Poker Timer Poker tournament payout calculator: how to split the prize pool
Players times buy-in gives you the pot. Pay roughly one place per five players, and keep the split top-heavy. For 12 players at 20.00 each, the Payout Helper pays 3 places, 120.00 / 72.00 / 48.00, and the numbers add up to the cent.
Poker tournament payout percentages
Fixed home-game tables, nothing fancier. Pay fewer places and the winner's share grows; that trade-off is the whole design.
| Paid places | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | |||||
| 2 | 65 | 35 | ||||
| 3 | 50 | 30 | 20 | |||
| 4 | 45 | 25 | 18 | 12 | ||
| 5 | 40 | 22 | 16 | 12 | 10 | |
| 6 | 37 | 21 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 7 |
How many places should you pay?
The app suggests the number of paid places from the size of the field, until you change it yourself.
| Players | Paid places suggested |
|---|---|
| 1-5 | 1 |
| 6-9 | 2 |
| 10-15 | 3 |
| 16-25 | 4 |
| 26 or more | 5 |
Six places is available if you choose it, never more than the number of players.
How to split the prize pool in the app
- Tap the banknote icon at the top right of the home list, or Split the Prize Pool on the Tournament Complete screen.
- Free version: tap Watch an ad to unlock for this session (needs internet), or Upgrade to Pro.
- Set Players with the stepper (1 to 200).
- Type the Buy-in in your currency.
- Check the paid places the app suggests, and change them with the stepper if your group agreed otherwise.
- Read the Total Pot and the amount next to 1st Place, 2nd Place and so on.
Worked payout examples
| Players x buy-in | Total pot | Paid places | Payouts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 x 20.00 | 240.00 | 3 | 120.00 / 72.00 / 48.00 |
| 7 x 12.50 | 87.50 | 2 | 56.88 / 30.62 |
| 18 x 25.00 | 450.00 | 4 | 202.50 / 112.50 / 81.00 / 54.00 |
| 30 x 10.00 | 300.00 | 5 | 120.00 / 66.00 / 48.00 / 36.00 / 30.00 |
| 40 x 20.00 | 800.00 | 6 (chosen) | 296.00 / 168.00 / 120.00 / 88.00 / 72.00 / 56.00 |
The 7-player row is the interesting one: 65% of 87.50 is 56.875, 35% is 30.625, neither a whole cent. The app rounds both down and hands the leftover cent to 1st place, so the two amounts always add up to the pot exactly, down to the penny.
What the payout calculator does not do
- No rebuys or add-ons: if players rebought, count each rebuy as an extra player at the same buy-in, or work the pot out by hand.
- No rake or fees taken off the pot.
- No custom percentages and no more than 6 paid places.
- No ICM or chip-count deals when players agree to chop.
It is deliberately throwaway: no player names stored, the numbers gone the moment you close the screen. If you want a record of who actually won, that goes in History, under Winner, Players and Buy-in.
Questions and answers
What is a typical home poker tournament payout structure?
Is the Payout Helper free?
Which currency does it use?
Can I change the percentages?
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