Home Tournament Blind Structure...Feedback appreciated

[samjjones]

Hi all - I'd appreciate feedback on this blind schedule which I am considering for use in a tournament this weekend (30 players). I have already looked at www.homepokertourney.com's examples. I've never used an ante before in a tournament, so I'm curious as to your thoughts on how its inclusion will effect play. The goal is to keep the tournament to around 3.5-4 hours in length. Everybody starts with T2000.


Level Length Small/Big Blind Ante
1 30 mins 25-50 0
2 30 mins 50-100 0
3 30 mins 75-150 0
4 20 mins 100-200 0
5 20 mins 150-300 0
10 minute break/race off $25 chips
6 20 mins 200-400 0
7 20 mins 300-600 0
8 20 mins 400-800 100
9 20 mins 600-1200 200
10 20 mins 1000-2000 500
11 20 mins 1500-3000 1000

Thanks,
Mike

[Scotty O]

This is what I use

http://www.geocities.com/thepokerfanatic/homerules.html

Its based on Foxwoods structure.

I have included the home rules that I use as well.

As for keeping a 30 player tourney to 3-4 hours will be tough. 5-6 hours will be more likely

[samjjones]

[ QUOTE ]
This is what I use

http://www.geocities.com/thepokerfanatic/homerules.html

Its based on Foxwoods structure.

I have included the home rules that I use as well.

As for keeping a 30 player tourney to 3-4 hours will be tough. 5-6 hours will be more likely

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for your link. My goal is to allow most people at least two hours of playing time before the blind structure begins to be a problem. After the two hour mark, I've increased the blinds and thrown in considerable antes. My question is: Is the $100 ante too much too soon? Wouldn't this cause the tournament to finish within the 4 hour goal, since you are looking at $900 extra per circuit in addition to the blinds at that point?

[BigStick_25]

I host a weekly tourney of 30 and it last about 4 hours I follow a T1500 schedule increasing every 20 minutes.

10-20
20-40
40-80
50-100
100-200
200-400
400-800
500-1000
1000-2000
2000-4000
4000-8000
5000-10000
10000-20000

It works great I even have rebuys for the first two blind sessions everyone likes the structure.

[img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[Scotty O]

Here is a chart using the Foxwoods structure. Their structure is very similar to the Homepokertourney website. This assumes that the tourney will end when the Big Blind = 10% of the total outstanding chips. The two lines represent the time range the tourney should last.

[grandgnu]

I use a 2K starting touney structure for up to 16 players with an optional 2K add-on after the first hour. The structure can be found at my home game website at http://mysite.verizon.net/vze6y5im/a...ents/id10.html

I recommend keeping all of your levels the same time limit, otherwise it gets confusing. Good luck and hope this helps!

[Arsene Lupin III]

[ QUOTE ]

Level Length Small/Big Blind Ante
1 30 mins 25-50 0
2 30 mins 50-100 0
3 30 mins 75-150 0
4 20 mins 100-200 0
5 20 mins 150-300 0
10 minute break/race off $25 chips
6 20 mins 200-400 0
7 20 mins 300-600 0
8 20 mins 400-800 100
9 20 mins 600-1200 200
10 20 mins 1000-2000 500
11 20 mins 1500-3000 1000


[/ QUOTE ]
I think you should start your antes earlier [100/200 A25] and raise them slower. Antes shouldn't be more than 1/8 (1/6 at the absolute most) times the big blind. Additionally, you're going to probably get objections from bubbling players when you get to the last levels. I realize that at 1500/3000 you just want the tourney to end, but the antes there are kinda absurd [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Also consider either making all levels 20 minutes or killing 75/150 or 150/300. That's about all I'd consider.

[samjjones]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

Level Length Small/Big Blind Ante
1 30 mins 25-50 0
2 30 mins 50-100 0
3 30 mins 75-150 0
4 20 mins 100-200 0
5 20 mins 150-300 0
10 minute break/race off $25 chips
6 20 mins 200-400 0
7 20 mins 300-600 0
8 20 mins 400-800 100
9 20 mins 600-1200 200
10 20 mins 1000-2000 500
11 20 mins 1500-3000 1000


[/ QUOTE ]
I think you should start your antes earlier [100/200 A25] and raise them slower. Antes shouldn't be more than 1/8 (1/6 at the absolute most) times the big blind. Additionally, you're going to probably get objections from bubbling players when you get to the last levels. I realize that at 1500/3000 you just want the tourney to end, but the antes there are kinda absurd [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Also consider either making all levels 20 minutes or killing 75/150 or 150/300. That's about all I'd consider.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for your notes. I've reevaluate this based on everybody's suggestions.

[Lottery Larry]

I don't think you need the antes- avoid the problems dealing with them and stick with the blinds. You could even escalate them a little if needed

[Arsene Lupin III]

[ QUOTE ]

10-20
20-40
40-80
50-100


[/ QUOTE ]
+20, +20, +20, +20. Start off kinda slow..
[ QUOTE ]
100-200
200-400
400-800
500-1000


[/ QUOTE ]
+100, +200, +400, +200. I'm not so sure about this one. Seems a little jumpy.
[ QUOTE ]
1000-2000
2000-4000
4000-8000
5000-10000


[/ QUOTE ]
+1000, +2000, +4000, +2000? There should be a relatively constant ratio of one round to the next. You go 100% increase, 100%, 100%, then 25% for the sake of having pretty looking rounds. It's sort of like you're having two 20 minute levels and then one big 40 minute level.. do you see what I mean?

The BB in our shorter (20 min levels) T2000/T2500 events are usually stepped in increments where the blind increase ratio decreases slightly as we use the same chip-size increase between levels before gradually getting bumped here and there
25, 50, 75
100, 150, 200
300, 400, 600
800, 1000, 1200
1600, 2000, 2400

For longer events, we typically chop off a couple of the levels and make them 30 minutes.

Blind schedules are based on 5 factors.
1. Starting chips - higher, can increase faster
2. # Players - more total chips, must eventually raise levels faster
3. Expected Duration of Tourney - obvious
4. Presence of a side game - if the players have somewhere to go when they bust, you can go faster
5. Desired level length - it gets annoying to change every 20 minutes.. the shorter the levels and longer the tourney, the smaller the average increase.


#1 and #2 obviously have a lot to do with the total # of chips in play. You have to consider this number as well as the average stack of the expected # of players remaining when you write up your blinds.

Most 10k tourneys eliminate 2/3 to 3/4 of the field by the end of the first day and proceed to eliminate another 2/3-3/4 of the field per day. The blinds at the end of the day are .033 buyins, 0.1 buyins after day 2, 0.333 buyins at the end of day 3.

Most STTs are 5-handed (half the field) by the 4th level of 9 on party, 50-100 blinds, or .125 buyins.

Theoretically, if you have a 3 table tourney, you'll have half of the field busted when your BB gets to around .1-.2 buyins unless you do rebuys in which case its based on a percentage of the average buyin.

If your tourney is a 4-5 hour social event, it's always good to give everyone a chance to play for a couple hours by allowing rebuys, giving a larger number of starting chips in terms of BBs or increasing the blinds slowly until level 5 or 7 [30 minute, 20 minute levels respectively].