New tournaments for beginners

Beginners are the real winners as Cool Hand Poker launches 'Tournaments for the People', a series of tournaments boasting low buy-ins to attract even more first time players

Cool Hand Poker hopes to minimise the risk for newcomers to the game with the launch of their 'Tournaments for the People'. With buys-ins starting at $0.20 + $0.02, less than 25% of the network's minimum, it is hoped that these micro tournaments will create a safe and friendly atmosphere for beginners to hone their skills.

This latest launch is inline with the site's new pricing structure which includes a variety of tournaments for less than $1, with the most expensive tournament carrying a buy-in of $20. This is in stark contrast to the industry average of around $1 + $0.10, with maximums stretching into the thousands. With beginners well aware of the possibility they could be easy prey to more experienced players, Cool Hand Poker hopes that this new low buy-in strategy will encourage even more people to play and start discovering the excitement of tournament play.

Says a Cool Hand Poker representative, "Over and over again we hear about people getting cleaned out in less than an hour after joining one of our competitors. We're trying to make sure that doesn't happen here."

Indeed it seems that Cool Hand Poker's philosophy is all about creating a site where novice players can have fun and learn the game without the risk involved by playing at some other sites that attract big names and even bigger pots. Aiming to create a shark-free environment (named for the professional players who prey on amateurs as a way of earning a living) the site has already taken steps to ensure their customers are protected. To discourage high-volume players Cool Hand Poker limits the amount of money a player can have at a table at any one time, the number of tables they can run concurrently and does not offer rake back. The site also limits cash table sizes to a maximum of $2-$4 and offers 'green' tables that are not open to players from other sites.

"Our goal is to build the safest on-line poker website in the world" continues the representative. "While we cannot guarantee a professional player won't come to Cool Hand Poker, we're doing anything and everything possible to make it unappealing for them. We've even contacted players directly and asked them to cash out and leave the site. We really do look out for our players."