the flop but still participate in the tournament. This rule change was made primarily because of the large number of players playing online poker tournaments with multiple accounts. The idea behind this rule change is that if you have a second account and lose your chips early in the WPT tournament, you can use your other account to try and win some more chips later. Because of this, many online poker rooms have banned players from having more than one account at any given time.
How does it work?
In most poker tournaments, the blinds increase every few minutes. Players have until then to make their moves. If a player chooses not to call, or if he folds his cards before the round of betting is over, he is eliminated from the game. However, in some events—including many WPT tournaments—players are given an additional opportunity to stay alive.
Do I have to wait until everyone is out of the tournament before my hands get played out?
No, you do not have to wait for everyone’s hands before yours are played out. Once the turn card is dealt, the button will move, and play will continue with players at the new table. This is where hand-for hand play comes into play. Hand for hand play means that after each hand is completed, players from that table move over one seat and sit down at the new table (forming a new table). In other words, these players leave their old table and find a new seat.
How long will I wait for my next hand if it gets dealt late in a tournament?
Two scenarios can happen when you get dealt a late hand:
- If your next hand is dealt early, the dealer will deal it immediately and continue dealing hands for players still active in the tournament unless you’ve been eliminated from play.
- If your next hand is dealt late and only one or two players are left, the dealer will deal it now and then stop dealing hands for players still active in the tournament. In this case, all these players will have their chips counted to see who wins.
When does it make sense to not use both hands during hand-for-hand play?
Sometimes, it may make sense not to use both hands during hand-for-hand play. For example, if you are facing a very difficult decision and want to see what your opponent does before making your final decision. Wait for your opponent to play and then play out of turn. If you are using the same strategy as your opponent, this technique may also help you better understand where they are at during the tournament.
There are plenty of chances to win.
The World Poker Tour (WPT) is one of the most prestigious poker tours in the world. They have held tournaments for over 20 years, and you can find them live and online. One of the great features of their tournaments is that they play hand-for-hand instead of playing all tables at once. If your seat is eliminated, you can still watch the tournament play out on your screen and cheer on your favorite players from home.
Hand for hand play has several great benefits for players and fans. One is that it makes for more exciting action with more players still in contention at the end of a tournament, which means there are better chances to see an underdog player win it all.
To Summarize
So, what is hand for hand play? It’s the way that poker tournaments are played when a player busts out. The player who busts out of the tournament is deemed dead for the tournament, and all other players (including those not yet knocked out) are given ten more hands to play. Once those ten rounds have been completed, there’s a new leaderboard with all players still in the tournament at the end of hand for hand play on top.