Tourney T- Base Preference for Tournaments (3 Viewers)

Which Base Chip Do You Prefer in Tournaments?


  • Total voters
    260
T1 for me, I ain't no baller!
I’d be good with that. But honestly, people are comfortable with T25 or T100 because those are most common - that’s a good enough reason for me.
I think I offered 2 pretty practical reasons for the T500 base above. The 2x jump makes the first color up easier and removes only about half as many chips from play as a base T25 structure would. But I agree this much base T1000 makes about as much sense as base T1.
I read that. Those reasons aren’t bad. Maybe not for me, but I wouldn’t argue with that.
 
Those reasons aren’t bad. Maybe not for me, but I wouldn’t argue with that.
Besides those reasons cited above by Justin, I like using a T500-base set because it:
  • is reasonably efficient,
  • allows for an easily-remembered set breakdown (100x each of T500 T1000 T5000 T25000 or 400 chips per 10-player table),
  • is perfectly-efficient for color-up (10/10/7/10 stacks -- 300K, 300BB) uses those extra 30x T5000), and
  • allows the opportunity to get a lot of T5000 and T25000 chips into play (which are often pretty cool, and rarely used in lower x-base sets).
 
Maybe I’m less whimsical than you guys, but I know I’m not a baller and I know I’m not playing high stakes. The zeros on the chips don’t matter - I know how much I paid to buy in.
If anybody can give me a reason to use anything higher than base T100, I’ll listen. But if that reason is to pretend you’re high rollers, I’ll be sorry I listened.
My big T-Million set has lots of big 2x jumps. The whole game plays differently because it's a totally different blind structure. It's not just putting useless zeros on the chips. It starts at T500 because logistics demanded it. The desire of T-Million plaques, reasonable blind levels, and a 4-5 hour play window created the need to cut out the T100s. It also saved me a few bucks, as those T100s wouldn't be in play long.

...but I still dream of a T5 mixed set tournament that runs all the way up to T1,000,000s in play.
 
My big T-Million set has lots of big 2x jumps. The whole game plays differently because it's a totally different blind structure. It's not just putting useless zeros on the chips. It starts at T500 because logistics demanded it. The desire of T-Million plaques, reasonable blind levels, and a 4-5 hour play window created the need to cut out the T100s. It also saved me a few bucks, as those T100s wouldn't be in play long.

...but I still dream of a T5 mixed set tournament that runs all the way up to T1,000,000s in play.
It all sounds crazy to me, but you've got a lot of players, so you must be doing something right.
 
You're all a bunch of pathetic small-rollers! My tourneys are base T25 trillion, the $20 entry fee gives you a starting stacks of T10,000 trillion!

The blind structure is
25000000000000/50000000000000
50000000000000/100000000000000
etc...

Since we use my Milanos with original labels there aren't enough zeros on the denoms, but I have solved this with house rules. If you throw in 3 black chips and say "three hundred" you get a one round penalty. Same with non-verbal bets. You need to say "three hundred [short pause] TRILLION dollars!!", and you need to make this face:
1_ZYpBSAe0dC4_ha-3GhcO9Q.jpeg


This is mandatory for bets and raises, but saying "call" or "check" is fine though.

For some reason I've lost almost all my players, I guess they aren't baller enough...
 
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You're all a bunch of pathetic small-rollers! My tourneys are base T25 trillion, the $20 entry fee gives you a starting stacks of T10,000 trillion!

The blind structure is
25000000000000/50000000000000
50000000000000/100000000000000
etc...

Since we use my Milanos with original labels there aren't enough zeros on the denoms, but I have solved this with house rules. If you throw in 3 black chips and say "three hundred" you get a one round penalty. Same with non-verbal bets. You need to say "the hundred [short pause] TRILLION dollars!!", and you need to make this face:
View attachment 580558

This is mandatory for bets and raises, but saying "call" or "check" is fine though.

