Tourney 2k tourney, T5 base (1 Viewer)

natumes

Flush
Joined
Mar 30, 2020
Messages
2,019
Reaction score
6,325
Location
Utah
Let me preface with I have exactly 0 experience with poker tournaments. I've been searching to find info about 2k tourneys and it seems to be spread in other threads but nothing consolidated (or maybe I just didn't find it), so let me pose the question for my situation. I have had trouble getting enough people to hold a semi regular cash game, even at micro stakes, but there have been enough people that are interested in playing tournament format for me to host a semi regular tournament game (maybe make it like a league thing). I've also been asked to bring my "fancy chips" to another game I've been invited to, also playing tournament format. In the interest of being a good host and avoiding as many bumps as possible, I've come to you fine people for advice.

I have 2 sets that I believe should work depending on the number of people.
Set 1 (Isle hotstamps)
T5 x 120
T25 x 120
T100 x 140
T500 x 20

Set 2 (CDI) - I have $1 and $.50 but they won't be used for this
$5 x 400
$25 x 200
$100 x 200
$500 x 120
$1000 x 40

It seems that starting stacks of 2000 as 10/10/7/2 is the recommended breakdown. It looks like I can accommodate 10 players with set 1, however that doesn't leave any T500 for color up, and rebuy/add-ons are out. Do I just rely on the extra T100 for color ups? Will the T25 even be colored up with 10 players? 20 players? How many players will set 2 accommodate assuming 1 rebuy/add-on per player?

What is a typical tournament length for a single or two tables? What are the downsides to shorter schedules? From what I've gathered the blind schedule depends on lot on how long you want the tournament to go. If you were designing your ideal blind structure using one of my sets, how would it look? Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to help me out!
 
most of the time it will come down to the T100 and T500's very rare to have it go as high as just T500 unless your not chopping and playing it out, it makes sense to color up but not necessary. 10/10/7/2 is a good breakdown for T2000 set up. that's our setup for our tuesday night games. but with your first set, its not possible for rebuys or addons. so just depends on what you guys do and how many buyin's you expect.
 
For T5 base tournaments, in fact just 300 chips can perfectly accomodate a 10-man tourney with 2000 chips as 10/10/7/2 :
T5 x 100
T25 x 100
T100 x 75 incl. 5 to color-up all the T5
T500 x 25 incl. 5 to color-up all the T25

T25 will be colored-up for a 10-man tournament.
A 10-man tourney without rebuy / addon would end around level 500-1000 (or 400-800 or 600-1200 if your structure does not use 500-1000).

My T5 structure :
5-5 // only used if I want a deeper starting stack (400 BB)
5-10
5-15
10-20
15-30
20-40
30-60
40-80 // color-up the T5 after this level
50-100
75-150
100-200
150-300 // color-up the T25 after this level
200-400
300-600
400-800
600-1200 // your 10-players T2000 tournament without addon should end here or at the previous level
800-1600

Kid.
 
10/10/7/2 is a good breakdown for T2000 set up.
Agreed.

coloring up with some 100s would be fine.
Also agreed.

Either way, with a single table, you'll either have 70/25 or 100/20 of the T100/T500 chips in play at the end -- either is acceptable, although I'd have a slight preference for 100/20. Generally speaking, 80-200 chips in play at tournament end is the goal, with the sweet spot at 120-160 total chips, split somewhere between 3:1 and 5:1.

So your set #1 works fine for 10x T2000 freeze-out stacks (100/100/100/20, using T100s for color-up), while set #2 is limited by the number of T25s and will support 20 players (200/200/140/52, using T500s for color-ups, and optionally the extra 68x T500s for larger starting stacks and/or re-buys).

My T5 structure :
5-5 // only used if I want a deeper starting stack (400 BB)
5-10
5-15
10-20
15-30
20-40
30-60
40-80 // color-up the T5 after this level
50-100
75-150
100-200
150-300 // color-up the T25 after this level
200-400
300-600
400-800
600-1200 // your 10-players T2000 tournament without addon should end here or at the previous level
800-1600
This is a great structure, allowing your T2000 stack players to start with either 400bb (used as shown), deep 200bb stacks (starting with L2, 5/10), or relatively-deep 100BB stacks (starting at L4 10/20) while allowing re-buys.

For 20 players (and/or up to T4000 stacks), you'll want to add a few levels at the end:
800-1600
1000-2000
1500-3000
2000-4000
3000-6000

Overall tournament length will range from 3.5 hours plus breaks (10 players w/T2000 stacks starting at 10/20 using 15-minute blinds) to 6:40 plus breaks (20 players using T4000 stacks starting at 5/5 with 20-minute levels). You can pretty much fine tune it to any length between those times, based on number of players, stack size, starting blind amounts, and blind level length.

