Getting to Grips with Tournament Structures and Home Games
The bankroll is all set, you’ve plunked down your tournament buy-in, and 7️⃣ ready to roll. You’re seated at your table and given your weapons, a stack of chips to, hopefully, build throughout 7️⃣ the tournament. That initial stack will vary from tournament to tournament and casino to casino, but those colours and chip 7️⃣ values are essential to any tournament, and hopefully, you’ll have a massive stack by the end of the tourney.
The starting 7️⃣ stack and chip distribution, as well as tournament level times and the blind progression, determine a lot about a tournament 7️⃣ such as how long an event may last, the amount of time you have to make a move, and other 7️⃣ variables.
Don’t follow Kenny Rogers’ advice – it’s always important to know how many chips you have at the tables.
Table of 7️⃣ Contents
Poker Tournament Chip Distribution In a typical tournament, players get a particular number of certain-valued poker chips. That chip stack 7️⃣ usually includes a few larger values, some of a medium denomination, and several lower values for the early stages when 7️⃣ blinds and antes are low.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) offers several tournaments of varying buy-ins each year. In 2024, 7️⃣ the series includes events ranging from aR$500 buy-in withR$1 million guaranteed to the winner, known as the Big 50 to 7️⃣ celebrate the series’ 50th anniversary, to events ranging fromR$1,000 toR$3,000.
The annual series also features severalR$10,000 championship tournaments attracting plenty of 7️⃣ big-name pros. The number of chips and distribution depends on the tournament buy-in. While the WSOP added more chips in 7️⃣ general to its tournaments this summer, larger buy-in tournaments tend to offer more chips for players.
For example, players in the 7️⃣ Big 50 event will start, fittingly, with 50,000 chips of varying denominations. With blinds starting at 100/200 and a 200 7️⃣ big blind ante. That ratio gives players a starting stack of 250 big blinds.
The special 50th Annual High Roller event 7️⃣ features a starting stack of 300,000 chips with blinds starting at 1,000/1,000 and a big blind ante of 1,000, giving 7️⃣ players a stack worth 300 big blinds. The event has one-hour level durations while the Big 50 has 50-minute level
Other 7️⃣ lower buy-in tournaments have even shorter durations, many in the 30- and 40-minute range. The larger distribution of chips certainly 7️⃣ offers more play for the poker buck.
The annualR$888 Crazy Eights (of course, sponsored by 888Poker) offers players 40,000 chips with 7️⃣ 30-minute levels on Day 1 and then one-hour levels on Days 2-4.
Cash Game Distribution
Players jumping in on some cash game 7️⃣ action will be given chips based on the stakes they plan on playing. A player in a low-stakes game at 7️⃣ his neighbourhood card room or casino may buy in forR$200 and receive a rack full ofR$1 chips (100 chips) and 7️⃣ then twenty additionalR$5 chips. Of course, all this may vary slightly.
Players in higher stakes, such as aR$25/$50 games, will, of 7️⃣ course, receive high denominations with quite a fewR$25 chips - and some hundreds mixed in as well and possibly even 7️⃣ higher.
Certainly, casinos will have even higher poker chip values for those playing at the very highest of stakes. Chip colours 7️⃣ will vary by casino, but it’s a good idea to keep a few lower-denomination chips for waitress and cooking staff 7️⃣ tips. Peeling off a big chip for the staff might bring some luck as well.
Home Tournaments The friends have been 7️⃣ invited, the table is ready, and the pizza is on its way. You’ve got a great tournament planned with friends 7️⃣ and prepared to stack some chips.
Which colours, values, and blind durations will all depend on your situation and the number 7️⃣ of players. Planning a bit in advance will help get the action going sooner.
Here is an example of a tournament 7️⃣ structure. If you are running a faster freeze out so that you can get your tournament wrapped up in a 7️⃣ few hours, each player might start with 5,000 chips with blinds of 25/50 in that first level.
That setup gives each 7️⃣ player 100 blinds to get things going. It can be easily adjusted if you’d like deeper stacks, and obviously chip 7️⃣ colours may vary depending on the chipset you own.
Want a shorter tournament? Reduce the chip stack by 1,000 or so 7️⃣ and reduce the time for blind levels.
A sample distribution in the above scenario might look as follows:
Running the Tournament Setting 7️⃣ up your own tournament with a starting number of chips will undoubtedly depend on your schedule, the number of players, 7️⃣ allotted time, blind levels, and numerous other factors.
Below is an example of a structure sheet for the 5,000-chip tournament mentioned 7️⃣ in the above section.
Just a few reminders: Longer blind levels will obviously make for a longer tournament, but also reward 7️⃣ more skill at the table. Shorter blind levels will reward luck a bit more.
The example below might be nice for 7️⃣ a small tournament of 8-20 players.
Online Tournaments and Cash Games
Just like in a live setting, tournaments online also feature starting 7️⃣ stacks, blind, and everything else one might expect in a casino. Those virtual chips will have specific colours as well, 7️⃣ except they’re automatically collected in a pot and coloured up. As a player advances in a tournament, those denominations also 7️⃣ go up - just as in a live tournament.
When it comes to starting chips, the number varies according to the 7️⃣ event. Regularly scheduled tournaments will have a set defined number of chips. While significant events, such as theR$215 buy-in 888pokerR$100,000 7️⃣ Mega Deep Challenge, may start with larger starting stacks, have longer levels, and feature a more favourable tournament structure.
Cash games 7️⃣ will feature differing chips depending on the table stakes. The best way to get in on the action and grab 7️⃣ those chips at the table?
Check out 888poker and take advantage of one of the site’s promos to sit down at 7️⃣ the tables with a few extra dollars.
Home Cash Games If you’ve got that fun cash game scheduled with friends, maybe 7️⃣ even after a tournament, there are numerous options for chip values as well, depending on your stakes, preference, and the 7️⃣ number of chips.
For low-stakes games likeR$1/$2 No Limit Hold’em, if you have plenty of chips, making every colour only worthR$1 7️⃣ keeps things really easy. However, if you are limited in the number of chips for a game (or simply like 7️⃣ having a few denominations in play) adding different chip values can definitely help.
You may want to offer a player buying 7️⃣ in forR$150 something like this:
• White –R$1 – 50 chips for a total ofR$50
• Red –R$5 – 10 chips for 7️⃣ a total ofR$50
• Blue –R$25 – 2 chips forR$50 total
This arrangement allows players to quickly make change for higher denomination 7️⃣ among themselves while being able to easily call and raise with larger chip values if needed.
One thing to remember: If 7️⃣ you host a tournament before the cash game, it’s always a good idea to keep those cash game chips in 7️⃣ a different colour, just in case.
Poker is a popular game because of the fun, strategy, and the possibility of accumulating 7️⃣ more and more of those coloured chips and cash. 888poker offers plenty of opportunities to improve your skills online.
While 888poker 7️⃣ LIVE offers players the chance to participate in some of the biggest and most prestigious live tournaments at great casino 7️⃣ resorts, all over the world.
Get your game together and get in on the action.
Good luck collecting those chips!
