Tournament formats vary slightly from country to country, but most events run over a weekend. A draw is held on the first day which splits players into groups. Usually one game is played against each player in your group to determine who proceeds to the finals. On the second day the format varies from round robin to knockout. The winner gets a trophy to keep for a year (or permanently if you're lucky) and medals go to the top finishers. There may be spot prizes for the best players in special divisions. Some tournaments have a small entry fee to cover expenses for the venue, lunches, T-shirts etc.

Aside from the joy of playing and the glory of winning, table tournaments are usually quite social. Players often arrive a few days early in order to explore the area and to meet each other. It is traditional for players to get together at a local restaurant one evening (to the detriment of other visitors at the time). Most events have more than half a dozen nationalities attending. If you ever wanted to meet Tantrix players in real life, table tournaments are a great way to do it!

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