Pick & Go MTTs Kick-Off on GG Poker

By Jonathan Raab

18 Jun 2024

Jonathan Raab 18 Jun 2024

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GG Poker launches new Pick & Go tournament format
Progress in Pick & Go tournaments linked to sports results
Launched to coincide with Euros

GG Poker Launches Pick & Go Tournaments

GG Poker Launches Pick & Go Tournaments for start of Euros

Coinciding with the Euros, online poker site GG Poker has launched Pick & Go, a new poker tournament format, which is linked to the results of live sporting events. These are regular MTTS, but with a crucial added element.

Choose a team in each match and cheer them on, because your progress in the tournament depends on the result of the football match.

Pick Your Favourite Team

They start at the same time as kick-off in Euros matches and when you enter, you have to choose a team. The flag representing the team you choose will be displayed above your regular avatar when you take your seat in the tournament.

Reduced Buy-In

All the Pick & Go tournaments scheduled for the first round matches of the Euros have a buy-in of $10, however nobody pays the full $10. GG Poker gives every player a discount, but the size of the discount depends on the live sports-betting odds of the team you pick. The longer the odds, the bigger the discount.

Registration remains open until the full-tme (90 mins) whistle blows, with the size of the discount varying according to the live betting odds.

Your Team Loses, You Lose

At the end of the match, all players who picked the losing team are eliminated, regardless of chip stack. Players who choose the winning team continue playing until the tournament concludes. If the match ends in a draw, nobody is eliminated and all players continue playing.

If you picked the losing team, you may continue to play by re-entering, but will pay the full $10 buy-in with no discount.

First Round Guarantees

All Pick & Go tournaments linked to first round Euros matches are $10 buy-ins (minus the odds factor discount) and have either €5,000 or €10,000 guarantees. The buy-ins and guarantees for the matches in the second round and beyond have not yet been revealed by GG Poker.

Back of the Net?

This new format adds an intriguing additional element to regular online poker tournaments and it will be interesting to see how well received it is by GG Poker's players. If it works well it could potentially be a format used for any other sporting events, or even entertainment spectacles, such as the Eurovision Song Contest.

Potential Offside Flag - Mass Abandonment

However there are some legitimate concerns about situations that can arise as a result of the unique format. For example, if the opposing team (to the one chosen) takes a significant lead in a match, it could be frustrating to carry on playing in the tournament, with little chance of progressing to the next stage and making the money.

Many players might simply abandon playing if they have sided with a team that is getting soundly beaten. The method of abandonment might be either by sitting out, or by going all-in every hand, potentially creating an unbalanced playing experience for the rest of the field.

Such player abandonment will likely increase as the final whistle approaches, even with smaller leads.