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Tourney How to post blinds on a stack for a late player (2 Viewers)

Big_Bear

Big_Bear

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I run a tournament, and a persistent problem is handling latecomers.

Most players are pretty good about showing up when they say they will. Occasionally, one or two (sometimes three) run late due to work or other obligations - which is totally understandable.

If someone says they're coming, we seat them, deal to their stack, and post their blinds for them.

Here's the problem: About every third hand, someone forgets to deal to the absent player's stack. Then we have to backtrack cards (if the players haven't looked yet), or redeal if things are too messy to straighten out. It disrupts the flow, creates unnecessary confusion, and causes delay.

My proposed solution: Just play with whoever is present. When a player arrives late, they pay the big blind and small blind for each level they missed - plus the current level - and then take a seat to the left of the current big blind so they'll be the big blind next hand.

Example blind structure:

7:00-7:15 → 50/100
7:15-7:30 → 75/150
7:30-7:45 → 100/200

If Joe shows up at 7:36, he'd pay: 50 + 100 + 75 + 150 + 100 + 200 = 675 chips, then sit to the left of the current big blind.

Yes, it takes a little math, but I think it's straightforward and easier to manage than posting blinds for an empty seat. Plus, the hit to their stack is roughly equivalent to what they'd lose from posting blinds anyway.

Looking for thoughts, comments, ideas, etc.



.
 
Why not let them late reg with a fullstack? Theyre at a disadvantage already playing with fewer BBs. For fairness I wouldnt reduce the starting stack. Imagine there is a full table of 9 late players. All of them would just shuffle blinds between each other and the net outcome is the same starting stack.
 
MC_CPA said:
Why not let them late reg with a fullstack? Theyre at a disadvantage already playing with fewer BBs. For fairness I wouldnt reduce the starting stack. Imagine there is a full table of 9 late players. All of them would just shuffle blinds between each other and the net outcome is the same starting stack.
Click to expand...
.

To your point, if someone busts out, they can rebuy and get a fullstack.

But it just doesn't seem fair to me.

Anybody else on this subpoint?
 
I asked AI about this:

Does the TDA rulebook address this?

= = = = = = =

Yes — the TDA (Tournament Directors Association) rulebook does address late arrivals, but it does not require posting blinds for absent players. Instead, it emphasizes that players must be present to receive a hand.


Here’s how the TDA rules apply to your situation:



🧾 TDA Rule 30: “At Your Seat”​


  • Players must be at their seat when the last card of the initial deal is dealt to receive a live hand.
  • If a player is not present at that moment, their hand is killed immediately, even if they’ve posted blinds alinenkarl.net.

This rule is designed to keep the game moving smoothly and prevent confusion or unfair advantages.



🪑 TDA Rule on Late Registration and Seating​


  • Late registrants or alternates are seated with a full stack and dealt in immediately, except between the small blind and button pokercalendar.asia.
  • There is no requirement to post blinds for absent players — blinds are only posted once the player is seated and active.


💡 What This Means for Your Tournament​


Your idea of “just play who’s there” aligns well with TDA standards. Instead of posting blinds for absent players:


  • Don’t deal to their stack until they’re physically present.
  • When they arrive, seat them and begin dealing normally.
  • If you want to impose a chip penalty for missed levels, that’s a house rule — not a TDA requirement — but it’s reasonable if clearly communicated.

Your proposed method of calculating missed blinds and seating them to be BB next hand is practical and fair, especially for informal or league-style play. Just be sure to document it in your house rules so players know what to expect.



.
 
To AI again:

Please elaborate on this section:
8: Alternates, Late Registration,andRe-Entries, Section A

= = = = = = =

Absolutely — here’s a clear breakdown of TDA Rule 8: Alternates, Late Registration, and Re-Entries, specifically section A:



🧾 Rule 8A Explained:​


“Alternates, players registering late, and re-entries will be sold full stacks.”


This means:


  • Alternates (players who enter after the tournament has started due to full tables)
  • Late registrants (players who sign up after the official start time)
  • Re-entries (players who bust out and buy back in during a re-entry period)

…are all given a full starting chip stack, regardless of how many blind levels have passed.



