Formats, All play, and time limits (1 Viewer)

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Question: is there a format for home games that encourages inclusion, prevents players who get felted from sitting out and just runs the evening til say midnight without ended in a heads up table?

Typically I run tourney style with one table, players who get knocked out are bored and eventually it’s heads up and someone wins all. Then we play another game. I’ve also tried rebuys. I’ve tried pushing knocked out players to a second table. I’d love it if people who get knocked out can rebuy and then at some point when everyone’s ready to go home we just count up the big stacks and like the top few players get payouts. Is this a format? What do you call it and where can I find more information about running a table like this? Guidelines and dos and donts?

My evenings eventually end up heads up and they people leave cause they are bored and it’s late. Would love to just reach a consensus that it’s late, payouts and head out.

A related question. In a format like this is there a method to manage players cashing out prior to the eventual end of game similar to walking away from a blackjack table when your up?

I’ve never done anything like this. I like our tourney format with rebuys but don’t like friends as wallflowers

Your thoughts? Is there a format like this?
 
There are several ways to go.

1. Strictly cashgames.

2. Enforce an ICM chop for the last two so that those who are waiting for the next tourney don't have to wait any more. Except in the last tourney of the night, of course.
2.b: An alternative could be to pay out 3rd, 2nd and 1st according to stack sizes (price money regardless of relative sizes, i.e. no ICM) when the bubble has burst. This could make for interesting strategical choices when down to 4! Either way, the goal with 2 and 2.b is to get the next tourney going earlier.

3. My personal favourite and what I do: Freezout where eliminated players go to the second table for the cash game. Why freezout? Because in my experience, it's harder to get people to stay for cash in rebuy tourneys.
 
Run 2 table tourneys, then the early bustouts play cash until whenever.
Sounds like I may need a better understanding of cash games thanks. I’ve been apprehensive of cash games hearing about pots spiraling out of control and Butt hurt losers. Sounds like a better format tho. Thanks.

There are several ways to go.

1. Strictly cashgames.

2. Enforce an ICM chop for the last two so that those who are waiting for the next tourney don't have to wait any more. Except in the last tourney of the night, of course.
2.b: An alternative could be to pay out 3rd, 2nd and 1st according to stack sizes (price money regardless of relative sizes, i.e. no ICM) when the bubble has burst. This could make for interesting strategical choices when down to 4! Either way, the goal with 2 and 2.b is to get the next tourney going earlier.

3. My personal favourite and what I do: Freezout where eliminated players go to the second table for the cash game. Why freezout? Because in my experience, it's harder to get people to stay for cash in rebuy tourneys.
This is super helpful thanks. Few questions. By freezout, do you mean no rebuy in the first tournament? Also, how would that cash game table run if the players are used to a night of two tourney games at $20 per game? They’d be eliminated from a $20 buyin tournament and sitting at a cash game with what starting stack, steaks, reloads etc?
 
What you are looking for are Double or Nothing tournaments. When half the field is knocked out, you win double your money and then you start a new tourney.
 
Sounds like I may need a better understanding of cash games thanks. I’ve been apprehensive of cash games hearing about pots spiraling out of control and Butt hurt losers. Sounds like a better format tho. Thanks.


This is super helpful thanks. Few questions. By freezout, do you mean no rebuy in the first tournament? Also, how would that cash game table run if the players are used to a night of two tourney games at $20 per game? They’d be eliminated from a $20 buyin tournament and sitting at a cash game with what starting stack, steaks, reloads etc?
If you are used to having 2 $20 tournaments per night, have a cash came of 5c/10c or 10c/25c instead with $20 or $25 buy-ins. When someone is out, they can reload for $20/$25 more, or again if needed.
 
T1000 Tournament

10 Players
T1000 for $20
Unlimited rebuys first hour.
Top off for $500 chips if under $500 first hour
Add on of 1000 chips first break

Rounds
10-20
15-30
20-40
Break / Color Up
25-50
50-100
75-150
Break / Color Up
100-200
200-400
300-600
Break / Color Up
500-1000
 
This is super helpful thanks.
Thanks! When giving advice to new members, one usually never gets any appreciation. Glad you found it helpful. :)

By freezout, do you mean no rebuy in the first tournament?
Yes. When you're out, your out. This allows you to schedule a deep tourney with a slow structure. Plan it so that it will end when you want the night to end (e.g. using the "20 BB rule", search for that phrase). The final two might not get to play cash. If that's a problem, schedule it an hour shorter.

Also, how would that cash game table run if the players are used to a night of two tourney games at $20 per game? They’d be eliminated from a $20 buyin tournament and sitting at a cash game with what starting stack, steaks, reloads etc?
It is completely separate from the tourney. It's like if you bust out of a tournament in a casino and then seek out their cash game tables.

You will have to set minimum and maximum buy ins for the cash game. E.g., a popular max buy-in is 200 big blinds. So if you're playing 10c/20c, the max buy-in would be $40 in that case. If you opt for shorter stacks like 100 BBs, that's $20. This applies to rebuys (or "top-ups" as I like to call them in cash games) as well. If you're down to $31 you can top up another $9.

(There are a lot of various house rules around buy-ins for cashgames, but the above is the simplest and what I use).

The blinds never increase in cash games (unless the table collectively agree to it). You play for real money, e.g. if you raise to $2, that's two real dollars that you could have bought a snickers for or whatever.
 
By freezout, do you mean no rebuy in the first tournament?
Ok, just saw the word "first". If opting for option 3, I would only have a single (but longer) tournament. I would not set up a cash game only to interrupt it for everyone to join a second tournament.

I use option 3 for my 3-table tournaments. I have a small fourth table for cashgames for the losers. When the first table breaks up, the cash game moves there.
 
