Tourney Favorite Heads-up Structure? (T1, T5, or T25 base) (1 Viewer)

[v1pe]

Pretty self explanatory title.

Open to a best of three format with shorter rounds or a single game structure. Ideally something like 1.5 hrs all in all. Usually playing with the wife and we don't usually have time for much longer.

I'd love options with T1 and T5 base so a cash set can also be used. Could also do T25 base with a tourney set.

Edit: Looking for a good heads-up blind structure for each of the different base denominations (T1, T5, T25)... seems my post wasn't as clear as I thought.

 

[gopherblue]

T25.

 

[pltrgyst]

Favorite among T1, T5, and T25 base chips? Whichever one is most likely to tilt my opponent.

 

[BGinGA]

Both T5- and T25-base work well, and each requires a rack of chips total. I have blind schedules for both that last roughly 30 minutes, but that's just because they were designed for an eight-player three-round best-of-three heads-up tournament.

With longer blind level times, they could be stretched out to whatever you desire. Or use 'em as-is, best-of-three.

Haven't given it much thought, but the T25-base structure (and breakdown) should work just fine for heads-up using a .25-base set instead (.25, 1, 5, 20/25 denoms), allowing you to use a cash set.

 

[v1pe]

Both T5- and T25-base work well, and each requires a rack of chips total. I have blind schedules for both that last roughly 30 minutes, but that's just because they were designed for an eight-player three-round best-of-three heads-up tournament.

With longer blind level times, they could be stretched out to whatever you desire. Or use 'em as-is, best-of-three.

Haven't given it much thought, but the T25-base structure (and breakdown) should work just fine for heads-up using a .25-base set instead (.25, 1, 5, 20/25 denoms), allowing you to use a cash set.

Do you have the structures handy? Would love to see em.

Do you find that players have a general preference of best of three? It seems like it might be better for a heads-up match to my

 

[BGinGA]

We started out with T5s, and eventually changed it to T25. We were running league tournaments, and the best-of-three heads up event was the season-ending finale. When the base structure of the league changed from T5- to T25-base, so did the heads-up ladder play-offs.

The ladder play-offs worked like this: Regular-season 3rd-vs-6th and 4th-vs-.5th, the two R1 winners play in R2, winner of R2 plays 2nd in semi-final, semi-final winner plays 1st -- so four rounds total, and took anywhere from four to six hours to complete (typically 1.0 to 1.5 hrs per round). Six of the 15+ players qualified, and it paid three places -- so finishing 1st or 2nd in the regular season guaranteed a cash in the play-offs. The players loved it.

Shoot me a PM reminder, and I'll dig up the structures and send 'em to you.

 

[Ronoh]

I’m 100% in the T5 camp. One rack works perfectly, 20/20/9 starting stacks (1500) and the two remaining T100s color up the T5s in the later rounds.

Added bonus is back in the day Stars HU matches were structured the same way so it’s what I grew up on

 

[v1pe]

I’m 100% in the T5 camp. One rack works perfectly, 20/20/9 starting stacks (1500) and the two remaining T100s color up the T5s in the later rounds.

Added bonus is back in the day Stars HU matches were structured the same way so it’s what I grew up on

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Looks good, and beautiful chips (that hundo )!

Have a preferred blind structure?

 

[Ronoh]

Have a preferred blind structure?

10/20
15/30
20/40
30/60
40/80
50/100
60/120
80/160
100/200
125/250
150/300

 

[BELGRADE]

I prefer to play HU in base of T100.

Stack T10k with starting blind (100-200)

Every player have :

20 x T100
4 x T500
6 x T1k

 

[v1pe]

Seems like 50-75bb starting stacks is what most prefer? With an STT or MTT I don't like less than 100bb, so that's what I had in mind initially. What's the rationale for smaller effective starting stacks, just speeds the game up?

 

[links_slayer]

I’m 100% in the T5 camp. One rack works perfectly, 20/20/9 starting stacks (1500) and the two remaining T100s color up the T5s in the later rounds.

I used to be in the T25 crowd but goddamn this is a great setup.

 

[TheBigTater]

I'm in the T25 camp

With T5000 (100BB) starting stacks of:
20 x 25
20 x 100
5 x 500

Blinds starting at 25/50

Nice even rack for set.
40 x 25
40 x 100
20 x 500

But I also think T5 works well.

 

[pedrofisk]

I’m 100% in the T5 camp. One rack works perfectly, 20/20/9 starting stacks (1500) and the two remaining T100s color up the T5s in the later rounds.

Added bonus is back in the day Stars HU matches were structured the same way so it’s what I grew up on

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View attachment 151858

Pillage and Plunder is my favorite custom set. There I said it.

 

[Ronoh]

Pillage and Plunder is my favorite custom set. There I said it.

Thanks, mine too

 

[pedrofisk]

Thanks, mine too

I know you'll never sell BUT.....

 

[BGinGA]

We started out with T5s, and eventually changed it to T25. We were running league tournaments, and the best-of-three heads up event was the season-ending finale. When the base structure of the league changed from T5- to T25-base, so did the heads-up ladder play-offs.

The ladder play-offs worked like this: Regular-season 3rd-vs-6th and 4th-vs-.5th, the two R1 winners play in R2, winner of R2 plays 2nd in semi-final, semi-final winner plays 1st -- so four rounds total, and took anywhere from four to six hours to complete (typically 1.0 to 1.5 hrs per round). Six of the 15+ players qualified, and it paid three places -- so finishing 1st or 2nd in the regular season guaranteed a cash in the play-offs. The players loved it.

Shoot me a PM reminder, and I'll dig up the structures and send 'em to you.

Both structures typically finish in under 30-minutes, and were designed for best-two-of-three formats (so generally 1 to 1.5 hours per round). 50bb stacks for T1500, 75bb stacks for T7500, with color-up after L3 in both cases. Imo, adding antes really improves a heads-up format, and playing best of three minimizes the luck factor a bit.

 

[v1pe]

Both structures typically finish in under 30-minutes, and were designed for best-two-of-three formats (so generally 1 to 1.5 hours per round). 50bb stacks for T1500, 75bb stacks for T7500, with color-up after L3 in both cases. Imo, adding antes really improves a heads-up format, and playing best of three minimizes the luck factor a bit.

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View attachment 152122

Oh antes interesting! Thanks!

 

[v1pe]

@BGinGA what's TBB?

Oh, must be Total Big Blinds in play?

 

[BGinGA]

Total big blinds in play on the table. Play will rarely go past the level where there are less than 20TBB, which is an average of just 10bb per stack.

 

[Daddy N]

View attachment 152122
[/QUOTE]
I have never played with antes. Can someone tell me when playing heads up why the level would start as 50/100 with a 25 ante instead of making the level 75/125? Is it just to keep the minimum bet 100 instead of 125?

 

[markleteenie]

I have never played with antes. Can someone tell me when playing heads up why the level would start as 50/100 with a 25 ante instead of making the level 75/125? Is it just to keep the minimum bet 100 instead of 125?

In general, antes creates "dead money" in the pot. My thoughts - this structure encourages aggression, makes it more advantageous to try to steal, without reducing your stack's effectiveness post flop (TBB in your own stack) by having the blinds inflated.