Tourney Has anyone heard of "Blinds Rollback" (1 Viewer)

[MC_CPA]

Hi Friends,

Today I hosted a two-day event at my local university for ~68ish players. Anyone left at the end of our 4hr session qualified to move on to 'day two' next week. There was a player among those qualified who was insistent on a 'Blinds Rollback', apparently this is a random feature used exclusively on a popular online poker site.

Spoiler: Blind Rollback Description

Understanding Blind Rollback
In certain tournaments with 100 entries or more, once the final table is reached the blind level may be automatically amended to ensure a better final table gameplay experience for the remaining players.

If the average player stack in Big Blinds (BB) stands at less than 40 at the moment that the final table is made, the blind level will be rolled back to ensure that the average stack is at least 40 BB for the first hand played. The blinds may roll back multiple levels if required (for example, if the average stack stood at 15 BB at the start of a qualifying tournament's final table, the blinds might need to roll back three or four levels).

This ensures that there will be more play at the final table!

If the average player stack stands at more than 100 BB, the blind levels may be rolled forward to ensure that the average stack is no more than 100 BB.

Would love to hear PCF's thoughts on the following:

1. Has anyone else seen this done anywhere, this seems contrary to the norm. Given that I don't see this on TDA or Robert's Rules of Poker I am hesitant to implement it when nobody was expecting it.
2. The entry was free, but there are ~$200 in prizes for this event (and bragging rights) so I want to know if this is the sort of thing that should be done in general. Would you be upset if you heard this announced if you busted out on D1 playing with a handful of BBs only to hear that there will be a 'readjustment' the next day?

If it helps, the players are going into Day 2 with the following stacks and structure level. Player names have been randomized with animal names for anomality. From what I read, the rollback would cause the 8k/16k blinds to roll back to say 1.5k/3k (when it gets down to 10-handed final table) and I feel that is absurd after multiple people have busted out playing at 7k/14k or whatnot. Also this would cause event to run loner than usual.

 

[MrBoosh]

I think it would be opening up the door to possible complaints and problems if you were to cater the rules for one player at this point. Unless this was the announced plan from the beginning I would not roll it back. I believe in running tournaments with completely transparent rules to keep the best integrity of our game possible. This could open the door where you could get some complaints. If it is something you wanted to do, save it for the next tournament when it is announced ahead of time. If all players knew this would be the rule, then it definitely could have influenced players to play differently on the previous day.

 

[ekricket]

Hi Friends,

Today I hosted a two-day event at my local university for ~68ish players. Anyone left at the end of our 4hr session qualified to move on to 'day two' next week. There was a player among those qualified who was insistent on a 'Blinds Rollback', apparently this is a random feature used exclusively on a popular online poker site.

Spoiler: Blind Rollback Description

Understanding Blind Rollback
In certain tournaments with 100 entries or more, once the final table is reached the blind level may be automatically amended to ensure a better final table gameplay experience for the remaining players.

If the average player stack in Big Blinds (BB) stands at less than 40 at the moment that the final table is made, the blind level will be rolled back to ensure that the average stack is at least 40 BB for the first hand played. The blinds may roll back multiple levels if required (for example, if the average stack stood at 15 BB at the start of a qualifying tournament's final table, the blinds might need to roll back three or four levels).

This ensures that there will be more play at the final table!

If the average player stack stands at more than 100 BB, the blind levels may be rolled forward to ensure that the average stack is no more than 100 BB.

Would love to hear PCF's thoughts on the following:

1. Has anyone else seen this done anywhere, this seems contrary to the norm. Given that I don't see this on TDA or Robert's Rules of Poker I am hesitant to implement it when nobody was expecting it.
2. The entry was free, but there are ~$200 in prizes for this event (and bragging rights) so I want to know if this is the sort of thing that should be done in general. Would you be upset if you heard this announced if you busted out on D1 playing with a handful of BBs only to hear that there will be a 'readjustment' the next day?

If it helps, the players are going into Day 2 with the following stacks and structure level. Player names have been randomized with animal names for anomality. From what I read, the rollback would cause the 8k/16k blinds to roll back to say 1.5k/3k (when it gets down to 10-handed final table) and I feel that is absurd after multiple people have busted out playing at 7k/14k or whatnot. Also this would cause event to run loner than usual.

View attachment 1421298

I’ve played on a cruise ship tournament where the blinds were doubling until we got to 16,000/32,000 and the dealer decided that was just too much so he tried to roll the blinds back to 5000/10000, after we had just finished 8000/16000. The players that were left (4 of us) weren’t having any of that though, we just played 16000/32000 until we were done.

 

[demonnic]

I would not change the rules mid-tourney. I'd definitely not be happy with that whether I was still in the tourney or not. Also, I would be wary of doing anything which is meant to adjust the length of play online in a live setting. Online sees so many more hands per hour, I think the rollback would extend the overall play time more live than it would online.

 

[Machine]

The issue is it gives an edge to players that are short stacked.

 

[springbox]

I'm not sure what impact it has altogether, but It's definitely a no to changing the rules mid-tourney. Blind levels should be predefined.

 

[Deucekies]

Seems like an option they'd want to have available for a televised table. I know the WSOP has fine print saying that for televised events, they reserve the right to amend the structure. Dunno if they've ever done it though.

 

[wickedwonka121]

Sounds like it could work. The issue is getting everyone to agree. Maybe don't ask and just do it so there is no discussion.

 

[BGinGA]

Changing tournament rules and/or structure mid-stream belongs in the "This is Bullshit" thread. Don't do it.

Even if announced as 'the plan' prior to registration, I think the idea is ill-advised. It gives an artificial and unfair advantage to the short stacks, instead of it remaining with the larger stacks who have actually earned it during previous tournament play.

 

[ValueTown]

Nope and I wouldn't do it.