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Tourney (T25) My First Tourney Help, Lots of Little Questions (1 Viewer)

Poker Zombie said:
In a terrible casino structure you start with 200BB. At the first level, you have 100BB, then the next level you have 50BB. Level 4 25BB

4 levels in and you are getting short stacked.
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Doesn't that depend, though, on attrition? If half the field has dropped out by then, the average stack is still 50BB. Over time the stacks get shorter but the field also gets thinner, somewhat compensating for the shrinking stacks, right?

Poker Zombie said:
I use all kinds of blind structures. Some are slow, some are fast. All are designed to end the tournament in 4.5 hours, but they possess very different "feels".
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This is a tremendous insight, thanks!
 
CrazyEddie said:
Doesn't that depend, though, on attrition? If half the field has dropped out by then, the average stack is still 50BB. Over time the stacks get shorter but the field also gets thinner, somewhat compensating for the shrinking stacks, right?


This is a tremendous insight, thanks!
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The blinds tend to cut the stacks faster than players drop out as players try to preserve their stacks. This is more apparent amongst novice players that will still limp into pots with 8-12 BB. Since those low-dollar casino structures tend to hold a bigger percent of the pot as rake, skilled players avoid them for better EV. This means the low dollar structures have far more novice players who have never heard the term "Fold Equity".
 
I definitely need a chip calculator then, I don't think I'll need more than 2 tables worth of chips for the foreseeable future. I dont have the space for 3 tables, I barely have space for 2 at the moment :( :whistle: :whistling:

Or am I overthinking this and just need to double the amount of chips I need for 1 table? I'm a little overwhelmed with info at the moment (Work stuff, school stuff, reading poker books and learning how to get better, making custom designs, learning cash game/T-structures) and everything is jumbling together, so I apologize if I sound like an idiot for not retaining the info and understanding it deeply yet.

I also am very predominantly a visual learner, so I can read things all day, but until I have a prac-app session, none of it means anything or completely makes sense to me. I need real-life context to truly "get it".

----For example, I literally needed to lay chips in front of me while making my 160 travel set to figure out how many chips I needed for each denom because my inexperience meant that I didn't know how to do a proper set breakdown. I also didn't understand "why" people recommended different numbers to me. It wasn't until I had it all in front of me that it started to make sense.

I bought wayyyyy too many chips for my first set that I'm about to sell because of inexperience, using other people's chip breakdowns and blind structures, and because I didn't know much about cash games. So, that's why I have been asking so many questions whether large or small, to avoid the same mistakes.

Maybe I am dumb. I'll learn.... ;):bag::ROFL: :ROFLMAO:
 
I have run a ~10 person single table tournament every Wednesday night for the past 7 years (not counting Covid of course).

My 2 cents advice:

1. PCF members are amazing and helpful and also all of this information can feel overwhelming quickly. Take a look at someone from the comments above who seems like they have experience with a similar game and just follow up with DMs to them, they often will be more than happy to follow up with you.

2. Every player pool is different. While it is true that generally players love more chips, some players also get confused with too many and it makes the coloring up more of a process. Again, you will have to figure out what makes sense for your crew.

3. My T20k stacks are: 8 x T25, 8 x T100, 6 x T500, 6 x T1k, 2 x T5k. We play with 15 minute levels. Games last ~4 hours (give or take)

4. We allow unlimited re-entries during the first hour, mostly for reasons mentioned above (it sucks to have to go home early when you've traveled to hang out with friends). This means that starting chip stacks can be a bit shallower (#'s of chips wise), because we probably average close to 1 re-entry per person. This means that by the end of the re-buy period, the average chip stack ends up being closer to 40k, with plenty of chips on the table.

5. Allowing re-buys makes the game more fun (less painful certainly) but it does make it "less serious" in the sense that it promotes gambling with lesser holdings. As a very serious player, you would think that this would be a problem for me, but I actually really enjoy it. Our buy-in is $40 so even if someone goes crazy with 5-6 buyins, it's still just a single buyin to a $1/2 cash game, no one gets hurt. While, yes, players are playing "less seriously/more gambly" - I find that it really adds to the fun and atmosphere. HIghly recommend re-buys, with a strict cutoff point.