What you are looking for are Double or Nothing tournaments. When half the field is knocked out, you win double your money and then you start a new tourney.

Similar to this is a “survivor tournament” that pays the top 10% or whatever you choose.
It’s a popular format on cardplayer cruises, sometimes the top whatever percent get money, sometimes it’s a satellite for the main event where you win an entry.
You can play in multiple events and win multiple entries that you can redeem for rebuys or cash in for the value after the rebuy period.
 
Never tried it, but there’s this option using a T-0.25:

Our $50 re-buy event (100bb, with .25/.50 opening blinds) was a big hit with the players. Best part is that you can also just make it a 3-hour timed session and finish without having to play down to just one player (all remaining players cash in their stacks).
 
Question: is there a format for home games that encourages inclusion, prevents players who get felted from sitting out and just runs the evening til say midnight without ended in a heads up table?

Typically I run tourney style with one table, players who get knocked out are bored and eventually it’s heads up and someone wins all. Then we play another game. I’ve also tried rebuys. I’ve tried pushing knocked out players to a second table. I’d love it if people who get knocked out can rebuy and then at some point when everyone’s ready to go home we just count up the big stacks and like the top few players get payouts. Is this a format? What do you call it and where can I find more information about running a table like this? Guidelines and dos and donts?
You are literally describing a cash game here. ;)

When it comes to home games, I'm a huge fan of cash games over tourneys for several reasons:
  1. Players can come and go as they please. Tourneys don't have much tolerance for players that want to arrive late or leave early.
  2. When a player busts out, they just rebuy. They aren't sitting around waiting for a new game or going home early.
  3. The host or group can set a stop time, and when that comes, you're done. Just cash everybody out and send them home.
 
Also, how would that cash game table run if the players are used to a night of two tourney games at $20 per game?
If you do strictly cash, I always encourage my players to be prepared to buy in 3-4 times.

If your players are used to 2x $20 tourneys per night, good cash game stakes might be .05/.10 with a $10 minimum $20 maximum buy-in. Some players will want to limit themselves to $40 a night, others will probably be willing to bring a little more. I think this is a good balance to keep both of those player types happy, and it also ensures reasonably deep starting stacks of 100-200bb so it's not just a shovefest.
 
I agree with many options offered. On a personal note, when I started my home games, we played tounament style, and many were out early and have to wait around watching TV etc. We decided once it was down to 3, the payout was done based on the chipsize for 1-2-3 so we could start another game.
After a few home games, we decided as a group that we would play cash games, with rebuys, and that is what we have stuck with since, dealers choice betweem Texas, Pinapple and Omaha. .25-.25 blinds. $20 buy original buy in.
This way allowed everyone to play the entire evening if they wanted to.
 
@OneGearManySpeeds

Search for this thread in Tourney.

Post in thread 'What are your tournament parameters?'

Look for @grantc54. He has a tournament structure that includes rebuys or top offs in the initial buy in. He says his game is pretty deep and people usually last 2-3 hours.
 
I rarely host, but when I do, I like to start with cash, and end with a tourny. So when players bust from the tourny, they just go home. I hate the opposite, busting and then having to wait for an hour+ for a cash game. tilting.
 
I rarely host, but when I do, I like to start with cash, and end with a tourny. So when players bust from the tourny, they just go home. I hate the opposite, busting and then having to wait for an hour+ for a cash game. tilting.
We rarely host cash games, but when we do, it's a cash-first tourney-second format.

Tournament-only players can show up later, cash-only players show up earlier (and exactly when they want), and no sitting around doing nothing for anybody.
 
The format my group has settled on is a slow-deepstack tourney with unlimited rebuys for most of the night, then a hyper with fast blind levels for final table once the rebuy cutoff is agreed upon.

Works well for our casual group because the "fun" part of the tourney lasts as long as most people want, and then wrapping it up is usually quick with no final table pain.
 
The format my group has settled on is a slow-deepstack tourney with unlimited rebuys for most of the night, then a hyper with fast blind levels for final table once the rebuy cutoff is agreed upon.

Works well for our casual group because the "fun" part of the tourney lasts as long as most people want, and then wrapping it up is usually quick with no final table pain.


I see you said “unlimited rebuys for most of the night”. Is it common to do unlimited rebuys in any part of a tournament? It’s a good way to increase the pot I guess.

-Thanks
 
I see you said “unlimited rebuys for most of the night”. Is it common to do unlimited rebuys in any part of a tournament? It’s a good way to increase the pot I guess.

-Thanks
Certainly uncommon, although I think I've seen it online a few times. Mostly, a very casual format with an emphasis on collective fun and not having anyone sitting on the sidelines for too long.
 
Certainly uncommon, although I think I've seen it online a few times. Mostly, a very casual format with an emphasis on collective fun and not having anyone sitting on the sidelines for too long.
Seems like a mix of Cash game and Tourney with the illusion you have a fixed buyin and if you get felted you only loose the buyin, but then the rebuy... I've not ran a cash game so I'm really curious how that game feels VS the unlimited buyin tourney
 
Seems like a mix of Cash game and Tourney with the illusion you have a fixed buyin and if you get felted you only loose the buyin, but then the rebuy... I've not ran a cash game so I'm really curious how that game feels VS the unlimited buyin tourney
You're right, it allows the flexibility of cash in that the more casual players in our group have a fixed buyin, but anyone who is feeling like it also has the option to splash a bit. The main benefits we see over the cash game is that there is still a well-defined winner at the end of the night (and our prizing ends up being quite top heavy), and you also don't miss out on the drama of all-in situations deeper into the tourney.
 

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