Tourney Running an All-in or Fold Tourney (1 Viewer)

[Dodger]

Looking to host an All-in or Fold Tourney and wondering if any PCFers have done something similar. If so, I’m hoping you can share your experience with running this type of tourney.

I’ll have 16-20 players (maybe up to 25).

• Is there any specific starting stack that works best?
• Does there need to be a progressive blind structure?
• Is it better to run it down to one winner under the all-in or fold rules, or advance to a more typical tourney format after an initial period of all-in or fold?
• Should rebuys be allowed? If so, for a lesser amount or same as initial buy-in?

Would love to hear the collective thoughts and expertise on this one.

Thanks!

 

[Taghkanic]

I can’t see how this concept would be of any interest without cheap buy-ins, shallow stacks, and rebuys.

And even then I can’t grasp the appeal. Why run this type of game if you are going to the trouble of assembling 16-25 people? Is it for an event with people who don’t normally play poker?

 

[ekricket]

It’s a good thing to do as a warm up tournament. It goes longer than you think, but it’s definitely not an evenings worth of entertainment. Better plan two tournaments or a quick segue into a cash game.

 

[Taghkanic]

It goes longer than you think, but it’s definitely not an evenings worth of entertainment.

I can imagine it taking some time to complete, but there are going to be a bunch of players who get to see almost no hands, right?

Plus the players who double/quadruple up early can really bully the table, I assume.

 

[Dodger]

I can’t see how this concept would be of any interest without cheap buy-ins, shallow stacks, and rebuys.

And even then I can’t grasp the appeal. Why run this type of game if you are going to the trouble of assembling 16-25 people? Is it for an event with people who don’t normally play poker?

It’s a good thing to do as a warm up tournament. It goes longer than you think, but it’s definitely not an evenings worth of entertainment. Better plan two tournaments or a quick segue into a cash game.

Sorry - for added context…

This will be an end of summer event meant to be a pre-BBQ and pre-cash game tourney. Mostly for shits and giggles to kick everything off.

 

[Hot Nuts]

Require reading this strategy before playing.

 

[Josh Kifer]

I do them all the time.

Our favourite method is doing them for the 1st round of a tourney. Give each individual 4k (on a 20k base). First round is all in or fold. At the end of the round, the people still in keep the chips they have, everyone else gets the 16k back.

Allows for a action first round, a fun dynamic, and then a normal tourney.

 

[grantc54]

I do them all the time.

Our favourite method is doing them for the 1st round of a tourney. Give each individual 4k (on a 20k base). First round is all in or fold. At the end of the round, the people still in keep the chips they have, everyone else gets the 16k back.

Allows for a action first round, a fun dynamic, and then a normal tourney.

Assume the people still in also get the additional 16k?

 

[Josh Kifer]

Assume the people still in also get the additional 16k?

Yup. everyone gets the 16k. It allows aggressive players to chip up or chip out. Makes for interesting tourney starts that are fun with a huge chipleader up 15-20k who's been involved in some hands.

 

[ekricket]

Sorry - for added context…

This will be an end of summer event meant to be a pre-BBQ and pre-cash game tourney. Mostly for shits and giggles to kick everything off.

Sounds perfect.

 

[Taghkanic]

I do them all the time.

Our favourite method is doing them for the 1st round of a tourney. Give each individual 4k (on a 20k base). First round is all in or fold. At the end of the round, the people still in keep the chips they have, everyone else gets the 16k back.

Allows for a action first round, a fun dynamic, and then a normal tourney.

So, the all-ins are not truly all-in, but more like a 1/5th all-in, with everyone’s losses capped at 20% for the early stages of the tourney?

That seems like a very different thing (if I’m understanding it, which I may still not be) than it sounded in the OP.

 

[Josh Kifer]

So, the all-ins are not truly all-in, but more like a 1/5th all-in, with everyone’s losses capped at 20% for the early stages of the tourney?

That seems like a very different thing (if I’m understanding it, which I may still not be) than it sounded in the OP.

Kinda. It's the same process as a classic all in or fold tho. Just allows for people to enjoy the mini game without losing it all in a true all in or fold game. We did true all in or fold tourneys before, but you'll lose 3-4 people right off the bat. So this is our way to do it without having someone show up and lose second hand and be done while the tourney folds on.

 

[Frogzilla]

Looking to host an All-in or Fold Tourney and wondering if any PCFers have done something similar. If so, I’m hoping you can share your experience with running this type of tourney.

I’ll have 16-20 players (maybe up to 25).

• Is there any specific starting stack that works best?
• Does there need to be a progressive blind structure?
• Is it better to run it down to one winner under the all-in or fold rules, or advance to a more typical tourney format after an initial period of all-in or fold?
• Should rebuys be allowed? If so, for a lesser amount or same as initial buy-in?