6. I take the coloring up process less serious than most PCF'ers, but I probably can learn a thing or two in this area of hosting/organizing. Generally, the idea is to get rid of the chips you don't need and do the best you can to do that smoothly - it seems like you get this part of the process already. I've seen lots of discussion/debates on colorups on here, and I never realized there were so many opinions on it! Personally, I think amongst friends this at a single table tournament, this doesn't have to be too rigid but you will figure that out for yourself.

Wishing you the best of luck, tournaments are the best! Most important part of them is that people feel like they've been able to have some fun, some deep-stacked play, while also allowing them to take poker more seriously post-rebuy period because there is that time pressure they don't find in the cash games.
 
Senzrock said:
I have run a ~10 person single table tournament every Wednesday night for the past 7 years (not counting Covid of course).

My 2 cents advice:

1. PCF members are amazing and helpful and also all of this information can feel overwhelming quickly. Take a look at someone from the comments above who seems like they have experience with a similar game and just follow up with DMs to them, they often will be more than happy to follow up with you.

2. Every player pool is different. While it is true that generally players love more chips, some players also get confused with too many and it makes the coloring up more of a process. Again, you will have to figure out what makes sense for your crew.

3. My T20k stacks are: 8 x T25, 8 x T100, 6 x T500, 6 x T1k, 2 x T5k. We play with 15 minute levels. Games last ~4 hours (give or take)

4. We allow unlimited re-entries during the first hour, mostly for reasons mentioned above (it sucks to have to go home early when you've traveled to hang out with friends). This means that starting chip stacks can be a bit shallower (#'s of chips wise), because we probably average close to 1 re-entry per person. This means that by the end of the re-buy period, the average chip stack ends up being closer to 40k, with plenty of chips on the table.

5. Allowing re-buys makes the game more fun (less painful certainly) but it does make it "less serious" in the sense that it promotes gambling with lesser holdings. As a very serious player, you would think that this would be a problem for me, but I actually really enjoy it. Our buy-in is $40 so even if someone goes crazy with 5-6 buyins, it's still just a single buyin to a $1/2 cash game, no one gets hurt. While, yes, players are playing "less seriously/more gambly" - I find that it really adds to the fun and atmosphere. HIghly recommend re-buys, with a strict cutoff point.

6. I take the coloring up process less serious than most PCF'ers, but I probably can learn a thing or two in this area of hosting/organizing. Generally, the idea is to get rid of the chips you don't need and do the best you can to do that smoothly - it seems like you get this part of the process already. I've seen lots of discussion/debates on colorups on here, and I never realized there were so many opinions on it! Personally, I think amongst friends this at a single table tournament, this doesn't have to be too rigid but you will figure that out for yourself.

Wishing you the best of luck, tournaments are the best! Most important part of them is that people feel like they've been able to have some fun, some deep-stacked play, while also allowing them to take poker more seriously post-rebuy period because there is that time pressure they don't find in the cash games.
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Oh Payouts!

We always pay top 3, with the standard structure that @BGinGA mentions in his first post (rounded off to the nearest number that makes sense). We play with a points structure in addition to payouts, as a way to increase competition + attendance. Feel free to DM me about this but basically:

1st place every week = 10 points
2nd place = 6 points
3rd place = 3 points
4th place = 1 point ($ bubble boy)

Points are the same every week, as long as we have at least 8 players (we generally have 10). We take $40 (one buy-in) out of the pot every week and put it towards the "Final Table". Since we play ~50 weeks a year, that ends up being a $2000 freeroll and the top 8 players are invited to attend that game. This builds a lot of excitement year round and makes for really fun play in the final weeks leading up to the final table.
 
One efficient way to expand a single-table T25-base set is to plan on using an 8/8/4/7/x breakdown for two tables (while retaining 12/12/5/6/x for just one), comparing the two breakdowns and making sure the final set can accomodate both scenarios.

