Tourney One Table Tourney Blinds - No Timer (1 Viewer)

[merkong]

Question. I’m spreading a one table turbo tomorrow during the NFL games. I’d like to maybe get a couple of games in. I guess here’s the question:

I don’t want to time the blinds. I want to do what we used to do in side games during our bar tourney days ( as I remember it - I used to drink a lot) which is a “round plus one.” It’s more of a turbo so even at 15 minutes the blinds could go up before someone gets a chance to play on the cheap compared to the upcoming level.

We use a dedicated dealer so the “plus one” I believe would be when the button “lands” on the original button holder (at least before anyone drops).

The advantage is that everyone playing will pay a small and a big for every round (at least while the table is full at the start, I don’t have the energy to figure it out for the all random possibilities of people dropping intermittently, not after the 3am cash game last night).

The “disadvantage” is that (at least before anyone drops) is that the blinds would go up on the same person every time. Everyone would still get their turn to pay the small and big blind (again, before anyone drops) so no advantage or disadvantage there.

We use “big alone” and “dead button” strategies when players in important spots drop.

I currently spread exclusively cash games twice a week. We have plans for deep stack/larger buyin tourneys intermittently in the future and those would be timed traditionally. This is a turbo and I’d like to get two games in.

And then I guess as another side question…

I’ve been kicking around the idea of only having a big blind (cue the boo birds and purists) and am wondering if that would somehow simplify my situation. The one blind structure would only be considered for turbo styled tourneys.

Well? Thoughts? I’ve got the whole day to decide as all I’m doing is trying to stay awake, move a TV in full view of my table for tonights cash game and then play tomorrow.

I do see this as a chance to settle a couple of things or at least have some hands on opinion; have a solid plan for turbos and an experienced mindset on the one blind conversation (turbos only - for now haha).

Finally, maybe it’s being overthought. I just hate timers. That’s why I spread cash games. I mean at 15 or 20 minutes, 3 levels doesn’t really get the blinds “turbo’ing”. It barely moves them along at all. We’re starting with 5000 and they can’t go from pennies to big bucks in a flash. That sucks.

Thanks for reading and sorry so long.

Ken - Just a home poker host in MN

ps (or course) - here’s my one table Sunfly 43mm ceramic tourney set.

 

[Servo]

I’m not following the reason behind the “plus one”. If everyone gets the dealer button once, won’t they also get one small and one big? Seems like the plus one would slightly benefit whoever gets to pay one extra blind at the lower level.

 

[Kentucky]

I think this would work OK.

With 15 minute blinds I sometimes struggle to get a full round in at the start when the table is full. I think you might have the opposite problem once people start to bust out- that the blinds will go up every 6, 5, 4 hands. Maybe that’s the turbo style you want?

Is the disadvantage that you are reaching for that the original big blind is the first to pay the increased small blind when you do round +1? You could solve this by doing round +2 or use a single blind. Or… not sweat it if it’s the same for everyone at some point.

Now I think about it, round +2 won’t work when you are heads up. Don’t do this

 

[BGinGA]

If not using a timer, just increase the blinds per orbit (no need for +1). Be forewarned, however, that for a full table tournament done this way, the early levels will take longer than if they were timed (if a shorter turbo feel is actually your goal).

If overall time is not the concern, you can switch to blind increases per two orbits once the table size drops to five players, and to blind increases per three orbits once three-handed.

Fwiw, a tourney with no small blind (big blind only) will take longer.