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Tournament Payout Calculator

Build a tournament prize pool and payout structure in seconds.
Pick a curve, set your field size, and see exactly what each finishing position pays.

  1. Enter your tournament setup. Buy-in, rake/fee, expected entries, and what percent of the field gets paid.
  2. Pick a curve. Standard works for most tournaments. Steep concentrates more at the top; Flat spreads it across more places.
  3. Read the payout table. Copy it, share it, or print a structure sheet to bring to the table.

Results update live as you change inputs.

Tournament Setup
Need more than 50 entries? Sign up free for fields up to 1,000+.
% of field
Prize Pool
Total collected $0
Total fees $0
Prize pool $0
Paid spots 0
Payout Table
Place Payout % of pool × buy-in
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  • ✓ Save and reload your structures
  • ✓ Fields up to 1,000+ entries
  • ✓ Custom payout curve builder
  • ✓ Printable tournament structure sheets
  • ✓ Export to CSV
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How tournament payout structures work

A tournament payout structure determines how the prize pool gets divided among the players who finish in the money. Most live and online tournaments pay roughly the top 10–15% of the field, with a moderately top-heavy curve that gives the winner around 30–40% of the prize pool and tapers smoothly down to the bubble.

The exact shape of the curve matters more than most casual organizers realize. A steeper curve creates more variance and rewards the eventual winner heavily — good for high-stakes events. A flatter curve pays more places well and reduces variance — popular in social home games where the goal is to give more players a positive experience.

Choosing the right payout curve

The four presets cover the most common cases:

  • Standard: a moderately top-heavy curve used by most online tournaments and live mid-stakes events. First place takes about a third, with smooth taper to the bubble.
  • Steep: concentrates more money at the top three. Good for high-roller events and fans of variance.
  • Flat: spreads the prize pool more evenly across paid finishers. Good for home games and recreational tournaments where you want more players walking away with money.
  • Winner-take-all: classic high-variance format. Often used in heads-up tournaments or single-table sit-and-gos.

Planning a home game tournament

For a 50-player $100 buy-in home game with a 10% rake, the prize pool is $4,500 and the standard curve pays the top 15% (8 places). Tweak the field size and curve until the structure matches what your players will accept — then save the structure or print a payout sheet to bring to the table.

Frequently asked questions

How much should the rake be?

Online sites typically charge 8–12% rake on tournament buy-ins. Live home games usually charge nothing or a small flat fee per player to cover food and dealer tips. Setting the rake to 0 is fine for friendly games — the calculator handles it either way.

What percentage of the field should be paid?

Industry standard is 12–15% of the field. Smaller fields (under 30 players) often pay top 20% to give more players a chance. Single-table sit-and-gos typically pay top 3 of 9 (about a third) which is more generous.

Can I get a printable structure sheet?

Sign up free for printable structure sheets, custom payout curves, larger fields, and CSV export.

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