If you're new to the world of online poker, you may be confused about some of the tournament options you see when you log on to play.

Click on any major online site and you'll see both multi-table and single table tournaments. The single table tournaments are usually broken down further into 9 or 10 player and 6 player tournaments. Ok, that's pretty self-explanatory, but what are these speed tournaments that you see popping up, and how are they different than the regular games?

Different blind structures require different poker strategies

Speed tournament, also known as turbo tournaments, operate under the same rules as any other poker tournament; the only real difference is that the blinds go up faster - usually at twice the rate of the regular tournaments. While this may seem like an unimportant distinction, the difference radically alters game play. Beginners often take the same strategic approach to both types of tournaments. The result? They get pummeled when they try their luck at speed tournaments.

A lot of players like speed tournaments because you can knock one out in twenty minutes or so, but if you're a beginner or novice, then you're better off sticking with regular tournaments.

The slower blind increases of a regular tournament allow the beginner more opportunities to play "real poker." By that I mean that you'll have enough chips to make a mistake or two and a small enough blind-to-chip-stack ratio to be able to play a few hands of post flop poker. You'll also have time to study your opponents and get a read on their habits.

By contrast, the rapidly increasing blinds of a speed tournament quickly make post flop play nearly impossible. This is because a high blind-to-chip-stack ratio makes it difficult to maneuver once you've committed a large percentage of your stack before the flop. Soon it becomes mathematically correct to take only one of two actions - push all-in preflop or fold. For this reason, speed tournaments are all about aggression.

Because of this, speed tournies tend to be very mechanical in nature. Almost every decision involves evaluating your position, your cards and your opponents' calling range and then deciding whether to push or fold. That's it. Pros love the speed tournaments because they can multi-table up to 16 games at once, making decisions in split seconds, while maximizing their hourly returns.

The best tournament choice for beginners

So if it sounds so simple, why shouldn't beginners start with speed tournaments? Two reasons: One is that you'll be mostly swimming with sharks instead of people who are closer to your skill level. The second is that an effective push-fold strategy requires an understanding of the underlying mathematics that most beginners lack.

As a beginner, decisions will almost never be automatic to you. It takes time to develop good hand reading skills and an ability to correctly analyze the tendencies of your opponents. Speed games can be fun and lucrative, but jumping into them right away will inhibit your growth as a poker player. Stick to learning the basics, first. The best way to do this is to give yourself plenty of room for error while playing tournaments that allow you to develop an understanding of post flop play.