A tournament is a competition where many teams or players take part in a single sport or game. These events are typically spread out over a period of time, and the winner is determined based on the overall result of the individual matches. Some games have built-in tournament features that make this easier, while others require external software to host them.
Tournaments are very common in esports, which is the competitive multiplayer side of gaming. Despite the comparatively young age of the genre, esports have already grown to be massively popular, with huge prize pools and enough money to set most gamers up for life. Whether you’re a fan of shooters, RTS or fighting games, there’s probably a tournament somewhere nearby that you can compete in.
The prizes for a tournament vary depending on the event and the level at which it is played. In general, the higher the level of the tournament, the better the prizes are. This is because players are competing against other similarly-leveled competitors and the best of them win the prizes. Depending on the tournament, the prizes can range from a new weapon or piece of armor to an entire mount and even some gold.
While the tournament feature varies by game, most follow a similar format. For example, in most shooter games, a tournament consists of a knockout bracket that pits one team or player against another. The team or player who wins advances to the next round, while the loser is sent home.
A more complex tournament format is found in contract bridge, where two opposing pairs play each other for a certain number of sets (or frames) over a specified period of time. The best pair then earns the right to play in the championship. This format is sometimes referred to as Swiss style, although there are other variations.
In snooker, a tournament is usually played in a small arena or a professional snooker club. The tables are covered with green cloth and feature pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each long side. Players use a cue ball and a set of 21 colored balls, each with its own designated point value. The object of the game is to pot all of the balls in a given frame or over a specified amount of time.
In addition to the traditional professional events, there are also a number of amateur and high school tournaments. These can be organized by local game clubs and are a great way to get started in the game. You can find these by searching online or asking around at your local gaming shop.