2-table 20K set (no re-buys):
160 x T25
160 x T100
80 x T500
140 x T1000
60 x T5000 (includes 12x for color-ups, plus 8 extras for two re-buys)
--------------
600 chips (additional T1000 and T5000 chips required for 50% re-buys)

And that^ 600-chip set covers the single-table 12/12/5/6/x requirements discussed earlier:

1-table 20K set (with re-buys, plus T25K no-rebuy stacks):
120 x T25
120 x T100
50 x T500
75 x T1000 (includes 15x for T25 and t100 color-ups)
35 x T5000 (includes 5x for T500 color-ups, plus 30 extras to be used for stacks > 10K and re-buys/add-ons)
--------------
400 chips

Combined set (with re-buy options for 2-table):
160 x T25
160 x T100
80 x T500
190 x T1000 (includes 50x for ten re-buys)
82 x T5000 (includes chips for color-ups, plus 30x for ten re-buys)
--------------
672 chips (optionally add T5000s and up to 10x T25000 chips to round up to 700 chips)


Personally, I'd go with 160/160/80/200/90/10 = 700 chips
 
While I wait for my customs to make my actual tourney set, I have decided to take the main 3 players from my main group to test different blind structures and discuss options over a few drinks with some cheap chips I have (Outlaws...I'm mad that I actually kinda like these). Basically, I want to run a small 4 man tourney just to test the waters and get basic skills of mine up.

My thought process for doing this is is to get the hang of running a small event, to practice coloring up, practice tracking time and blinds, and see if people in my group even like T structures to begin with. This way, I dont make mistakes for a full table of 10, just with close friends for a smaller table at the bar.

I have put a decent amount of data on the cheat sheet to start experimenting with to what my group likes the best. Once I get a few more cheap chips for the 10 table set, and I get a little practice in, I'll start my 10 table tournaments for my group.

Now that I have actually written things down, I am beginning to understand this more, and have attempted to put together a 160 Chip Tournament Travel Set to experiment with. Any changes you would make? Anything I may have misunderstood that needs to be corrected?

--The reason for the color up box comment saying rounding up or down was because in practice, I was having issues coloring up the t100s for whatever reason, and hadn't asked you all what the proper procedure was. I didn't know if I was supposed to round down for some odd chips or not--

1610191796746.png
 
Just keep in mind that a 3-4 player tournament will play very differently than a 9-10 player tourney.

I enjoy the shorthanded games, but I am an outlier. It seems most people would rather play cash games when shorthanded. Again, I enjoy them, but they are different. A lot more action, much wider hand ranges. The short stack can get into more trouble because there is nobody to "protect" him. The chips are also more concentrated as they have fewer places to spread out.
 
Duly noted, it was my assumption that the experience would not be comparable, but I feel like the practice is worth it regardless. I would feel awful making mistakes or coloring up for the first time and getting lost on what I'm doing with a full table.

I genuinely have to learn my lessons through experience, so every bit of practical application helps tremendously.

I'm especially excited that I'm learning these structures now, since poker nights at the bar will be returning soon hopefully. I'll actually have a grasp on what's happening this time :D
Probably shouldn't have played there for my 2nd time ever without doing research, but I'm glad I took the plunge to finally learn this game eventually.
 
