If you’re new to the world of poker, you may have heard of the term “GTD” being thrown around. So, what does GTD stand for in poker? GTD is short for “guaranteed” and refers to the guaranteed prize pool in a poker tournament.
In a GTD tournament, the poker room guarantees a certain amount of money to be paid out in prizes regardless of how many players enter the tournament. For example, let’s say a poker room is hosting a $100 buy-in GTD tournament with a guaranteed prize pool of $10,000. If only 50 players enter the tournament, but the total prize pool only adds up to $5,000, then the poker room will add an additional $5,000 from their own funds to make up for the difference and fulfill their guarantee.
Now that you know what GTD stands for in poker tournaments let’s take a look at some benefits and drawbacks of playing in these types of tournaments.
Benefits:
1) Guaranteed Prize Pool: As mentioned earlier, one of the main benefits of playing in a GTD tournament is that there is a fixed minimum prize pool that will be paid out no matter how many players enter.
2) Attract More Players: The guaranteed prize pool often attracts more players than non-GTD tournaments since it gives them peace of mind knowing they’ll be playing for a minimum amount.
3) Increased Value: Since there is often more money in the prize pool than what was initially put up by players through buy-ins alone, there’s an opportunity for increased value when playing in these tournaments.
Drawbacks:
1) Higher Buy-Ins: In order to guarantee larger prize pools, GTD tournaments usually have higher buy-ins than non-GTD tournaments.
2) More Competition: With more players attracted to these types of tournaments due to guaranteed prize pools, it also means there’s more competition and potentially less chance of winning.
3) Less Overlay: Overlay refers to the difference between the guaranteed prize pool and the actual prize pool paid out. While it’s possible to have overlay in GTD tournaments, it’s less likely than in non-GTD tournaments since the poker room is on the hook for making up any differences in the prize pool.
In conclusion, GTD stands for “guaranteed” and refers to the guaranteed prize pool in a poker tournament. While there are benefits to playing in these types of tournaments such as a fixed minimum prize pool and increased value, there are also drawbacks such as higher buy-ins and more competition. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual player to decide if playing in a GTD tournament is worth it for them.
