Buy-In
The initial amount of money required to enter a casino tournament. This determines your starting chip stack and establishes your investment level. Understanding appropriate buy-in levels relative to your bankroll is crucial for sustainable tournament play and proper risk management.
Chip Stack
Your current collection of tournament chips representing your remaining playing capital. Successful tournament players constantly monitor their stack size relative to the blinds, as this directly influences strategic decision-making, positioning, and survival tactics throughout competition phases.
Blind Levels
Mandatory bets that increase at predetermined intervals during tournament play. Understanding blind level progression is essential for adjusting your strategy appropriately, as escalating blinds force more aggressive play and necessitate different tactical approaches as the tournament advances.
Fold Equity
The mathematical value gained when opponents fold to your bets, separate from the showdown value of your cards. Skilled tournament players leverage fold equity strategically, especially during later stages when chip preservation becomes critical and aggressive positioning offers significant advantages.