Described herein are techniques for operating a distributed computer system to implement a duration-limited online poker tournament. Also described herein are particular techniques for operating a distributed computer system to implement such a duration-limited online poker tournament. In some embodiments, a duration-limited online poker tournament is operated such that each player begins with a set number of funds, but those funds are not themselves used during gameplay. Rather, in the tournament each player is allotted a number of chips and, at an outset of each hand, each player's chips are reset to this number, regardless of the chips won or lost in preceding hands. At the end of the tournament, a player's winnings or losses may be determined based on the chips won or lost across the hands of the tournament.