Hairy, I agree with Zombie. Playing short-handed isn't going to give you a feel for a larger tournament. Coloring up 4 people is quite different than coloring up 9 or 10. Fear of making mistakes coloring up -- most players will make sure they get the correct amount, depending on how you do the color up. A good way to overcome that fear is to practice privately.
  • It can help you do things like practice coloring up, but you don't actually have to play to do that. It might sound silly, but you could, without anyone else, put your chips on the table in 10 starting stacks. Randomly move chips around in those stacks, then start by coloring up the lowest, next lowest, etc.
  • Practice coloring up the T25s with T100s, even though you probably will rarely do this. But it's good practice. Then color up T25s with T500s, T1000s, etc. Then do the same for the T100s, T500s, etc.
  • After you've colored all the way up 2-3 times (or until you are comfortable), then start doing double color ups (T25/T100 at once; T100/T500; etc.).
  • Then can practice doing color ups between stacks. That's where one player (largest stack frequently) buys the lower value chips from the others. Then you only have to deal with the left-overs.
  • Do each of these with the round up method, chip averaging, and chip race.
  • I use a 500-chip tray that I have near each table, plus one extra. We put chips removed from play in there. When I put the chips up, I put those trays from each table next to each other and get all the chips of the same value together, then put them back how you start with them. I used 4x25 boxes for my chips, but you can do the same thing with 5x20 racks, or any other way you prepare chips ready to play. That will help you develop good chip handling.
  • I bet you will be an expert in 1-2 hours at every form of coloring up.
  • You can do the same thing with shuffling. Learn the right way to shuffle, then practice. It took me 20-30 minutes to learn to shuffle well. If I hadn't spent years shuffling the wrong way, it would have been even quicker.
  • It can help you do things like playing short-handed, but full table play is quite different. Players play very differently. Their ranges of starting hands is quite different.
Bar (I call these bar leagues, even if they aren't actually a league) poker is likely to have much worse structures than BG's or TableTalker's. Both of those are good structures. Most bar leagues I've seen structure it to end tournaments in 1.5-2.5 hours. That's very different than a 3.5-5 hour tournament. Some bar leagues are such luck fests I don't think they help your game. Bar leagues can be a good place to build up your game, but not everyone who plays in bar leagues is going to be a good candidate for your game.
 
Since you're practicing, I would also try a game where you "race off" chips when you color up.

There are 2 acceptable methods to coloring up the "odd" chips that do not add up to a larger chip.
  1. Round up - 1x T25 chip is worth the same as 3x T25s. You get a T100. The same goes for coloring up T100s. 1 chip or 4 chips gets you the same T500. This method is often used in low-end card rooms because it is really fast.
  2. Race off - Once you color up the bulk of the chips, you deal 1 card to each "odd" chip in front of a player. 1x T25 gets you 1 card, 3x T25s gets you 3 cards. Once you deal the card(s) to the player, pull their chip(s) into the center of the table. Once everyone has a card, replace the chips with the next denomination. So if you have T200 in T25s on the table, put out 2x T100s if you have T600 in T25s (you shouldn't) you put out 6x T100s. Those chips are then distributed to the highest card (Ace high) in the case of a tie, the highest card is Spades, followed by Hearts, then Diamonds, and the lowest suit is Clubs (reverse alphabetical order). Once a player gets a chip, the rest of their hand is folded - you can only win 1 chip.
The Race-off is the most common method used in better card rooms. It means that every single chip, and every single bet made the last hand before the break matters, as it increases or decreases the odds that you will get an extra chip. It is also the approved method of the TDA.

A couple odd things can occur with a race-off. You could have an odd number of chips. If this occurs, you round off. If there is 1 extra T25, it is just put in the box. If you have 2x or 3x T25s one more T100 is put into play. Mind you, with a 1 table event you should never have an odd number of T25s. Look around, someone has one hidden in a dirty stack. That's a nice benefit of the race-off. You find the "missing" chip.

Also, it is possible for a player to lose his last chip in the race. If that happens, he gets a single chip of the lowest denomination. That is done after the race, so they are still battling to keep a T100 (or whatever you are racing up to) out of their opponents stack. Only if they are felted, do they get the consolation chip.

Whichever method you use, if after the color-up you find a player still has chips of a removed denomination, they will be exchanged for current denominations only at equal value. Chips of removed denominations that do not fully total at least the smallest denomination still in play will be removed without compensation. Since color-ups usually happen at a break, I tell players to put their chips to be colored up out front, so they don't get missed.

I only use the race-off method. A number of players will hang out during the race. It adds a little excitement, and extra eyes prevent mistakes and overlooked chips. It takes a little longer, but very, very marginally. We can execute it so quickly, we have had new players ask what just happened. Once they know they get in on the excitement.
 
