Poker info XIII
Hand-for-hand which is a favored playing mode in poker tournaments is not introduced from the start. This concept comes into effect when the next player to be eliminated turns out to be the last ranked player entitled to get a share of payout. However, most poker tournaments use the system of group payouts to simplify the process since instead of just one player several players can get eliminated at the same time. So, for example, 20th to 18th ranked players get the same payout amount whereas the 17th to 14th ranked players get comparably higher payout. In this case hand-for-hand play will be introduced in play when there are respectively 21 and 18 players in the fray.
Use of hand-for-hand play eliminates probability of ties in play except in one rare situation. If several players go all-in while a hand-for-hand play is in progress and all such players get busted, ranking is assigned to the players based on the number of chips they had in stack before the hand of play began. If now two players have the same chip count, then a tie in player ranking is allowed which would result in equal splitting of prize money between the two players. In case it is not possible to do chip count, then all the eliminated players are accorded the same rank and are considered as tied. Interestingly in the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event, the casino house ruled that the two players who had tied need not split the payout and were individually given the payout meant for a singly ranked player.
In the 2006 World Series of Poker, instead of hand-for-hand, round-for-round play was introduced where round signified blinds being paid in he game tables. So instead of hands, tables simultaneously play in rounds and waits till all can start the next round of play together. The advantage of round-for-round over hand-for-hand play is that while both cancel out chance of stalling play, the former is easy to coordinate even when several game tables are active without compromising game speed.