For some reason I've lost almost all my players, I guess they aren't baller enough...
Was watching some old Bond film last night, Thunderball I think, and they were talking about the UK and US paying a ransom of 100 million dollars... like, 'uhhh, k.'
 
Was watching some old Bond film last night, Thunderball I think, and they were talking about the UK and US paying a ransom of 100 million dollars... like, 'uhhh, k.'
That's why my all my cash sets have $20s (one even goes to $500), even though the $5s have yet to be used outside of board games.

I will always be a small-stakes player, but you just don't know when the dollar will be worth 10th what it is today.
 
Since the chips are just points, the most natural base should really be a T1 base, yet most people (including myself, for reasons that I can't quite pinpoint) wouldn't like it. Like basketball, the lowest possible point it 1, normal shots are worth double that, and from outside the line it's triple. It's not 100, 200, 300!

I always wondered why Rowling made the quidditch points ×10, i.e. goals worth 10 and catching the snitch worth 150, why not 1 and 15?

With a 1 base, you would also avoid ×2 jumps between denoms. :)
Yet, I still prefer pretty much any base over T1... but I don't know why!
 
Since the chips are just points, the most natural base should really be a T1 base, yet most people (including myself, for reasons that I can't quite pinpoint) wouldn't like it. Like basketball, the lowest possible point it 1, normal shots are worth double that, and from outside the line it's triple. It's not 100, 200, 300!

I always wondered why Rowling made the quidditch points ×10, i.e. goals worth 10 and catching the snitch worth 150, why not 1 and 15?

With a 1 base, you would also avoid ×2 jumps between denoms. :)
Yet, I still prefer pretty much any base over T1... but I don't know why!
Because calculating in multiples of 1s and 5s is more difficult than when using 25s and 100s.
 
Because calculating in multiples of 1s and 5s is more difficult than when using 25s and 100s.
Can you explain what you mean here? (I’m not arguing, just trying to understand)
 
Since the chips are just points, the most natural base should really be a T1 base, yet most people (including myself, for reasons that I can't quite pinpoint)

Personally, I just think it has to do with the "classic" WSOP Main Event format when they did a T10K starting stack to match the $10,000 buy-in with blinds starting at 25-50. During the boom, poker rooms that wanted to host tournaments just emulated this format.
 
I guess it's different for different people, but for me personally, the denoms I count the fastest are 1■ (1, 100, 1000), with 5■ (5, 500, 5000) a close second, and 25 a distant third (there are usually very few 25000, if any, so they are easily counted. At least in my stacks!). I still count fast, but noticeably slower with 25.
Perhaps that's why I don't like T5 base, because the 5s and 25s are the initial workhorses.

I haven't tried this, but I suspect a set with 100/500/1000/5000/10000 (and 50k if needed) would make for easily counted stacks. At least for me. :)
So perhaps I should buy the wsop tributes and make a T100 base WSOP 2005 set?
http://abcgiftsandawards.com/poker-chips/world-poker-series-tribute/
 
At least in America (where the primary coin has been the 25c 'quarter' for decades, with pennies only muddying up the currency playing field), it's typically much easier for most players to deal with increments (and multiples) of 25 than either 1 or 5.

Compare an opening raise of 3x followed, by a 3x 3-bet and a 2x 4-bet:

1/2 -- raise to 6, re-raise to 18, 4-bet to 36
2/4 -- raise to 12, re-raise to 36, 4-bet to 72

vs

5/10 -- raise to 30, re-raise to 90, 4-bet to 180
10/20 -- raise to 60, re-raise to 180, 4-bet to 360

vs

25/50 -- raise to 150, re-raise to 450, 4-bet to 900
50/100 -- raise to 300, re-raise to 900, 4-bet to 1800

Values of 150, 300, 450, 900, and 1800 are much easier for most players to calculate and construct using 25/100/500/1000 chips, compared to 6, 12, 18, 36, and 72 values using 1/5/25 chips, or 30, 60, 90, 180, and 360 values using 5/25/100 chips.

And that's just two early levels; it gets progressively worse as T1- and T5-base blinds get larger and less 'standard'.
 
