A few quick observations:
- A tourney set/structure that uses T5,T10,T25,T50, T100, and T500 chips is sub-optimum, resulting in inefficiency, confusion, and slow play.
- Starting stacks with six different denominations is too many - about twice what is optimal for efficient play. A maximum of four denominations in play at any given time is plenty.
- The blind increases vary from 100% down to only 11%, which is a very wide range and very inconsistent across the structure during play.
- There will be way too many relatively-useless chips in play at tournament end, which only serves to slow down play.
- A 10-player event using this structure will typically last no longer than Level 22, or (5-1/2 hours plus breaks).
The blinds initially double (100% increase at L2), then taper down to an 11% increase at L10. The increase rate then nearly doubles for the next level (20% at L11), and again tapers down to just 11% at L15. Then it more than doubles to 25% at L16 and maintains a narrow and consistent range (20% to 33%) for the remainder of the structure. There is a lot of room for improvement here. The average blind increase works out to 26%, but there are more consistent ways to achieve that figure (maintaining all increases in a narrower 20%-33% range, for example).
A tournament should have ample amounts of workhorse chips in play, and include minimal amounts of non-workhorse chips. This allows players the ability to construct bets by the efficient use of chips in play, without a large number of relatively-useless chips interfering -- which causes extra counting, extra movements, extra stacking, and other time-wasting activities. Non-workhorse chips are only needed to post blinds, and should not make up large percentages of the total chips in play. The goal should be to remove them from play as soon as possible.
There are a couple of easy fixes for the above issues.
Starting Stacks
Start by eliminating both the T10 and T50 chips, as their use is very inefficient (and often confusing for players). The T10 chip serves no valid purpose, as two T5 chips can suffice. Same situation for the T50 chip -- using two T25 chips works just fine, and there is no application where a T50 chip works better than a combination of T25 and T100 chips.
Proposed T2000 starting stack:
10 x T5
10 x T25
12 x T100
1 x T500
---------
33 chips = T2000, using four denominations.
Alternate T2000 starting stack:
10 x T5
14 x T25
11 x T100
1 x T500
---------
36 chips = T2000, using four denominations.
Alternate T2000 starting stack:
10 x T5
14 x T25
16 x T100
---------
40 chips = T2000, using three denominations.
All three starting stacks ensure that ample numbers of workhorse chips are available to the players, without an unnecessary influx of non-workhorse chips that only serve to slow down the event.
Regardless of starting stack composition, T500 chips should be used for all re-buys, add-ons, and color-ups (removal of the T5 and T25 chips once no longer needed). This ensures that ample numbers of T500 chips are in play once they become the workhorse chip in the latter stages of the tournament. I also recommend that you change the optional add-on to T1000 (1/2 of starting stack), or 2x T500 chips.
Blind Structure
Based on the OP information, it appears that you have three goals for your 10-player tournament:
- relatively deep starting stacks (200 big blinds)
- relaxed blinds pressure during the middle stages of the event
- maximum 5-1/2 hours total play for the event (plus breaks)
The following structure accomplishes all of those goals, allows for 33% longer blind levels, and keeps all blind increases in a narrow 20%-33% range (with three 50% exceptions):
Event will typically last no longer than L17 (5:40 plus breaks). With fewer denominations in play, longer blind levels, and sufficient quantities of workhorse chips available, the players will enjoy a much better tournament poker experience. There will be 160 total chips in play at tournament end (assuming 3 re-buys and 8 add-ons), which is just about the perfect number.