💡 Why This Matters​


  • It ensures fairness and consistency — everyone begins with the same chip count, even if they join late.
  • It avoids penalizing players for logistical delays or re-entry timing.
  • It simplifies tournament administration by keeping stack sizes uniform.


🪑 Seating Considerations​


While they receive full stacks:


  • They cannot be seated between the small blind and button — this prevents them from gaining a positional advantage.
  • They are dealt in immediately once seated (unless seated between SB and button), aligning with Rule 30 (“At Your Seat”).


🛠️ Optional House Rules​


Some tournaments may choose to:


  • Impose blind penalties or chip deductions for late arrivals (not standard TDA practice).
  • Use dead stacks (posting blinds for absent players) — though this is discouraged by TDA for consistency and flow.


If you’re running your own tournament, you can follow TDA’s full-stack policy and still apply a custom rule for late arrivals — just be sure to communicate it clearly to players before the event. Want help drafting a rule that blends TDA standards with your blind penalty idea? I’d be glad to assist.
 
Thanks so much for all who helped.

I almost always follow TDA because smarter people have probably thought through what I'm wondering.

. . . and there it is.


So I'll just let people join in with a full stack when they arrive. They'll sit to the left of the current BB.

Easy simple rule.



It's great having a bunch of people to bounce things off of.


.
 
Last edited:
@Big_Bear OTOH. With either your blind out scenarios the added advantage is that it discourages late arrivals. If you allow late reg some may prefer it and your games will start short handed or short tabled.
 
MC_CPA said:
Why not let them late reg with a fullstack? Theyre at a disadvantage already playing with fewer BBs. For fairness I wouldnt reduce the starting stack. Imagine there is a full table of 9 late players. All of them would just shuffle blinds between each other and the net outcome is the same starting stack.
Click to expand...
Late regging with a full stack is at an advantage when it comes to tournaments. Possibly have fewer BBs but most likely more BB than some of the field, and their BBs are worth more because they're closer to the end.

I still play it that way, latecomers getting the full stack, but if my group started abusing it I would have to figure out where I want the cutoff to be. We're a social group above all else.
 
We followed the TDA full stack rule for 5 years. I survey my players ever couple years and last year received a ton of feedback on late arrivals. We already do chip bonuses for arriving on time, and I’ve had numerous discussions with players regarding late arrivals. All that to say, the player survey feedback was that late arrivals should still incur some type of penalty. So, the following house rule was put in for this season.

Straight from our rules doc:

Players who are not present at the start of the tournament will be considered absent and will not be eligible for any pre-game chip bonuses, including early arrival or league-specific promotional bonuses. Once the tournament begins, an absent player’s chip stack will be placed on the table and blinded out accordingly. Each time the dealer button passes the absent player's seat, both the small blind and big blind will be removed from their stack simultaneously. These blinds will not be placed into any pot but will be removed from play entirely to prevent any unfair advantage to players at the table.

Players who are present will continue play as if the absent seat is empty. This means that the action will proceed normally, and the players occupying the small blind and big blind positions will still post their respective blinds into the pot to begin each new hand. Cards will not be dealt to the absent seat. If the absent player does not arrive before the first scheduled break of the night, their entire chip stack will be surrendered and removed from play. This policy ensures fairness, preserves game integrity, and maintains the proper flow of the tournament. It is the responsibility of each player to arrive on time and be ready to play when the event begins.

—

No complaints from players since this was implemented - including the chronic late arrivals.
 
NotRealNameNoSir said:
Late regging with a full stack is at an advantage when it comes to tournaments. Possibly have fewer BBs but most likely more BB than some of the field, and their BBs are worth more because they're closer to the end.

I still play it that way, latecomers getting the full stack, but if my group started abusing it I would have to figure out where I want the cutoff to be. We're a social group above all else.
Click to expand...
In a tournament, the only top x% get paid. At any time, the top x% has an advantage, while the other 100-x has a distinct disadvantage, the size of said disadvantage is equal to the amount they are below the lowest stack that would cash if the tournament ended 'now'. Starting late is only an advantage if fewer than x% are above starting stack - a possible, but highly improbable scenario.
 
