Tourney Non-Elimination format (1 Viewer)

[BigGrizz]

So I'm developing a non-elimination tournament format. I know, very weird. And ya, "Just hold a cash game, yada yada." Not really an option so not going to happen. I'm more worried about ensuring that this format is both fun and fair.

So in this format every player gets a starting stack and gets a reentry each phase of play. Each phase is about an hour long. Seats scramble randomly each phase.

At the end of a set amount of phases the tournament ends. Everyone counts their chip stack and that determines tournament placement. Payouts are based on placement.

Binds are tba but 3-4 blind levels per phase is about what I'm planning.

I know this probably wouldn't appeal to the crowd here, but non-elimination would play great in my group so I'm finding a way to work it.

Thoughts?

 

[Labrat]

Play cash.

 

[BPTDirector]

As the blinds raise it will get to where the re entry stack will be all in more or less. Not a tournament any sane person would play in IMO.

 

[Labrat]

I think the problem you're going to have is people are going to play wild with the safety net of a rebuy every round, and towards the end of the tournament you're going to have people so far ahead it'll either become an all-in or fold game, or people will just give up since they're so out of it.


A better option might be a 50-50 tournament.

 

[Eriks]

non-elimination would play great in my group so I'm finding a way to work it.

There is a way…but it’s not what’s described in the op. What do they have against cashgames exactly?

 

[BigGrizz]

There is a way…but it’s not what’s described in the op. What do they have against cashgames exactly?

They are a group that likes a set loss. They are pretty loss averse. Also the mental step of playing for chips instead of direct for cash is a key to getting them in. If I can get through these hurdles for a few games then some will integrate into the main games of straight up poker.

What is a 50-50 tournament?

Another thought I had was to take the starting stack of a tournament and to break it up into 4 parts. They get some precentage of the stack at the start of each phase. This way they can get them selves terminated during a phase, but can come back next phase with a new stack. I would think something like 200bb first stack. 100bb 2nd. 50bb 3rd. Something like that. Basically each player gets an addon each round.

 

[SwissChip]

Too complicated imo… just play a low stake cash game where every player can afford 4 buy ins.
100 or 200bb starting - then half big stack.
And have fun!

 

[Labrat]

What is a 50-50 tournament?

It’s a regular tournament but once you play down to half of the field the tournament ends and the players knocked out pay the players still in. I’ve heard it called a Survivor Tournament too.

So if it’s a $10 entry fee single table of 10, 5 players left each win $10 (or whatever entry is appropriate).

 

[BigGrizz]

Gotcha. If you said survivor tournament I would have got what you meant. I'll keep working on this idea of a non-elimination chip hunt game. I'm actually thinking that everyone gets an add-on each hour, but the add-on gets bigger each time. It adds a catch-up mechanism to the game to keep losing players in the hunt.

 

[Avannah]

Maybe a point-based game ? Like, play for X hours with blinds increasing very slowly. Allow for unlimited free rebuys, and players score points for achieving things during the game
For example, +1pt for winning a hand, +4pt for busting someone, -2pt for getting knocked out, etc etc
At the end of the game, you can give extra points based on people's final stack, you can do either a linear point system (short stack gets 1 point, 2nd worst gets 2, 3rd worst gets 3 etc) or have a percentage-based system (100 points are given, if your stack reprensents 24% of what's on the table, you get 24 points)

I understand the issue as I am myself a board game player. People think and eventually recommend cash game because the way tournaments are designed makes it impossible not to eliminate anyone, so we have to think outside the box. A point system makes it approachable for board game players who have something they're familiar with and is very easy to tweak.

I also see stuff like having a shot clok and awarding points to people with time banks at the end, or people who go over the shot clock loose points. The possibilities are huge