MTT

Multi-Table Tournament — a tournament with hundreds or thousands of players

Definition

An MTT (Multi-Table Tournament) is a tournament with multiple simultaneous tables. Players are eliminated progressively until only a final table remains, then down to the winner. MTTs can gather a few hundred to several tens of thousands of players. MTT strategy is radically different from Cash Game because chips can't be cashed out — their real value depends on ICM. Decisions must factor in: the tournament phase (early, middle, bubble, final table), the stack depth in big blinds, the payout structure, and opponent profiles. Early in the tournament, playing to accumulate chips is the priority. Near the bubble, ICM imposes very tight play to secure the paid spot. At the final table, ICM considerations are maximal and influence every all-in decision.