Here are the best YouTube videos on the methods @Poker Zombie is describing

Poker Zombie said:
Round up - 1x T25 chip is worth the same as 3x T25s. You get a T100. The same goes for coloring up T100s. 1 chip or 4 chips gets you the same T500. This method is often used in low-end card rooms because it is really fast.
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(By our very own @Chris Manzoni )

Poker Zombie said:
Race off - Once you color up the bulk of the chips, you deal 1 card to each "odd" chip in front of a player. 1x T25 gets you 1 card, 3x T25s gets you 3 cards. Once you deal the card(s) to the player, pull their chip(s) into the center of the table. Once everyone has a card, replace the chips with the next denomination. So if you have T200 in T25s on the table, put out 2x T100s if you have T600 in T25s (you shouldn't) you put out 6x T100s. Those chips are then distributed to the highest card (Ace high) in the case of a tie, the highest card is Spades, followed by Hearts, then Diamonds, and the lowest suit is Clubs (reverse alphabetical order). Once a player gets a chip, the rest of their hand is folded - you can only win 1 chip.
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(From West Coast Dealing School: There is a lot of casino specific info in this, but the important mechanics of the procedure start at about 3:35)

I really like people that are doing thing to improve their games while hosting is curtailed for now. Be ready when we're back :)!
 
JustinInMN said:
I really like people that are doing thing to improve their games while hosting is curtailed for now. Be ready when we're back :)!
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I just got started, and I'm disappointed that I didnt get into this game sooner. I didnt grow up with a lot of money, so i was always scared to play. I also didnt have anyone to play with that really knew how. Thank you for the videos!! This community is wonderful.

I realized after actually having a real game a few months ago how much fun this game was, so I want to do everything I can to become the best I can and ensure I can make games as enjoyable as possible for my friends when we play.

Honestly, I don't like being the one that has to rally everyone and run the games, but nobody else is taking the initiative. It's nice in a way though, because its forced me to learn how everything works and have a better understanding of the game early on in my journey of learning this game.

So, thank you to everyone that's been helping me learn since I arrived here! I cant thank you all enough for smothering me with all the information I could ever ask for.
 
JustinInMN said:
Here are the best YouTube videos on the methods @Poker Zombie is describing


(By our very own @Chris Manzoni )


(From West Coast Dealing School: There is a lot of casino specific info in this, but the important mechanics of the procedure start at about 3:35)

I really like people that are doing thing to improve their games while hosting is curtailed for now. Be ready when we're back :)!
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I like the West Coast video, but for the home game I would steer a few things differently.
  1. I never ask a player to buy up the chips. I greatly appreciate it when someone does, but I'm not going to ask. I know they would if I asked, but it is a distraction if done during a hand, and on break, my players need to use the restroom, refill drinks, smoke, etc. I don't want them to feel obligated, especially since many of them consider anything I say to be a rule. Buying up the chips is an option, not an obligation.
  2. Casino procedures try to keep the number of chips on the table low, because you always have a non-drinking, skilled, impartial dealer that can keep making change. You can color up by bringing T5000s in play, but I'd rather get more smaller chips in play to minimize change-making.
 
Hairy_Crocodile said:
I realized after actually having a real game a few months ago how much fun this game was, so I want to do everything I can to become the best I can and ensure I can make games as enjoyable as possible for my friends when we play.

So, thank you to everyone that's been helping me learn since I arrived here! I cant thank you all enough for smothering me with all the information I could ever ask for.
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Well then allow me to pile on even more. If you're enjoying poker as a game and not simply a way to rake in money from fish (although that's part of the fun!), make sure you explore all of these possibilities, eventually (no rush!):

NLHE tournaments
NLHE cash games
Mixed games / dealer's choice / circus games / kitchen table games

Mixed games open up a huge world of possibilities, variety, and fun. Lots of posts here on PCF about them, but you can start here:
NLHE is an extraordinary game that rewards both casual play and deep study (although casual players are only rewarded with entertainment, not financially, and in fact have to pay for the fun they get). Mixed games are a great way to liven up what can sometimes become a grind.
 
