How to join a poker tournament in Mexico

A tournament in a nutshell

Everyone pays the same entry and starts with the same chips. The blinds go up at fixed intervals, players who run out of chips are knocked out, and the prize pool is shared among the top finishers. Tournament chips have no cash value: what you win depends on where you finish.

Almost every tournament at Palace Poker Room is No Limit Texas Hold'em.

Step 1: pick a tournament

Palace Poker Room runs live tournaments in three cities. Each venue publishes its own schedule:

• Tournaments in CDMX: Av. Insurgentes Sur 878, Col del Valle Centro, 03100
• Tournaments in Puebla: Blvrd del Niño Poblano 2510, Centro Comercial Angelópolis, 72810
• Tournaments in Cancún: Av Tulum Esq Jabalí, Colonia Centro, 77500

Start times are shown in local time. Cancun is one hour ahead of Mexico City and Puebla all year round, so double-check the time if you are traveling between them.

Each tournament page lists what you need to decide:

• Buy-in: the price you pay at the cage, with the staff fee already included.
• Guaranteed prize pool, starting chips and the length of each level.
• Late registration: the last level you can still enter.
• The blind structure, level by level, and the payouts.

Some labels on the tournament page are in Spanish; the glossary below has them.

Step 2: bring ID and pesos

• You must be 18 or older, and the room asks for an official photo ID. Visitors can use their passport.
• Prices are in Mexican pesos (MXN).

Step 3: sign up at the cage

1. Pay the entry at the room's cage (caja). Staff will tell you your table and seat.
2. Take your seat and wait for the dealer to start the first hand.

With a free Palace account you get a member number with a QR code: show it at the cage and you are registered without spelling out your details. You can also follow your tournament results.

For festivals and major events there is online pre-registration.

What you pay

The entry is the buy-in plus a staff fee, and the site shows you the total. The prize pool comes out of the buy-in, after the house fee; the staff fee is separate.

When a tournament has a guarantee, the prize pool never drops below that amount: if the entries fall short, the room covers the difference.

Some tournaments have an Early Bird price: if you enter during the first levels, you pay less. The tournament page says until which level it applies.

How the tournament plays

Starting stacks at the room range from 10,000 to 50,000 chips depending on the event. Play is split into levels of 15 to 40 minutes, and the blinds and the big blind ante go up at the start of each one. There is a break every few levels, and the screens in the room show the tournament clock: level, blinds, next break and the last level for late registration.

• Late registration: you can enter after the start, up to the level shown on the tournament page. It stays open during the break that follows that level and closes when the next level begins. The room may close it earlier, and if the tournament runs late, the closing time moves with it.
• Rebuys: in most tournaments at the room, if you lose your chips while registration is still open, you can pay the entry again and keep playing with a new stack.
• Add-on: extra chips at a fixed price, at the point the tournament sets.
• Double entry: some tournaments let you pay more at sign-up to start with a bigger stack.

Tournament types on the schedule

• Rebuy or re-entry: the most common format at the room.
• Freezeout: one entry only; when your chips are gone, you are out.
• Satellite: instead of cash, the prize is a seat in a bigger tournament. There are satellites at the room and online.
• Mystery Bounty: on top of the payouts, knocking players out earns bounties whose amount stays a surprise until you collect them.
• Multi-day events: Day 1 runs on several dates (1A, 1B…). Each one ends at a set level or when a set share of the field is left, and everyone still standing moves on to Day 2.

Getting paid

Payouts go to the top finishers, and the payout table is posted on the tournament page; exact amounts are set once registration closes. Busting just before the money is the bubble.

At the final table, the remaining players can agree on a different split, a deal, which staff records when paying out. To check whether a split is fair for everyone's stack, try the ICM calculator. Prizes are paid at the cage.

Spanish you will see and hear

Some labels on the tournament page are in Spanish, and you may hear the action called in Spanish at the table. These words cover most of it:

Caja

the cage, where you pay and collect

Garantizado

guaranteed prize pool

Fichas iniciales

starting chips

Nivel / Niveles

level / levels

Registro tardío

late registration

Descanso

break

Premios

payouts

Ciega chica / ciega grande

small blind / big blind

Paso

check

Voy / Igualo

call

Subo

raise

No voy / Me retiro

fold

Tips for your first tournament in Mexico

• Check the structure before you go: deep stacks and long levels leave room to play patiently.
• Arrive with time to register without rushing, and check the local time zone.
• Phones and other devices are not allowed at the gaming table.
• Decide beforehand how many entries you will buy at most, especially in rebuy events.
• If you are unsure about a rule, ask the dealer or the floor supervisor: their decision stands.
• Set a budget and stick to it. There is more advice in responsible gaming.