Why am I the one that gets a bye

the rules of getting a bye in odd # of players is confusing.  i don't generally want a bye, but seems like i get more than my share.  can you explain the rules OR point me to them?

thanks

I imagine random draw.

I imagine random draw.

I imagine random draw.

You can say that again.

1st round byes are usually given to the lowest rated player or an unrated player. 

In later rounds, the ones with lower points get byes. 

In short, you avoid byes by winning games and getting higher rating.

Just checked a tournament I'm in>

Antonreiser got a bye. He wasn't the lowest rated player, and won both his first round games.

http://www.chess.com/tournament/caro-kann-2012-u1600

I think it's random.

well first its an online tournament so you can't use that as a proof, and second its an elimination tournament, which is not popular form (which is Swiss and Round Robin) of OTB tourneys nowadays. 

I think in swiss OTB tournaments, lowest points and/or rating will unfortunately get a bye. 

I think I can use it as proof seeing as we are online, on chess.com.

He didn't specify OTB tournament.

In online tournaments on chess.com, the median-rated player gets the bye, and this is also true in some OTB tournaments.

Interesting, thanks!

My (limited) understanding of FIDE rules is that in a Swiss tournament, the bye goes to the player on the lowest score. If there is more than one person on the lowest score, it's the one with the middle or closest-to-middle rating out of them.

With the caviat the nobody can have more than one bye, of course.

I was leading the tournament with 5 points after 5 rounds, with second player(veline) 1 point behind me. I got a bye on the sixth round! What would you call that?