# Challenges guide: stakes, targets and how not to lose the pot by accident

**URL:** <https://community.tournament.com/t/challenges-guide-stakes-targets-and-how-not-to-lose-the-pot-by-accident/51>\
**Category:** Guides & Tips\
**Tags:** challenges, guide\
**Created:** [September 12, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.tournament.com/t/challenges-guide-stakes-targets-and-how-not-to-lose-the-pot-by-accident/51 "2026-09-12T15:51:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SKEL](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/community.tournament.com/skel/32/651_2.png) [@SKEL](https://community.tournament.com/u/SKEL)\
**Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.tournament.com/t/challenges-guide-stakes-targets-and-how-not-to-lose-the-pot-by-accident/51/1 "2026-09-12T15:51:04Z")

</div>

## Setting one up

[Challenges](https://tournament.com/challenges), Create. Choose:

- **Stake:** whole points, at least 10, no upper limit. Both players put in the same.
- **Kill target:** 10, 20 or 30. Default 20.
- **Map:** random from the rotation unless you pick.

The server is a random nearby live server, and the joiner needs 100 ms or less to it. Your stake goes into escrow when you create; if nobody takes it within 30 minutes it refunds itself. You can cancel any time before someone joins.

## Playing it

Five-second countdown, then first to the target. Winner takes 95 percent of the pot; 5 percent is burned. Kills in a challenge score no leaderboard points and move no PPK points. The stake is the whole prize.

## The clock rules

- **No-show:** if the room fills and one player never arrives within two minutes, the match is void and both stakes come back.
- **Drop:** once the countdown has begun, a player who loses connection has 60 seconds to return, then forfeits the pot. “Rejoin now. Your seat is held for 60 seconds, then you forfeit the pot.”
- **Hard cap:** 30 minutes. At the cap the higher score wins; equal kills is a tie and both stakes come back.

## Voids and refunds

Both stakes come back on: no-show, tie, the server closing the match, no server could be booked, or a staff void. Your single stake comes back on: cancel, or the 30-minute expiry.

## One at a time

You can have one active challenge, created or joined, at once.

## Etiquette

- Do not create a challenge you are not going to sit in. It ties up the other player for two minutes and your reputation for longer.
- Post the result in **Points & Challenges** if it was a good one. The Activity page shows every result anyway: “SKEL beat Sky 20 to 14 for the 200 PTS pot”.