At least in America (where the primary coin has been the 25c 'quarter' for decades, with pennies only muddying up the currency playing field), it's typically much easier for most players to deal with increments (and multiples) of 25 than either 1 or 5.

Compare an opening raise of 3x followed, by a 3x 3-bet and a 2x 4-bet:

1/2 -- raise to 6, re-raise to 18, 4-bet to 36
2/4 -- raise to 12, re-raise to 36, 4-bet to 72

vs

5/10 -- raise to 30, re-raise to 90, 4-bet to 180
10/20 -- raise to 60, re-raise to 180, 4-bet to 360

vs

25/50 -- raise to 150, re-raise to 450, 4-bet to 900
50/100 -- raise to 300, re-raise to 900, 4-bet to 1800

Values of 150, 300, 450, 900, and 1800 are much easier for most players to calculate and construct using 25/100/500/1000 chips, compared to 6, 12, 18, 36, and 72 values using 1/5/25 chips, or 30, 60, 90, 180, and 360 values using 5/25/100 chips.

And that's just two early levels; it gets progressively worse as T1- and T5-base blinds get larger and less 'standard'.
Thanks...so your point was not so much that thinking in multiples of 1s and 5s is more difficult than 25s...it’s thinking in multiples of the blinds that result in a T1/T5 vs the blinds that result in a T25.

That makes a lot of sense to me...thank for spelling it out!
 
At least in America (where the primary coin has been the 25c 'quarter' for decades, with pennies only muddying up the currency playing field), it's typically much easier for most players to deal with increments (and multiples) of 25 than either 1 or 5.
This might be a key difference. Sweden hasn't had quarters since 1985. I remember when I was really young one of my uncles laughed about a math problem I had involving multiplication of 25. He said "no one in my time would have had a problem with that, we were so used to the 25c coins!".

I grew up with coins of 0.10, 0.50, 1, 5, 10. That could explain it.
 
It’s that vast right wing conspiracy that started with the metric system. Next thing you know chips will only be in 1/10/100/1k/10k.
Easier to understand, but far less efficient. :)

A single bet could take up to nine chips to construct.
 
Exactly, and this is PCF, the Poker Efficiency Forum!! Or wait...
Efficiency doesn't necessarily equate to smaller sets. It simply means getting more out of the chips you DO purchase.

For example, it's silly to have a 600-chip single table set when you can construct an efficient 800-chip set and cover two tables. :tup:

Even if you only have nine friends.
 
Ok, after a bottle of wine I now have the PERFECT breakdown! 0.5/1/5/25. There will be no $ sign on the chips, but a "BB" after the denom. The blinds will be

Level 1: 0.5/1
Level 2: 0.5/1
Level 3: 0.5/1
Level 4: 0.5/1
Level 5: 0.5/1
Break
Level 6: 0.5/1
etc

After each level you remove 1/3 of every player's stack! :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:

You're welcome!! :D
 
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One thing to keep in mind regarding 10 vs 15 of the T100 chips is if you use antes or not. If using the Big Blind ante, the 200/400 level would require 8 T100 chips from the big blind, and 1×T500+3×T100 cannot be used instead, it has to be 8 T100. So with antes I would have at least 15.

During my first year at PCF, after a post like that I would be like

View attachment 566689

The 'One Chip Rule' kinda negates that argument.
 
The 'One Chip Rule' kinda negates that argument.
I guess, if you use it for blinds and antes. My crowd uses the one chip rule during play, but always scrambles to get the blinds and antes right. Perhaps it's a cultural thing?
 
I guess, if you use it for blinds and antes. My crowd uses the one chip rule during play, but always scrambles to get the blinds and antes right. Perhaps it's a cultural thing?
In a 200/400 with 400 BBA, you can put a 500 chip into the middle right off the bat.
 
I've been away from chipping for a while, so I just found this discussion. This is a really great thread, lots of terrific information here!