Would love to hear the collective thoughts and expertise on this one.

Thanks!

-Start stack: you need a lot less chips in the start stack. And it should be a shallow tournament. 5x 100, 3x 500, 3x 1000 works just fine for a 100/200.

-The blinds should go up very quickly.

-Rebuys allowed and same as initial start stack.

-Having multiple shells like they do for the short deck tourneys is better…I.e each buy in gives you 3 start stacks which you put into play as you wish (between hands only though)

-Hold em is fine but a game with closer preflop equities might be better (like PLO or short deck)

 

[Taghkanic]

We did true all in or fold tourneys before, but you'll lose 3-4 people right off the bat.

That’s what I assumed the OP was proposing initially. Would never work for my crew, but the capped version that lets everyone back in later for the other 4/5ths if their stack might.

 

[Josh Kifer]

That’s what I assumed the OP was proposing initially. Would never work for my crew, but the capped version that lets everyone back in later for the other 4/5ths if their stack might.

That's the hard part. Someone's gonna go all in early and get KO'ed. So unless you got another plan, they are gonna have a lonely night in an All in or Fold game. This way, worst case your back in the game in 19 minutes. Ya just might have a bit of room to make up against a chipleader

 

[Dodger]

That’s what I assumed the OP was proposing initially. Would never work for my crew, but the capped version that lets everyone back in later for the other 4/5ths if their stack might.

That's the hard part. Someone's gonna go all in early and get KO'ed. So unless you got another plan, they are gonna have a lonely night in an All in or Fold game. This way, worst case your back in the game in 19 minutes. Ya just might have a bit of room to make up against a chipleader

OP was meant to be open to any and all ideas. Just trying to learn…

 

[Josh Kifer]

OP was meant to be open to any and all ideas. Just trying to learn…

You'll wanna speed up blinds. I didn't do rebuys, but if you keep blinds going long, it becomes a folding wonderland and the dealer is gonna be catching up the entire time. People really do wanna wait for the "perfect" time, so ya gotta make the blinds and starting stacks push the issue a hint.

 

[JeepologyOffroad]

I’ve done these before for fun and just to give extra juice to someone before the cash game. (Actually the real reason was to get a tourney set on the felt since I don’t host tourneys often lol). Run it as a super duper turbo because many play extremely tight in my experience.

I do $20 with rebuys T2k starting stack. T2k corresponds perfectly to a $20 buy in. So the pot can be chopped at any time wanted to start the cash game according the chip stack size. For example, if a player has 3k in chips at chip time they get $30, 6.5k in chips $65, etc

 

[merkong]

All-in or Fold?

So pretty much my usual style of play…

 

[mjsil84]

i might try this! nice ice breaker while waiting for everyone to show up that committed - instead of starting and blinding people, especially if a few people are running late

 

[Motobaka]

I ran an all in or fold tournament as a satellite daily it was 10 stacks of 20 chips each. You could re enter as long as they were stacks still available.

We had no blinds except for an ante of one chip that would increase by one chip every time someone was eliminated.

It basically worked as a sit n go.

 

[chipchipchip]

I don’t play tournaments, so my first thought was this might be fun with the first 3-4 players while we wait for the rest of the group to arrive. Maybe $1 ante and $5 to see showdown. Just flipping for a little while to pass time. Sort of feels like “guts” without the chance of someone missing their mortgage payment that month

 

[DeeVee8]

I ran one. Cheap buy-in. It’s the kind of thing my players like one, maybe twice a year. More of a novelty than anything.

 

[Dodger]

Finally ran our All-in or Fold Tourney. Thought I would report back here in case others want to set up something similar.

We ended up with just 10 players at one table. Went with a 5K starting stack recommend by @Frogzilla:

5x 100, 3x 500, 3x 1000 works just fine for a 100/200.

10 minute blind levels:

Level	Small Blind	Big Blind
1	100	200
2	100	300
3	200	400
4	300	600
5	400	800
6	500	1000
7	600	1200
8	800	1600
9	1000	2000

We have a small stakes group, so $5 buy-in with unlimited $5 rebuys for the first 3 levels.

We had a total of 20 rebuys. Tourney ended at exactly the 60 minute mark (Level 6).

Top 3 were paid out: 50%/30%/20%.

A chop was considered when 4 players remained, but the players decided to play it out.

I feel like the 10-minute levels were just the right amount of time, and depending on your own group, you could consider a more aggressive blind structure. But, our guys understood the assignment and were not going to wait around too long to get their chips in the middle.

Overall, it was a blast. Lots of hands hitting cards on the turn or river, and guys going nuts over crazy runouts. It really set a good vibe for our end-of-summer BBQ event. Feedback from everyone was positive, and something I would consider running again.