Poker Zombie said:
I like the West Coast video, but for the home game I would steer a few things differently.
  1. I never ask a player to buy up the chips. I greatly appreciate it when someone does, but I'm not going to ask. I know they would if I asked, but it is a distraction if done during a hand, and on break, my players need to use the restroom, refill drinks, smoke, etc. I don't want them to feel obligated, especially since many of them consider anything I say to be a rule. Buying up the chips is an option, not an obligation.
  2. Casino procedures try to keep the number of chips on the table low, because you always have a non-drinking, skilled, impartial dealer that can keep making change. You can color up by bringing T5000s in play, but I'd rather get more smaller chips in play to minimize change-making.
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I think that was part of my issue, I was bringing in a t5000 to color up and having issues knowing exactly how to do everything efficiently and effectively. I also wasnt using the change from coloring up t25s to help me color up the t100s and I was making life difficult for myself
 
CrazyEddie said:
Well then allow me to pile on even more. If you're enjoying poker as a game and not simply a way to rake in money from fish (although that's part of the fun!), make sure you explore all of these possibilities, eventually (no rush!):

NLHE tournaments
NLHE cash games
Mixed games / dealer's choice / circus games / kitchen table games

Mixed games open up a huge world of possibilities, variety, and fun. Lots of posts here on PCF about them, but you can start here:
NLHE is an extraordinary game that rewards both casual play and deep study (although casual players are only rewarded with entertainment, not financially, and in fact have to pay for the fun they get). Mixed games are a great way to liven up what can sometimes become a grind.
Click to expand...
God I love this place. Thank you so much for the info. I'll save this for tonight when I read for a few hours.

I definitely am overwhelmed with info and trying to understand the basics at the moment like putting people on ranges, how to bet properly, calculating pot odds, understanding equity, T structures and cash games, etc....im on information overload, but I gotta check this out though. If I just keep reading and playing, itll eventually all make sense eventually.

I'm sometimes scared that none of this is gonna stick, its alot to take in, and I've never thought about anything like this before. Listening to players walkthrough their lines makes me head spin, I dont know how they calculate so much information so quickly.
 
Poker Zombie said:
Casino procedures try to keep the number of chips on the table low, because you always have a non-drinking, skilled, impartial dealer that can keep making change. You can color up by bringing T5000s in play, but I'd rather get more smaller chips in play to minimize change-making.
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I agree you can accomplish the same thing bringing an adequate number of T1000 chips from the bank and making change with a few players.

If they are experienced, I don't think it's a distraction, but I usually only ask if there are 2-3 hands left in the orbit to minimize the distraction. If you can identify one player on each end of the table that can acquire the low chips, that's ideal, imo.
 
Poker Zombie said:
Since you're practicing, I would also try a game where you "race off" chips when you color up.

There are 2 acceptable methods to coloring up the "odd" chips that do not add up to a larger chip.
  1. Round up - 1x T25 chip is worth the same as 3x T25s. You get a T100. The same goes for coloring up T100s. 1 chip or 4 chips gets you the same T500. This method is often used in low-end card rooms because it is really fast.
  2. Race off - Once you color up the bulk of the chips, you deal 1 card to each "odd" chip in front of a player. 1x T25 gets you 1 card, 3x T25s gets you 3 cards. Once you deal the card(s) to the player, pull their chip(s) into the center of the table. Once everyone has a card, replace the chips with the next denomination. So if you have T200 in T25s on the table, put out 2x T100s if you have T600 in T25s (you shouldn't) you put out 6x T100s. Those chips are then distributed to the highest card (Ace high) in the case of a tie, the highest card is Spades, followed by Hearts, then Diamonds, and the lowest suit is Clubs (reverse alphabetical order). Once a player gets a chip, the rest of their hand is folded - you can only win 1 chip.
The Race-off is the most common method used in better card rooms. It means that every single chip, and every single bet made the last hand before the break matters, as it increases or decreases the odds that you will get an extra chip. It is also the approved method of the TDA.

