PART 2
Getting Set Up
So, now the essentials are in the bag you’re ready to begin
thinking about the finer details💰 of your home poker tournament. Let’s take a look at
everything you need to keep the tournament moving, from setting💰 blind levels and
starting stakes to poker chip distribution and tournament structure.
Stakes
Setting
stakes in a home poker tournament boils down💰 to how much the players want to play for.
Ideally you want a buy-in that players will be comfortable paying💰 for (and if rebuys or
add-ons are going to be available, that should also be a factor).
Setting buy-ins too
high💰 may put off some of your invited players who are seeing your poker home game as
more of a fun💰 activity than the chance to win some prize money. Likewise, setting the
buy-ins too low will probably put off players💰 who are attracted by the opportunity to
win some extra cash. It’s a balancing act that depends on the players💰 who will be
playing, so bear that in mind and, however much you choose to play for, make sure
everyone💰 knows the details in advance.
Structure
While the World Series of Poker Main
Event uses a freeze-out structure that eliminates players once💰 they bust, in our
experience a rebuy structure is better for home games. Giving players the option to buy
back💰 in when they lose all their chips makes things more exciting and more appealing.
You’ll also find that players take💰 bigger risks when they know rebuys are
allowed.
Add-ons – extra buy-ins available to all players at the end of the💰 rebuy
period – can also be a great way to help short stacks gain a foothold back in the game,
💰 as well as to boost the prize pool.
Consider the payout structure too. Will one player
take the entire prize pool,💰 or will you have first, second and third place prizes? The
more players you have, the more spots you should💰 pay out. As you may not know the final
number of players until the tournament is ready to begin, this💰 may be something to
discuss with your fellow players before starting play.
Setting the Blinds
Just like in
a high stakes casino,💰 you should establish your blind structure well in advance and,
once the tournament has begun, stick to it. Blinds structures💰 like the examples we
provide here are fairly standard and unlikely to surprise many players.
If you want a
tournament to💰 play out faster, you can always make the levels shorter. This will speed
the pace along, but not at a💰 blind rate that feels too intimidating. Skipping blind
levels is not something you should generally consider, as it will usually💰 disadvantage
some players in an unfair way.
When you reach heads-up play you may want to make the
levels a little💰 faster – especially if you’re planning on playing a second tournament
and other players are hanging around and waiting –💰 but it’s essential that both players
agree to this.
When it comes to blind structures, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all
formula. Use💰 your instincts and remember that the structure you choose influences how
long your tournament lasts. If you’re not sure about💰 setting your own blinds, or just
want a bit of guidance, here is a good basis to work from, and💰 below you’ll find more
options for three starting structures we suggest.
Blinds Structure Table
Small Blind
Big Blind Ante 25 50 –💰 50 100 – 75 150 – 100 200 25 150 300 25 200 400 50 300 600 75
500 1000💰 100 800 1600 150 1000 2000 200 1500 3000 300 2000 4000 400 3000 6000 600 5000
10000 1000
DOWNLOAD Blind💰 Schedule 1 A good entry-level blind structure for first time
tourney holders. Blinds are smaller to accommodate players just learning💰 the ropes.
DOWNLOAD Blind Schedule 2 A mid-level structure with slightly increased blinds. This is
perfect for tournaments where skill💰 varies from player to player. DOWNLOAD Create Your
Own A blank blind schedule for you to fill in as you💰 please. Print it out and pass them
round at your home game so that everyone’s on the same page.
Poker Chip
💰 Distribution
How many chips you start with in a poker tournament depends on a few
things, but mainly the size of💰 the blinds in level one. As a general rule of thumb,
starting stacks should comprise between 50-100 big blinds for💰 the first blind level.
A
500-chip set will usually provide all the chips you need for a home tournament –
certainly💰 for a single table tourney. If you want each player to have a bigger stack of
chips (which has the💰 upside of needing to make change less frequently) then deal out a
larger number of smaller value chips. Otherwise, you💰 can get away with using fewer
chips per player, if you add in some higher denomination ones to each buy-in💰 stack.
We
go into more specifics about the science behind chip distribution in our ultimate guide
to poker chips.
