Tourney Question re: Balancing Tables when using a computer - play blinds twice? (3 Viewers)

[Preditor]

I assist in running a 40-50 person MTT once a month. This is at a local lodge with many different leagues running; I would put this one in the more "casual" category.

At many of the leagues, there is an experienced TD who uses the "worst seat" method for balancing tables.

We use Blind Valet for seating. I also play in the tourney. When balancing tables, I use the software to pick a random person to move rather than "the next big blind/worst seat" method to make my life easier.

What should the practice be, however, for when someone is chosen to move seats having just paid the SB or BB, and they go to a seat that is about to post a SB or BB? Should the button pass them first, or should it be considered bad luck of the draw?

I lean the latter ("bad luck" route). If I am not mistaken, I do believe Poker Go Studio also randomly moves players, and in those tournaments it is possible for them to pay the BB or SB twice.

Really at the end of the day I just want something that is both fair, and that makes my life easier.

 

[krafticus]

I let the software pick, and if you have to post the BB twice in a row… oh well. It’s happened to me as well and it’s just the randomness of the game

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

I let the software pick, and if you have to post the BB twice in a row… oh well. It’s happened to me as well and it’s just the randomness of the game

Does your tournament director track the button position? I was curious if this affected who it chose to move. I ran my tournament through TD but was not keeping up with "dealer" position because I had too many spinning plates. I may be misremembering, I am away from home and don't have TD to test.

 

[krafticus]

TD does not track the button real-time

 

[NotRealNameNoSir]

TD does not track the button real-time

Do you know if it accounts for the button when it requests a table change? I never knew how it selected who's moving. Just curious and you're the expert.

 

[krafticus]

Do you know if it accounts for the button when it requests a table change? I never knew how it selected who's moving. Just curious and you're

I never paid any attention to how it pulled from the table, but I doubt it does. I think it just takes a random player from Table A, and places them in the 1st available open seat at table B

 

[Frogzilla]

Is it the software that makes it tough to just balance the usual way?

 

[LotsOfChips]

If you have to post the BB twice in a row… oh well

Having had this happen to me more than once, I can tell you that it does make a difference, especially later in the tournament when medium stacks are down to 5-8 BB. Having to pay 3BB consecutively (2BB + 2 SB=3BB) can take a huge chunk of your remaining stack.

Fairness should require that the player to be moved is either behind the button and is moved to a position behind the button, or close to UTG and is moved to a position close to UTG or next BB (IMO)

 

[Preditor]

Is it the software that makes it tough to just balance the usual way?

It’s just a lot to track while also playing.

With the software just telling me, I have to just tell a person to move and where to.

To do the entire blind method, it involves a lot of shouting back and forth, and much more input into the blind software to manually adjust their seat.

It’s adds up when you’re also trying to do this in the middle of a hand.

It would be fine with 3 tables. With 6 tables it gets a little hectic.

 

[krafticus]

It’s just a lot to track while also playing.

With the software just telling me, I have to just tell a person to move and where to.

To do the entire blind method, it involves a lot of shouting back and forth, and much more input into the blind software to manually adjust their seat.

It’s adds up when you’re also trying to do this in the middle of a hand.

It would be fine with 3 tables. With 6 tables it gets a little hectic.

I run 3-4 tables, and it’s a pain trying to find the player matching the open seat while trying to play. If you have a dedicated TD, yeah, do it the proper way. Home game while you’re playing, go random.

 

[BPTDirector]

It’s not hard. I’d let TD pick the tables to be leveled. Then I’d choose the player closest to the big blind to move to the other table in the transaction. No harm, no foul, that’s how it is done.

 

[Preditor]

It’s not hard. I’d let TD pick the tables to be leveled. Then I’d choose the player closest to the big blind to move to the other table in the transaction. No harm, no foul, that’s how it is done.

That’s all well and good. And you’re right, it’s not that hard… when you’re a dedicated TD.

But if the TD is also PLAYING? It can be a pain to go through all of those steps while you’re also playing hands. You have to get up from your seat to do all of that.

You could do it with maybe 3 tables. But managing 6? Leave it to the computer.

 

[drdr]

TD does consider position of button. But you do need to update the button positions before hitting go on suggested movement. Can be annoying if playing. May be more efficient to understand and pick a method and do it yourself for a single player move. But when combining two tables TD does a good job and it's worth setting the button positions and popping up the result seating on the screen.