I didn't read all the posts, so may be repeating some things. Since, you offer rebuys just give them a full stack when they get there, assuming it is still within the rebuy period. Way less of a headache for the host. If they are going to be later than that, I'd say they miss out. To encourage people show up on time, you can give a "paid and present" on time bonus to starting stacks. my 2 cents.
 
Poker Zombie said:
In a tournament, the only top x% get paid. At any time, the top x% has an advantage, while the other 100-x has a distinct disadvantage, the size of said disadvantage is equal to the amount they are below the lowest stack that would cash if the tournament ended 'now'. Starting late is only an advantage if fewer than x% are above starting stack - a possible, but highly improbable scenario.
Click to expand...
You've been doing this a lot longer so take all this with a grain of salt, just my thoughts.

I don't agree that your first two X%s are the same. Dangerous to think that top 20% get paid so that an hour in the other 80% are at a distinct disadvantage, you are far enough that ICM is very low at that point. The 'ending now' doesn't actually happen and it's fallacious to think being above that percentage is a distinct advantage if you're not close to the payouts. Its helpful to have more chips than your opponents, but an actual threshold doesn't come into play until later. Registering late gets you closer to when that threshold matters.

And starting late is very often an advantage. Dara O'Kearneys book 'Endgame Poker' is fantastic on this point and drills into ICM and bubble factor. When you register late, you're closer to the money and your stack has more ICM value than it would when the tournament first starts. When you buyin on time for $100, your stack is worth $100 and so is everyone else's. But when you buyin 3 hours later (or whenever) to the same 6 hour tournament, your $100 in dollars is worth more than $100 in value because you're closer to the point where you convert those chips to dollars, the only time the chip stacks actually matter. Short stacked and will have to play differently, absolutely, but there's an advantage there.

I register on time and enjoy my tournaments but there is very much a case for late regging. For pros its all about hourly and getting the most value for their stack. I've read other considerations on tournaments like the WSOP main event, being better to register early to crush the bucket-list fish, but for most of our games its nearly as deep-stacked and I prefer to get in early anyways because poker = fun for me.
 
Late arrivals in the big boy tournaments we all love so much start with full stacks. I just do a free add on to encourage on time arrival, but late registration is treated the same as a rebuy.
 
NotRealNameNoSir said:
When you register late, you're closer to the money and your stack has more ICM value than it would when the tournament first starts.
Click to expand...
This is true if players have been eliminated. It'd not uncommon in casinos for players to be KO'ed and not rebuy before the end of the late registration period. Home games however, are a different beast. While it is possible to be eliminated (and not rebuy) before the last 'late arrival' buys in, it is probably infrequent - unless your rebuy period is very long or your game is very aggressive.
 
Poker Zombie said:
This is true if players have been eliminated. It'd not uncommon in casinos for players to be KO'ed and not rebuy before the end of the late registration period. Home games however, are a different beast. While it is possible to be eliminated (and not rebuy) before the last 'late arrival' buys in, it is probably infrequent - unless your rebuy period is very long or your game is very aggressive.
Click to expand...

This is true either way, even more so if someone has been eliminated.

Even if one person has been knocked out and rebought, and I buy in immediately after him, my buyin is immediately worth more than those that bought in at the opening bell. The prize is higher, and I am closer to getting it than when I bought in.

And even if no one has been knocked out, I am still closer to winning. For anyone to have more chips than me, someone has to have less, and I would pit a fresh mindset and better short stack play against most others. I do believe it is a problem to think about keeping your stack above a threshold, tournaments are all about time and it doesn't matter what would happen if a tournament would end immediately because it doesn't. If I'm buying in even just a few blind levels after most people bought in, I will be ahead of some of the field and closer to winning the money. My chipstack is worth more.

You're right that this applies even more obviously to larger fields/casino structures but the math still rings true for most experiences. I will try to find the book to see where the points converge when it comes to length of time, really fascinating book that some pros I've heard swear by.
 
NotRealNameNoSir said:
This is true either way, even more so if someone has been eliminated.