Personally, I prefer a 4+ hour single-table tournament, and a 6+ hour double-table tournament, but ymmv. I'd probably run a 10-player event with 200bb (starting at 5/10) with 20-minute blind levels and optional re-buys for the first five levels, expecting it to finish in 5 hours or less including breaks.
 
My T5 structure :
5-5 // only used if I want a deeper starting stack (400 BB)
5-10
5-15
10-20
15-30
20-40
30-60
40-80 // color-up the T5 after this level
50-100
75-150
100-200
150-300 // color-up the T25 after this level
200-400
300-600
400-800
600-1200 // your 10-players T2000 tournament without addon should end here or at the previous level
800-1600
Perfect, thanks so much for this
Either way, with a single table, you'll either have 70/25 or 100/20 of the T100/T500 chips in play at the end -- either is acceptable, although I'd have a slight preference for 100/20. Generally speaking, 80-200 chips in play at tournament end is the goal, with the sweet spot at 120-160 total chips, split somewhere between 3:1 and 5:1.

So your set #1 works fine for 10x T2000 freeze-out stacks (100/100/100/20, using T100s for color-up), while set #2 is limited by the number of T25s and will support 20 players (200/200/140/52, using T500s for color-ups, and optionally the extra 68x T500s for larger starting stacks and/or re-buys).
Great, I was hoping to be able to cover 2 tables as well with this set and if I can find more 1k chips I'll relabel some fracs to 5k and try a 10k t25 base.
For 20 players (and/or up to T4000 stacks), you'll want to add a few levels at the end:
800-1600
1000-2000
1500-3000
2000-4000
3000-6000

Overall tournament length will range from 3.5 hours plus breaks (10 players w/T2000 stacks starting at 10/20 using 15-minute blinds) to 6:40 plus breaks (20 players using T4000 stacks starting at 5/5 with 20-minute levels). You can pretty much fine tune it to any length between those times, based on number of players, stack size, starting blind amounts, and blind level length.

Personally, I prefer a 4+ hour single-table tournament, and a 6+ hour double-table tournament, but ymmv. I'd probably run a 10-player event with 200bb (starting at 5/10) with 20-minute blind levels and optional re-buys for the first five levels, expecting it to finish in 5 hours or less including breaks.
One question I forgot to ask, how do you handle consolidating the tables? Is there a blind level where you can reasonably expect a certain number of players to be eliminated and it just naturally works out?
 
The two tables should be kept balanced -- no more than a 1 player difference between the two tables. If one table gets two players 'light' due to an elimination (8 vs 10, for example), then a player from the 'heavy' table is moved to the 'light' table to create balanced tables (9 and 9, in this example).

Typically the player who is next due to post the big blind on the heavy table is moved to the open seat at the light table that will soonest be posting the big blind.

Two tables of 10 players each will combine into one table when the total number of remaining players = 10, so after the first player at the two remaining tables of five and six players busts out. All seating positions at the 10-player final table are randomly redrawn.
 
Last edited:
The two tables should be kept balanced -- no more than a 1 player difference between the two tables. If one table gets two players 'light' due to an elimination (8 vs 10, for example), then a player from the 'heavy' table is moved to the 'light' table to create balanced tables (9 and 9, in this example).

Typically the player who is next due to post the big blind on the heavy table is moved to the open seat at the light table that will soonest be posting the big blind.

Two tables of 10 players each will combine into one table when the total number of remaining players = 9, so after the first player at the two remaining tables of five players busts out. All seating positions at the 9-player final table are randomly redrawn.
For odd-numbered players (ie. 1 table has 8 players and the other has 7 player), how many players are combined at the Final Table?
 
For odd-numbered players (ie. 1 table has 8 players and the other has 7 player), how many players are combined at the Final Table?
Generally speaking (and per TDA rules), a 'final table' should consist of N+1 players, where N=table size, with the caveat that the Final table size never exceeds 10 players. That means 10 players at Final table if seating 9- or 10-player tables, 9 at Final table if seating 8-player tables, etc.).

Using that guideline, for your example of two tables at 8 and 7 players, I'd consider it as starting two tables of 8 but with one shorthanded, and seat 9 at the Final (8+1). But if both of those tables *could* have contained 10 each (but some seats simply were not filled), I'd seat 10 at the Final table. Similarly, if the event started with three tables of 8 players each but was limited/allowed up to 30 entries (3×10), the Final table should seat 10 players, not 9.

