Super high roller
A tournament with a buy-in of $50,000 or more — Triton, the Super High Roller Bowl and the $250,000 and $500,000 events at the WSOP are the best known. Fields are small, often invitation-only or mixing professionals with wealthy amateurs, and single results can exceed $5 million.
Frequently asked questions
What is a super high roller?
The top tier of tournament buy-ins — broadly €50,000 and up, with the largest events reaching €250,000 and beyond. Fields are typically between twenty and sixty entries.
How do players afford them?
Almost nobody puts up the full amount alone. Staking, selling action at a markup and swapping percentages are standard, so a single entry is usually split across several backers. A first prize of several million is routinely shared many ways.
Are they profitable to play?
For a small number of specialists, yes — and only because wealthy amateurs enter. Among professionals alone the edges are too thin to overcome the variance, which is why the events are built around attracting a few recreational entries.