Personally, I just think it has to do with the "classic" WSOP Main Event format when they did a T10K starting stack to match the $10,000 buy-in with blinds starting at 25-50. During the boom, poker rooms that wanted to host tournaments just emulated this format.

I always wondered why so many tournaments started with a t25 chip instead of using a round number like t100. I agree with the above post that this seems like a highly plausible explanation.

Bear in mind that I've never used either of these as we tend to have T15K (150BB) rather than T20K (200BB) starting stacks, but I like putting together blind schedules and have had these made up for a while. They may work for you.

View attachment 567148

So it sounds like the 20K tournament that starts with the t100 chip seems to be the new current thing. I'm OK with that, I can adjust to dropping the 25, and now I can get some use out of my $5000 octagons! I see the wisdom of having the t100 and t500 in play for numerous levels, instead of coloring up all the t25s after only the first hour. I do like the blind structure above, the first of the two listed. Since the higher denom chips are more expensive, I expect that this trend will mean more relabeling business for @Gear! (I've been reading old PCF threads about labeling over vs. removing inlays.)

Right so I would suggest something like stacks of 15/5/6/2 (or even 15/5/11/1) for base T100 with a T20K start. So that's at least 28 chips in the starting stack (or 32 if you go with option b. Times 10 players accounts for 280 or 320 chips, plus extras for color ups and rebuys should get you to 400.

The buy would be about 150/50/60/140 of T100/500/1000/5000. Because of the short hop between 500 and 1000 you can get by with few 500s, same as in a base T25 set. This way you do all your color ups by introducing T5000 chips and have plenty extra for re entry.

So I like the idea of more t100 chips (starting with just 10 seems a bit tight, 15 sounds good), and I understand the need for relatively few t500s (with only one needed per bet before coloring up). Stacks of 15/5/11/1 seem fine, but what do you guys think about starting with 15/7/10/1? I think a couple more t500s might encourage more action in the 2nd/3rd hour.
 
I've been away from chipping for a while, so I just found this discussion. This is a really great thread, lots of terrific information here!



I always wondered why so many tournaments started with a t25 chip instead of using a round number like t100. I agree with the above post that this seems like a highly plausible explanation.



So it sounds like the 20K tournament that starts with the t100 chip seems to be the new current thing. I'm OK with that, I can adjust to dropping the 25, and now I can get some use out of my $5000 octagons! I see the wisdom of having the t100 and t500 in play for numerous levels, instead of coloring up all the t25s after only the first hour. I do like the blind structure above, the first of the two listed. Since the higher denom chips are more expensive, I expect that this trend will mean more relabeling business for @Gear! (I've been reading old PCF threads about labeling over vs. removing inlays.)



So I like the idea of more t100 chips (starting with just 10 seems a bit tight, 15 sounds good), and I understand the need for relatively few t500s (with only one needed per bet before coloring up). Stacks of 15/5/11/1 seem fine, but what do you guys think about starting with 15/7/10/1? I think a couple more t500s might encourage more action in the 2nd/3rd hour.
Multiple T500s don't get "bet" very often. Usually only single T500 is used by any player on any street, unless it's someone being "smart" or just trying whittle down a lot of T500s.

I would still be fine with 7x T500s, as most of the players will still be seated (not eliminated) by the time the T500s came off, so they should have a lot of room to spread around. However, I have only run one tournament so far with a T100 base, and I used 10/4/7/2 (the set was being stretched to handle 18 players).
 
Besides those reasons cited above by Justin, I like using a T500-base set because it:
  • is reasonably efficient,
  • allows for an easily-remembered set breakdown (100x each of T500 T1000 T5000 T25000 or 400 chips per 10-player table),
  • is perfectly-efficient for color-up (10/10/7/10 stacks -- 300K, 300BB) uses those extra 30x T5000), and
  • allows the opportunity to get a lot of T5000 and T25000 chips into play (which are often pretty cool, and rarely used in lower x-base sets).
This is extremely helpful and thinking bout doing a high roller tourney set next. Thank you dave!
 

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