Help design a tourny

[wacki]

My friends and I want to have a home tourney that will start out with an 8 man table and end in 4-6 hours of play. The game is NL hold'em. Most tourneys I've been to you end up buying $200 worth of chips for $20. This is the first tourney I've hosted, and I have no Idea what would be a good blind structure to have to keep the tourney between 4-6 hours of play. Also what is the typical payout in 8 man tourneys percentage wise to the winner second place, third, etc.

Any help would be appreciated.

[2planka]

http://www.thepokerforum.com/rat.htm

just googled "home poker tournament structure" and got tons of hits.

I start with T1500 in my home tourney, 5/10 to start and 20 minute levels. Ten minute break / color up when convenient or every couple hours, depending on turnout etc.

Level Small Blind Big Blind Time
1* 5 10 :20
2* 10 20 :20
3* 15 30 :20
4* 20 40 :20
Ten Minute Break
5* 25 50 :20
6* 30 60 :20
7* 50 100 :20
8* Last Rebuy Level 75 150 :20
Color Up & Ten Minute Break
Add on T500 for $5Ante Levels Begin9 (Ante 25) 100 200 :20
10 (Ante 25) 150 300 :20
11 (Ante 25) 200 400 :20
12 (Ante 50) 300 600 :20
13 (Ante 50) 400 800 :20
14 (Ante 50) 500 1000 :20
15 and beyond(Ante TBA) TBA TBA :20

Prize pool and payout depend on turnout, rebuys, and add ons. Typical pay out structures:
5 to 10 players: Top three paid (55% for first, 30% for second, 15% for third)
11 to 20 players: Top four paid (50% for first, 25% for second, 15% for third, 10% for fourth).


This is a neighborhood tourney, small buy in, so I'm encouraging rebuys to build the purse. FWIW