Do you find yourself finishing forth when the paid places only go down to third? Or that you spend two hours playing a tournament, only to finish just outside the top 10% of paid places? Playing poker can offer great rewards to the right type of player. However if you do not have the right skills it can become very expensive.

When you ask people about what poker game they play the usual answer is Texas Hold'em. This is currently the most popular poker game on the Internet played by thousands of people a day. If you are patient, have the time and learn the tricks you can be very successful at this game. However what if you are not patient and do not have the time to spent all day playing.

Whereas most people play Texas Hold'em with nine other players, this does not have to be the case. Poker can be played with any number of players from two to ten players per table. Playing with fewer players means the games progress faster so you get dealt better cards more often and you have less chance of having your king high flush beaten by an ace high flush.

In addition to playing with fewer players, there can also be a number of variations in the tournament play. Tournaments are usually seen as large games featuring several hundred players or smaller tournaments of ten players. The larger tournaments usually payout the top 10% of places where as the smaller tournaments pay out the top three places.

If you play in the larger tournaments but run out of time or find that you are being eliminated before reaching the prizes, rather than giving up, look for a different type of game. One type is known as head hunter. In this variation each player has a bounty on their head. Typically half of the entrance fee. Knock a player out of the tournament and you will receive this prize. If you take risks and are able to eliminate three or more players you will have made money on the tournament without needing to get close to the final prizes.

For the smaller ten player tournaments if you are usually eliminated in forth or fifth place then there is a different tournament more suited to you. This tournament is typically known as Double your Money. In this version the top five places all pay out the same amount, double your entrance fee. Finishing first makes no difference here, all you need to do is make it to fifth place as all prizes are the same. Double your money games are also completed a lot quicker so if you are short on time they can be ideal.