Grand Tournament Good/Bad Comments

[PokerRoom.com]

Hi all,

Since the Grand Tournament III is right around the corner we'd like to take the opportunity to ask you all what you think about the overall concept.
Since it differs in many aspects from most other online tournaments, comments from the online playing community are invaluable to us.

Do note that we don't make money off the GT events so there's no need for us to spam it.

Now.

1. Is $10,000 in starting chips and 30 minutes blind levels a good thing online or should that be left for live events?

2. Is running an event over two days (with chip carry-over) online just an added hassle or actually refreshing as it gives players the chance to recouperate?

3. Should a tournament with such a high stacks/blinds ratio still incorporate deals or does that need become obsolete since a general short-stackedness (for lack of a better term) will not really be an issue?

4. Should major online tournaments feature more instant media coverage (commentary, blogging etc) or is the anonymity factor too important?

5. Is $1,000 buy-in general just too hefty for an online tournament or would even $5,000 be doable as long as the setup is the right one?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated an taken into account as we try and do our share in advancing the
frontier of online poker into new, exciting, territory.


C u at the tables!

Tournament Team - PokerRoom.com
Meet Them and Beat Them

[Nick B.]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi all,

Since the Grand Tournament III is right around the corner we'd like to take the opportunity to ask you all what you think about the overall concept.
Since it differs in many aspects from most other online tournaments, comments from the online playing community are invaluable to us.

Do note that we don't make money off the GT events so there's no need for us to spam it.

Now.

1. Is $10,000 in starting chips and 30 minutes blind levels a good thing online or should that be left for live events?

Good thing.

2. Is running an event over two days (with chip carry-over) online just an added hassle or actually refreshing as it gives players the chance to recouperate?

Better

3. Should a tournament with such a high stacks/blinds ratio still incorporate deals or does that need become obsolete since a general short-stackedness (for lack of a better term) will not really be an issue?

Deals will always be prevelant when people are playing for such large amounts of money.
4. Should major online tournaments feature more instant media coverage (commentary, blogging etc) or is the anonymity factor too important?

Doesn't matter

5. Is $1,000 buy-in general just too hefty for an online tournament or would even $5,000 be doable as long as the setup is the right one?
5k could probably be done.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated an taken into account as we try and do our share in advancing the
frontier of online poker into new, exciting, territory.


C u at the tables!

Tournament Team - PokerRoom.com
Meet Them and Beat Them

[/ QUOTE ]

Also, you should allow me to change my screen name since it was made like 5 years ago when I used to watch rounders alot.

[curtains]

Sick, finally an online multi I feel like playing, and Im going to be away.

[PokerRoom.com]

It's not my place to get into the age-old Deals / No Deals debate but I do find it perplexing that if surveyed most online tournament players prefer a steep payout structure. Yet the are also in favour of deals.

To me this, especially in an event where chips are so plenty and the blind structure so slow, is a contradiction.

Not making a stand or anything, but I just find it odd that the two opinions coincide.

C u at the tables!

Tournament Team - PokerRoom.com
Meet Them and Beat Them

[curtains]

I think somewhat flat payout structures are good, but not ridiculously flat ones. Also I like deals to be possible, as it gives you the chance to put people on tilt by refusing to deal [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[MicroBob]

or an even better reason for deals....accepting a deal that is +EV for you....but having the intelligence to turn down a deal that is -EV (or even EV if you like your chances against the opponent).


i'm not hyper about NEEDING deals when the pay-out is huge and not flat.
I just like them for those situations where the HUGE stack is willing to take an even 4-way split while I'm sitting on the short-stack and just trying to hang on (this actually DOES happen....it's +EV to have at least SOME CLUE regarding deals).


I've heard good things about these $1000 tourneys on Pokerroom. should check them out sometime (although I wouldn't be playing unless via a satellite entry).


I think the popularity of the big buy-in events on pokerstars for the WCOOP shows that players ARE willing to play higher.

the regular $215 buy-in events are huge.
and the monthly $530 buy-in event there is pretty big too.
and they are featuring a $2500+$100, $2.5-million guaranteed which already has 75 players registered (it runs on Sept 18)
The Sept 11 event is $1000+$50 and already has 64 registered players.



finally - very nice that you are coming directly to 2+2 and seeking feedback. it's interaction with the customers such as this that grabs my interest in a given poker-site as well.

[durron597]

[ QUOTE ]
2. Is running an event over two days (with chip carry-over) online just an added hassle or actually refreshing as it gives players the chance to recouperate?

[/ QUOTE ]

I remember there was a huge scandal when you had the first grand tournament (Omaha) and there was no carry over, everyone started with the starting chip count. That was bad.

Edit: PokerRoom.com corrected my misrecollection of the above, which is wrong.

[PokerRoom.com]

Actually the Grand Tournament II (NL Hold'em) was the first tournament to feature carry-over chips and that went flawlessly.

The Grand Tournament III is a copy of that tournament (more or less).

In between we ran a much smaller Grand Omaha event. The chips carried over there as well but a blind structure feature that was suppossed to adjust the blinds to the averge stack size malfunctioned dropping the blinds several levels too far (if my memory suits me correctly).

Rightly so a few short-stacks who gambled late in day 1 was upset by this unknown development. Something we deeply apologized for.


C u at the tables!

Tournament Team - PokerRoom.com
Meet Them and Beat Them

[A_PLUS]

I dont think that wanting deals as well as a steep payour structure are contradictory.

I dislike flat payout structures b/c too much money is given away to players finishing outside of the final table. I would much rather have more money available to the top 3-5 finishers with the option of deals for a custom payout distribution.

IMO, it provides an avenue to flatten the structure of the final table without having to lessen the prize $ available

Also, if you give me a free entrance, I will wear a pokeroom.com T-shirt during the event.

[PokerRoom.com]

[ QUOTE ]
I dont think that wanting deals as well as a steep payour structure are contradictory.

I dislike flat payout structures b/c too much money is given away to players finishing outside of the final table. I would much rather have more money available to the top 3-5 finishers with the option of deals for a custom payout distribution.

IMO, it provides an avenue to flatten the structure of the final table without having to lessen the prize $ available


[/ QUOTE ]

Ok then. Steep as in as favouring final table players but flat as in evening out the gaps between top ten.
This is a definition I've heard before and agree with fully. If more people would comment on this we will most definitely try and incorporate it into our larger buy-in events.

[ QUOTE ]
Also, if you give me a free entrance, I will wear a pokeroom.com T-shirt during the event.

[/ QUOTE ]
Sorry, but we don't actually allow clothes at all during the GT3... [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Tournament Team - PokerRoom.com
Meet Them and Beat Them