Set Up a TournamentHow-to
Create a tournament
Name it, set the date and capacity, and choose your registration rules.
Creating a tournament takes about a minute. You can change almost everything later, so don’t overthink the first pass — get the event created, then refine.
1
Start a new tournament
From your dashboard, choose Schedule a tournament (mobile Quick Actions) or New tournament (desktop Tournament screen).
2
Name it and pick a date/time
Use a name your players will recognize — “Thursday Night $40” beats “Tournament 1”.
3
Set expected capacity
A rough max player count. It helps Poker Hawk plan tables and chip sets; you can seat more or fewer on the night.
4
Choose registration & late-reg rules
Decide whether players can register late and until when. “By level 4” is a solid default for a casual game.
Screenshot coming soon
[SCREENSHOT: desktop · Tournament Setup → Core Details tab · name, date, capacity, registration rules]
If you run the same game every week, set it up once and save it as a preset — future events start pre-filled. See Save & reuse tournament presets (coming soon).
Keep learning
Understanding tournament rake
Percentage vs. flat fees, and how they affect the prize pool.
Buy-ins, bounties, and where the money goes
How the buy-in splits into prize pool, bounty, and fees when you enable bounties.
Rebuy vs. re-entry — what's the difference?
They sound similar but behave differently. Pick the right one for your event.
Run your own tournament with Poker Hawk.
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