Even if one person has been knocked out and rebought, and I buy in immediately after him, my buyin is immediately worth more than those that bought in at the opening bell. The prize is higher, and I am closer to getting it than when I bought in.

And even if no one has been knocked out, I am still closer to winning. For anyone to have more chips than me, someone has to have less, and I would pit a fresh mindset and better short stack play against most others. I do believe it is a problem to think about keeping your stack above a threshold, tournaments are all about time and it doesn't matter what would happen if a tournament would end immediately because it doesn't. If I'm buying in even just a few blind levels after most people bought in, I will be ahead of some of the field and closer to winning the money. My chipstack is worth more.

You're right that this applies even more obviously to larger fields/casino structures but the math still rings true for most experiences. I will try to find the book to see where the points converge when it comes to length of time, really fascinating book that some pros I've heard swear by.
Click to expand...
While you are technically closer to the money when buying in late, you also see less hands than those that played from the start. Add the fact that you are starting in a game with higher blinds, I'm not conviced there's an advantage that makes it worth buying in late.
 
We offer an ontime chip bonus, which those arriving lare don't get.

Usually it's 3k. But moving up to 5k. Because don't have enough 1000 value chips right now.
 
Roslindale said:
We offer an ontime chip bonus, which those arriving lare don't get.

Usually it's 3k. But moving up to 5k. Because don't have enough 1000 value chips right now.
Click to expand...
When you do a rebuy, do you include the extra chip bonus
 
Colquhoun said:
While you are technically closer to the money when buying in late, you also see less hands than those that played from the start. Add the fact that you are starting in a game with higher blinds, I'm not conviced there's an advantage that makes it worth buying in late.
Click to expand...
-this is getting long winded, sorry everyone, been a while since I typed so much on here-

If we hand wave and say we're equal skill as other players, more hands are a wash. I'm just as likely to lose a big pot, I suck at poker.

I agree with Negraunu when he talks about getting in early if it's to pick on the bad players who will be wiped out, but then there's Phil Hellmuth who very often max late regs some of the most prestigious tournaments like Poker Players championship. He's the most decorated player ever and chooses to buy in short stacked, as late as possible, to take advantage of this strategy. He's one of many but his name carries weight.

Seeing less hands =/= worse EV
Starting a game with higher blinds =/= worse EV

When someone buys in late they'll have stacks higher than them and lower than them, sure, but their stack is worth more in a tournament setting. They put themselves in a better position to cash and win, especially if it's a larger tournament that with dead money already in.

I appreciate all the inputs and this is purely thought experiment for most of us lol, thank God I'm not pro. Highly advise Dara O'Kearneys book End Game Poker, few strategy podcasts mentioned it and it was really great.
 
90% of what we do is different than when we first started doing this thanks to trial and error ... Experience is something you never get until after you need it.
We set a "cards in the air time". Players are occasionally late (life happens) but we know they're coming, and they accept these terms:
Instead of dealing to stacks of empty players, they'll receive their full stack on arrival, but be immediately seated in the big blind (we'll shift if we have to) and pay a BB and SB their first 2 hands as their tardy tax. If it's a freezeout and a player busts out (or doesn't take the option in a re-entry) before their arrival, they "missed the flight" and can deal if they so desire.
 
Good conversation - thanks for bringing it up! I’m just starting our tournament back up and figured the on time bonus would solve most of this.. but good to keep in mind if we have late arrival problems!

I like late arrivals getting seated as UTG. I’ll have to wait and see if we’re going to tax late players.
 
I know of a method that pretty much guarantees they’ll never show up late again… ever.

giphy.gif
 
Usually the chips don't get put in play unless the seat is sold. If someone registered and was late, their chips would be put in when they were in the blinds. Otherwise if they register late, they get a full stack.
In a home game, I would just give some bonus chips for being on time and give late comers the full starting stack. If it was going to be a full game, and someone paid in advance to make sure to get a seat, I would put their chips in play.
 
Our guys never get blinded out until after the color-up break. That's when we start posting blinds on their behalf but very rarely does someone ever come that late.
 

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