A couple odd things can occur with a race-off. You could have an odd number of chips. If this occurs, you round off. If there is 1 extra T25, it is just put in the box. If you have 2x or 3x T25s one more T100 is put into play. Mind you, with a 1 table event you should never have an odd number of T25s. Look around, someone has one hidden in a dirty stack. That's a nice benefit of the race-off. You find the "missing" chip.

Also, it is possible for a player to lose his last chip in the race. If that happens, he gets a single chip of the lowest denomination. That is done after the race, so they are still battling to keep a T100 (or whatever you are racing up to) out of their opponents stack. Only if they are felted, do they get the consolation chip.

Whichever method you use, if after the color-up you find a player still has chips of a removed denomination, they will be exchanged for current denominations only at equal value. Chips of removed denominations that do not fully total at least the smallest denomination still in play will be removed without compensation. Since color-ups usually happen at a break, I tell players to put their chips to be colored up out front, so they don't get missed.

I only use the race-off method. A number of players will hang out during the race. It adds a little excitement, and extra eyes prevent mistakes and overlooked chips. It takes a little longer, but very, very marginally. We can execute it so quickly, we have had new players ask what just happened. Once they know they get in on the excitement.
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My experience is much different than yours. I have never -- not even once -- been colored-up in a casino using the race-off method. They have always used the round-up method.

Not saying race-off doesn't happen, but I've never seen it in a real cardroom or casino.
 
BGinGA said:
My experience is much different than yours. I have never -- not even once -- been colored-up in a casino using the race-off method. They have always used the round-up method.
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Race has been the standard everywhere I have played tournaments, which is mostly canterbury park and a few dailies in Vegas (Hard Rock and Aria iirc.). And I am pretty sure it's the WSOP standard and it is the TDS standard.

Still I can see for small tournaments where it doesn't make a huge difference. But a bigger event where there would be 3 or 4 color ups it's probably adding too many chips to the game just by rounding.
 
Cardrooms that raced off:
  • Aria
  • Bellagio
  • Caesars
  • Rio
  • WSOP
  • Harrah's
  • Bally's
  • Flamingo
  • Wynn
  • Mandalay Bay
  • Mirage
Cardrooms that rounded up:
  • O'Sheas
  • Imperial Palace
  • Excalibur
  • Planet Hollywood Tunica
Obviously both work, but there has been an obvious difference in the quality of card rooms, with the best rooms racing off. Also, the casinos that have used round ups, also use 2x jumps every level.

YMMV, but this has been my experience. The best rooms think every chip matters.
 
JustinInMN said:
I personally like to offer at least a limited number of re-entries to just to avoid the situation where a player travels a long drive and just goes bust on hand 3 with nothing to do. Typically I allow up to two re-entries until the first break. Usually, no one enters more than twice and fewer than half enter more than once. This ensures all players that are willing to enter 3 times will most likely get to play 90 minutes at
Click to expand...
JustinInMN said:
I know many PCFers like to issue rebuys in big chips only. It's easier for the host to count quick and it should be safe to assume because all the chips from the start of play are still on the table, there is a sufficient amount to make change. This makes it easier to plan the number of smaller denominations needed by only planning smaller denominations for initial stacks. If you use a 12/12/5/6/2 starting stack, that's 37 chips total. Would you rather plan an extra 10 of those, or just 4*T5000 chips for 10 players to accommodate reentries?



For whatever reason, PCF search function hates me too. I actually have better luck going into the google and adding the site:pokerchipforum.com parameter in the search box.
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I totally agree with the importance of allowing players to rebuy or reenter
Often players look forward to a night of poker, they reserve the time, coordinate with the family and drive far to play poker
Therefore, make sure they are able to stay in the game for at least a couple of hours

reentry is good IMO
 
This thread has been a huge help. Just got myself a set of 400 CPC Atlantic Club hotstamps using the exact same breakdown that BGinGA recommended!
 

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