Tourney Favorite tourney setup (1 Viewer)

saleen121212

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Hi all,

I've been doing some research on tourney sets, but I want ideas from the experts on sets that they have experience on.

Please post setups that work best for you. I'd like to see starting stacks, total chips needed per denom for a 10 player tourney and blind structures please!

Currently I am open to any base. T5, T25, T500 whatever you like.

I know there are millions of threads with advice, but I think it would be nice to have a mega thread of full structures and break downs to refer to, if there is already a guide or thread on this please point me to it and delete this.
 
amateur.... :p

refer to post #2 here then scroll down a bit til you see poker tools on the right and click chip calculator. have a read then try out the pdf and mess about and see what you think works for you.
 
In our freezeout/bounty tournament I run a T25/20k starting stack.
Breakdown:
25 x 8
100 x 8
500 x 6
1000 x 6
5000 x 2
I don’t know if that’s an ideal breakdown, but it’s always worked for us. I guess we could change to 12 of the 25’s and 100’s? But usually it’s not a big deal to make change on the table.
 
amateur.... :p

refer to post #2 here then scroll down a bit til you see poker tools on the right and click chip calculator. have a read then try out the pdf and mess about and see what you think works for you.

LOL. I want to know what works for the people hosting all the time, not trying to reinvent the wheel. I'll also be basing what chips and quantities I need based on the setups people recommend most.
 
I've always used a old poker after dark setup. 100/200 setup with 20k starting stacks. I've got it tuned to be a solid 4 hour game and can adapt to whatever turnout I get....
 
I've always used a old poker after dark setup. 100/200 setup with 20k starting stacks. I've got it tuned to be a solid 4 hour game and can adapt to whatever turnout I get....

I'd be interested in more details if you get a chance. Like starting stacks and how many chips required of each denom for color ups and rebuys
 
In our freezeout/bounty tournament I run a T25/20k starting stack.
Breakdown:
25 x 8
100 x 8
500 x 6
1000 x 6
5000 x 2
I don’t know if that’s an ideal breakdown, but it’s always worked for us. I guess we could change to 12 of the 25’s and 100’s? But usually it’s not a big deal to make change on the table.

whats the blind structure like? are there rebuys? can you elaborate on the entire setup please?..... asking for a friend. :D
 
whats the blind structure like? are there rebuys? can you elaborate on the entire setup please?..... asking for a friend. :D
This is a straight freezeout/bounty
Buyin $120
$100 to prize pool / $20 bounty
Blinds: 20 minutes
50/100
75/150
100/200
150/300
200/400
250/500
300/600
400/800
500/1000
600/1200
800/1600
1000/2000
1200/2400
1500/3000
2000/4000
2500/5000
3000/6000
4000/8000
5000/10000

We usually have 1-2 tables. With two tables the tournament lasts about 6-7 hours and ends at 5k/10k.

Pay out structure for 1-10 players is
1st - 50%
2nd - 30%
3rd - 20%

pay out structure for 11-19 players is
1st - 45%
2nd - 30%
3rd - 20%
4th - 5%

pay out structure for 20+ players is
1st - 40%
2nd - 27%
3rd - 18%
4th - 10%
5th - 5%
 
This is a straight freezeout/bounty
Buyin $120
$100 to prize pool / $20 bounty
Blinds: 20 minutes
50/100
75/150
100/200
150/300
200/400
250/500
300/600
400/800
500/1000
600/1200
800/1600
1000/2000
1200/2400
1500/3000
2000/4000
2500/5000
3000/6000
4000/8000
5000/10000

We usually have 1-2 tables. With two tables the tournament lasts about 6-7 hours and ends at 5k/10k.

Pay out structure for 1-10 players is
1st - 50%
2nd - 30%
3rd - 20%

pay out structure for 11-19 players is
1st - 45%
2nd - 30%
3rd - 20%
4th - 5%

pay out structure for 20+ players is
1st - 40%
2nd - 27%
3rd - 18%
4th - 10%
5th - 5%
Thanks for all the really good info! What does your chip set look like quantity per denom wise?
 
Thanks for all the really good info! What does your chip set look like quantity per denom wise?
196C7568-24B4-4BA0-B328-7D8A6C882B55.jpeg

I’ve added more to this set since this picture.

We also run a $10/unlimited rebuy tournament. Had 25 players last month, ended up in a 4way chop for $580/ea!
 
My favorite tourney setup is where we play a RPS tourney to see where we sit for the cash game.
 
I personally use a T5 base with

200 x T5
210 x T25
100 x T100
100 x T500

View attachment 223387

I host a T1000 or T1500 tournament with rebuys. The blind structure I use is as follows:

View attachment 223388

For starting stacks I have used:

15, 13, 6, (1) or
20, 16, 5, (1)

This is what I'm talking about! I was looking to build a set with Paulson's and this is exactly what I was hoping for. Could probably make a decent set with this structure from the chip exchange sale....
 
Saleen, I'm happy to offer info, but could you provide some additional info?
  1. How long do you want the tournaments to last?
  2. Do you want aggressive blinds? It's possible to build virtually any length of tournament with increases in blinds that range from 20% to 100% increases, but they play differently and more aggressive blind structures require more chips. Is more chips a problem? (If so, you are on the wrong forum, just so you know.)
  3. How long do you want each round to last? I think the best structures will allow every player to be in each position at least once a round.
  4. Do you know what pace your group plays? The game I host averages just under 2 minutes a hand. We used our structure with a game that averages 2:50 a hand, and it's a terrible structure for that pace!
  5. Are there rebuys? If so, are they limited by time or number of rebuys? There is a big difference in freeze out, 1 rebuy within a limited time, unlimited rebuys withing a limited time, and unlimited rebuys.
  6. Then I've not put this info into anything yet, but I blame @Poker Zombie and @BGinGA for adding this to the mix. Do you want to promote loose play or not? If so, use more of the smallest chips, and if not, use fewer.
I have two spreadsheets I'm happy to share. One is a chip calculator and one helps with tournament structures, at least out to 21 rounds, and it could be extended. Both would give you a lot of ways to look at things and be able to compare. If interested in either spreadsheet, PM me with your email address and tell me which one you want, or both if you want both.
 