For games that seat fewer players (Stud, SOHE, Omaha, etc.), tables are usually limited to 7 or 8 players, and the Final table is also limited to that same number of players (so that there are sufficient cards for all players). The N+1 rule does not apply.
 
Last edited:
Generally speaking (and per TDA rules), a 'final table' should consist of N+1 players, where N=table size, with the caveat that the Final table size never exceeds 10 players. That means 10 players at Final table if seating 9- or 10-player tables, 9 at Final table if seating 8-player tables, etc.).

Very interesting !

For games that seat fewer players (Stud, SOHE, Omaha, etc.), tables are usually limited to 7 or 8 players, and the Final table is also limited to that same number of players (so that there are sufficient cards for all players). The N+1 rule does not apply.

The other exception is with specific NLHE events where the number of players is on purpose limited (6-max or 8-max events). But it's obvious.
 
On another post I saw T1 T5 on here I see T5 base structure T2000 set up. My noob question is what are the T1 and T5? What do they mean? I do see then referring to “tournament chips” the value on the chip is referred to say 100 chip is a T100 chip. Right?
 
On another post I saw T1 T5 on here I see T5 base structure T2000 set up. My noob question is what are the T1 and T5? What do they mean? I do see then referring to “tournament chips” the value on the chip is referred to say 100 chip is a T100 chip. Right?
T1 and T5 the way they are used here is to show the smallest chip in play. Here I play T10000 T25 - Every starting stack is 10000 and the smallest chip in play is a 25.
 
On another post I saw T1 T5 on here I see T5 base structure T2000 set up. My noob question is what are the T1 and T5? What do they mean? I do see then referring to “tournament chips” the value on the chip is referred to say 100 chip is a T100 chip. Right?

Essentially a T1 Chip is a chip with a value of 1. Many people just use chips labeled as $1, but they don’t have a cash value in tournament setting. Hence NCV or no cash value chips. Casino tournament chips would not have a dollar symbol since they are not redeemable for cash and would say NCV.

A T5/T2000 tournament would be one with the lowest chip being a 5/$5 and with starting stacks equal to 2,000/$2000.
 
Agreed.


Also agreed.

Either way, with a single table, you'll either have 70/25 or 100/20 of the T100/T500 chips in play at the end -- either is acceptable, although I'd have a slight preference for 100/20. Generally speaking, 80-200 chips in play at tournament end is the goal, with the sweet spot at 120-160 total chips, split somewhere between 3:1 and 5:1.

So your set #1 works fine for 10x T2000 freeze-out stacks (100/100/100/20, using T100s for color-up), while set #2 is limited by the number of T25s and will support 20 players (200/200/140/52, using T500s for color-ups, and optionally the extra 68x T500s for larger starting stacks and/or re-buys).


This is a great structure, allowing your T2000 stack players to start with either 400bb (used as shown), deep 200bb stacks (starting with L2, 5/10), or relatively-deep 100BB stacks (starting at L4 10/20) while allowing re-buys.

For 20 players (and/or up to T4000 stacks), you'll want to add a few levels at the end:
800-1600
1000-2000
1500-3000
2000-4000
3000-6000

Overall tournament length will range from 3.5 hours plus breaks (10 players w/T2000 stacks starting at 10/20 using 15-minute blinds) to 6:40 plus breaks (20 players using T4000 stacks starting at 5/5 with 20-minute levels). You can pretty much fine tune it to any length between those times, based on number of players, stack size, starting blind amounts, and blind level length.

Personally, I prefer a 4+ hour single-table tournament, and a 6+ hour double-table tournament, but ymmv. I'd probably run a 10-player event with 200bb (starting at 5/10) with 20-minute blind levels and optional re-buys for the first five levels, expecting it to finish in 5 hours or less including breaks.
When you discuss rebuys for the first five levels are we talking a full rebuy another 2k in chips or just a half rebuy at 1k?
 
When you discuss rebuys for the first five levels are we talking a full rebuy another 2k in chips or just a half rebuy at 1k?
I generally do full-stack re-buys.
 
3 years on this site and this is the best T5 base discussion I’ve seen, thank you all.
I agree! Though I've only been on this site a week (love it so far), this is a big part of what I was looking for - T5 base info. Thanks for the break down @Kid_Eastwood! So many tourney chips discussions start at 25/50, which is great, but this works better for my small home game.
 