@TexRex the issue with the great questions you've asked is I haven't played a tourney in 10 years and neither has anyone in my very small current group.

I'd like to try though and I'd also like moar chip sets that aren't just for cash.

  1. How long do you want the tournaments to last? = Maybe 5-7 hours...
  2. Do you want aggressive blinds? It's possible to build virtually any length of tournament with increases in blinds that range from 20% to 100% increases, but they play differently and more aggressive blind structures require more chips. Is more chips a problem? = Not sure yet
  3. How long do you want each round to last? I think the best structures will allow every player to be in each position at least once a round. = 20-30 min per round?
  4. Do you know what pace your group plays? The game I host averages just under 2 minutes a hand. We used our structure with a game that averages 2:50 a hand, and it's a terrible structure for that pace! = No idea but they are pretty good about following pace in cash games
  5. Are there rebuys? If so, are they limited by time or number of rebuys? There is a big difference in freeze out, 1 rebuy within a limited time, unlimited rebuys withing a limited time, and unlimited rebuys. = I like the idea of 1 or 2 rebuys in the first few hours
  6. Then I've not put this info into anything yet, but I blame @Poker Zombie and @BGinGA for adding this to the mix. Do you want to promote loose play or not? If so, use more of the smallest chips, and if not, use fewer. = good advice, I don't like loose play
Id love to see both spreadsheets if you don't mins and my email is saleen121212@gmail.com.
 
Here's my input:

Structure for T25 base tournaments
25-25 *
25-50
25-75
50-100
75-150
100-200
125-250 *
150-300
== color-up T25 if no 250-500 level ==
200-400
250-500 *
== color-up T25 if 250-500 level ==
300-600
400-800
500-1000 *
600-1200
800-1600
== color-up T100 if no 1200-2400 level ==
1000-2000
1200-2400 *
== color-up T100 if 1200-2400 level ==
1500-3000
== color-up T500 if no 2500-5000 level ==
2000-4000
2500-5000 *
== color-up T500 if 2500-5000 level ==
3000-6000
4000-8000
5000-1000 *
6000-12000
8000-16000
== color-up T1000 if no 12000-24000 level ==
10000-20000
12000-24000 *
== color-up T1000 if 12000-24000 level ==
15000-30000
20000-40000
...
* = intermediate levels only used for slow structures (e.g. when less chips in play like T5000 - T7500)

--> Tournament shall end more or less when BB = 5% of total chips in play. So based on disered tournament length, you can adjust the variables starting stack, level duration and turn on/off intermediate levels.

My "Economic" breakdown for STT Freezeout T5000 to T10,000 (or more) - 8/8/4/7/x
T25 x 80
T100 x 80
T500 x 40
T1000 x (70 + 40 for color-up)
Bounty x 10
+ additional T5000 if you want to have deeper starting stack

My "Ideal" breakdown for STT Freezeout T5000 to T10,000 (and more) - 12/12/5/6 ~ 12/12/5/11/x
T25 x 120
T100 x 120
T500 x 50
T1000 x (60 + 50 for color-up)
Bounty x 10
+ 50 x T1000 if you want to go up to T15,000
+ additional T5000 if you want to go higher (T20,000 and higher)
 
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I build my tourney sets and also suggest my friends do as such:

T25 base with T100/T500/T1k/T5k/T25k progression - most common for card rooms and casino.

T10k base stacks - good starting stack depth at 25/50 starting blinds or 50/100 for slightly faster.

12/12/5/x starting stacks with adjustability to switch to 8/8/4/x stacks for more players, using T5k for rebuys.

I built my set to support 2 tables and flex to 3, so I have something like 240/240/120/240/100/40, with the higher denoms rounded up a bit to fill a birdcage. You can adjust the 1k+ denoms to fit your needs here.
 
I love a set that can host 30 players or more (because, you just never know!).

For the most part my tournies are T10,000s with a T25 base.
And I love starting stacks of 12/12/5/6.
To spread this across 3 tables (and with no partial racks) I dig the following breakdown...

400x t25
400x t100
200x t500
300x t1000
200x t5000

This is definitely an "overbuilt" set with plenty of extras that can stretch 4 tables and beyond (using 8/8/x/x stacks). And you don't really need 200x of the t5000, but a 1,500 count chipset is much nicer than a 1,400 chipset. :) And if you want to enlarge the set for deepstack play, 100x of a t25,000 denom is always fun to addon.

And here's the base tourney structure I've settled on after years of tweaking...

1544808379966.png
 
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Our poker league uses the following breakout for 20 members:
400-T25
400-T100
100-T500
100-T100
Each member’s starting stack $5k:
20-T25
20-T100
3-T500
1-T1000
We follow the WSOP $1K tournament structure with the exception of we use a $5k starting stack not $10k and our levels our 20 mins long. The rest mirrors the WSOP structure.
5C8F6767-0982-471E-8F37-7630DAC0620A.jpeg

This has worked out very well for us, plus those in our league who go to Vegas are familiar with the tournament structure.
 

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