For T5 base tournaments, in fact just 300 chips can perfectly accomodate a 10-man tourney with 2000 chips as 10/10/7/2 :
T5 x 100
T25 x 100
T100 x 75 incl. 5 to color-up all the T5
T500 x 25 incl. 5 to color-up all the T25

T25 will be colored-up for a 10-man tournament.
A 10-man tourney without rebuy / addon would end around level 500-1000 (or 400-800 or 600-1200 if your structure does not use 500-1000).

My T5 structure :
5-5 // only used if I want a deeper starting stack (400 BB)
5-10
5-15
10-20
15-30
20-40
30-60
40-80 // color-up the T5 after this level
50-100
75-150
100-200
150-300 // color-up the T25 after this level
200-400
300-600
400-800
600-1200 // your 10-players T2000 tournament without addon should end here or at the previous level
800-1600

Kid.
Thanks for the detailed information on this T5 structure @Kid_Eastwood I will give it a try on Saturday ;)
 
For T5 base tournaments, in fact just 300 chips can perfectly accomodate a 10-man tourney with 2000 chips as 10/10/7/2 :
T5 x 100
T25 x 100
T100 x 75 incl. 5 to color-up all the T5
T500 x 25 incl. 5 to color-up all the T25

T25 will be colored-up for a 10-man tournament.
A 10-man tourney without rebuy / addon would end around level 500-1000 (or 400-800 or 600-1200 if your structure does not use 500-1000).

My T5 structure :
5-5 // only used if I want a deeper starting stack (400 BB)
5-10
5-15
10-20
15-30
20-40
30-60
40-80 // color-up the T5 after this level
50-100
75-150
100-200
150-300 // color-up the T25 after this level
200-400
300-600
400-800
600-1200 // your 10-players T2000 tournament without addon should end here or at the previous level
800-1600

Kid.
I just pulled this thread up to just say thanks for sharing your experience planning a T5 STT.

It's just great how much knowledge is available here.

We will be going for a small STT soon and I will be doing it in exactly the same way you described.

I will be bringing my Horseshoe Cincinnati set into play for this.

This is the split with 100 each of 5s, 25s; 7x100s + a 500 barrel.

For me, the perfect small set would be as follows:

100x 5
100x 25
150x 100
50x 500

So you have 23,000 in reserve and everyone can get a rebuy + you have enough big chips to color the 5s and 25s

BE9AED7B-EF99-4380-BEE5-155BA9913135.jpeg
 
For me, the perfect small set would be as follows:

100x 5
100x 25
150x 100
50x 500
100 x 5
100 x 25
100 x 100 (70 for starting stack, 30 for colouring up 5 & 25)
60 x 500 (20 for starting stack, 40 for rebuy)

Personally, I prefer the rebuy to be all in $500’s. I like it since all the 5 25 & 100 will be a full rack and also easier to count for rebuy with just one denomination

We will be going for a small STT soon and I will be doing it in exactly the same way you described.
Nice, I like T5 Tourney as the OG online tourney are all used to be in T5 format

There’s not many T5 STT lover around

Good luck and have fun.

P.S. I was at first considering getting HS Cincinnati as my T5 Tourney set too before I changed my mind to BJ CIC as I like to reserve chips that I haven try out previously for my tourney and also set them apart from my Cash Set

I must say the HS Cincinnati look really nice in the starting stack
 
Last edited:
I just thought it would be nice to have 4 full racks auf chips instead of 360: but I agree, that it would be a bit easier to handle more 500s for rebuys.

P.S. I was at first considering getting HS Cincinnati as my T5 Tourney set too before I changed my mind to BJ CIC as I like to reserve chips that I haven try out previously for my tourney and also set them apart from my Cash Set

I must say the HS Cincinnati look really nice in the starting stack
Thanks. I think it will be even nicer in the near future as I bought a rack of 100s secondaries from @Jeevansluck to replace the 100s primaries. These are actually also the only used chips in the otherwise minty set.

186FADCE-A6B2-4506-AB2A-13140EDBA516.jpeg
 
I just thought it would be nice to have 4 full racks auf chips instead of 360: but I agree, that it would be a bit easier to handle more 500s for rebuys.
I filled mine with 2 barrels of bounty and/or Rebuy chips

Give the group the option to play bounty event as well

I just thought it would be nice to have 4 full racks auf chips instead of 360: but I agree, that it would be a bit easier to handle more 500s for rebuys.


Thanks. I think it will be even nicer in the near future as I bought a rack of 100s secondaries from @Jeevansluck to replace the 100s primaries. These are actually also the only used chips in the otherwise minty set.

View attachment 972780
Yup the HS Cincinnati Secondary $100 are pretty and was under the radar , they was available for sale for a couple of years before recently sold out
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account and join our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Back
Top Bottom