Tourney Tournament Round Length (2 Viewers)

[Kentucky]

Has to be long enough for a full orbit of self dealt but short enough to get a winner before bedtime. Usually 17/18 minutes for an STT at my place.

 

[MC_CPA]

+60 players with 4hrs, I think it has to be 12 minute blinds unless I'm mistaken. Prioritizes smooth increases over longer levels.

 

[HiveKueen]

My league games use this structure
https://holdemhive.com/HEHBlindStructure.html

Thus, you'll see that we use 10, 15, 20, 25 minute levels.

When the stacks are super deep I use 10 minute levels. IN my game, people play way too many hands when this deep so I don't linger the game at that early stage. Ultimately the meat of the game happens with 5 blind levels in a row of 25 minutes each. IN my opinion, these longer levels when the stacks are middling in size give skill a real chance to win out over luck. Then, when the avg BB is really low, we switch back to 10 minute levels to get the game over.

Game starts at 6:45 and is over by 11 give or take 30 minutes.
Cheers

 

[Jaxen]

My league games use this structure
https://holdemhive.com/HEHBlindStructure.html

Thus, you'll see that we use 10, 15, 20, 25 minute levels.

When the stacks are super deep I use 10 minute levels. IN my game, people play way too many hands when this deep so I don't linger the game at that early stage. Ultimately the meat of the game happens with 5 blind levels in a row of 25 minutes each. IN my opinion, these longer levels when the stacks are middling in size give skill a real chance to win out over luck. Then, when the avg BB is really low, we switch back to 10 minute levels to get the game over.

Game starts at 6:45 and is over by 11 give or take 30 minutes.
Cheers

Finally, somebody else on here who uses T5s. (Justin will get a kick out of my upcoming Tinas order.) What's your starting stack? T2000? T1000?

I do a couple different T2000 structures ... First for our 1st event of the year that pulls people in, allows re-entries the 1st 4 levels:
20 minutes: 5-10, 10-20, 20-40, 30-60, break and color up
50-100, 75-150, 100-200, 150-300, break and color up
200-400 (20 min, the rest 15 min), 300-600, 400-800, 500-1000, 800-1500, break and color up, generally ends around here ~4 hour mark

Then there's a T2000 inspired by the WSOP Main Event of yesteryear:
18 minutes: 5-10, 10-20, 15-30, 20-40, 20-40-5 ante, break in middle of Level 5
16 minutes: 30-60-5, 40-80-10, 50-100-10, 60-120-15, break and color up
15 minutes: 75-150-25, 100-200-25, 125-250-25, 150-300-50, 200-400-50, 250-500-50, break and color up
15 minutes: 300-600-100, 400-800-100, 500-1000-100, generally ends around here ~5 hour mark

Our next event in November will be a T2500 starting at 5-10 with all 15 minute levels inspired by current WSOP event structures.

 

[MC_CPA]

Last time I checked that BGinGA says to not cut time on the later levels because that punishes the skilled players.

 

[Jaxen]

Last time I checked that BGinGA says to not cut time on the later levels because that punishes the skilled players.

I get that, but ours shorten later in the event when there's 4-5 players left, the hands go faster and we end up with the same number of hands per level as the earlier levels.

 

[Jeevansluck]

I get that, but ours shorten later in the event when there's 4-5 players left, the hands go faster and we end up with the same number of hands per level as the earlier levels.

Personally, since starting up in 2019, I’ve scaled every one of my games down in the later rounds, one way or another.

I love BGinGA advice. I’ve crafted most of my structures around his advice, but for me, it helps keep the game speed going, and it’s never been an issue or a point of contention. I think players don’t even notice.

Somethings are definitely YMMV and group dependent.

 

[sleepyhead]

This was a good question. We do 15 min levels and start at 7pm in an STT of 10 peeps. Start with 100bb. We are usually done by 11:15 pm. We allow rebuys up to the 2nd break, usually 500/1000 level. Also we do 4 levels between start to first break and 1st to second break. The players like to be able to rebuy up till as long as possible so the they don't have to go home early. And we also allow "surrender your stack" up to 2nd break. I like 20 min levels but the tourney would go on too long. Also no cash game after usually.

I do like trying 4pm start, as that might allow the game to finish and peeps might stick around for a cash game after. Something to consider.

Do you allow unlimited rebuys and if so on average how many rebuys do you have per game? I host a monthly tournament and only allow one rebuy per person before the rebuy cutoff. Seems to me unlimited rebuys would promote very loose play from some players and also add a ton of chips to the table in turn extending the game

 

[SixSeven]

Personally, since starting up in 2019, I’ve scaled every one of my games down in the later rounds, one way or another.

We used to scale down the rounds from 15 to 10min after a certain period later in the tourney, to make the tourney go faster. But with self deal, and shuffle behind, people are too slow when it is down to a few left, so less hands are dealt towards the end. So I now keep it the same. After reading this recent part of the thread, I think making a bit longer to accommodate the extra shuffle and deal times is fair for the play. But it will make the tourney longer. Thoughts?

Do you allow unlimited rebuys and if so on average how many rebuys do you have per game? I host a monthly tournament and only allow one rebuy per person before the rebuy cutoff. Seems to me unlimited rebuys would promote very loose play from some players and also add a ton of chips to the table in turn extending the game

No, we only allow one rebuy (designed for a a cooler type hand situation, like KK running into AA) until the end of rebuys, and where you can surrender your stack. I agree, unlimited rebuys favor more loose play, and favor the deeper pocketed players, which IMHO tend to be better players. For our STT's of 10 players, we usually only have 5 total rebuys by the end of the rebuy period. I make 15 tubes, and that usually is just right.

 

[JustinInMN]

I voted 18, but 20 is good as well imo.

Anything less than 18 gets too short if you have full tables. I do have this quirk where if the button doesn't hit each seat on a level, the structure feels too fast. 18 minutes allows a 2 min per hand average in a 9 player game, which is reasonable.

 

[JustinInMN]

We started one of our tournaments at 4pm and it was probably the best decision we made. Not sure why we haven’t stuck with it since. By 8:30–9, a cash table had already formed with all the bust-outs, and they got to play for a solid 4–5 hours. Meanwhile, the tournament wrapped up around 9:30. Couldn’t have worked out better.

For context, our tournaments usually draw three tables about 90% of the time, so I get why we need to be mindful of how long things run. That said, I still don’t think dropping the post-break blinds to 12 minutes is the right move. After a couple of levels, post-flop playability just evaporates and to me, that takes away from the fun of it.

Yeah now that I have the details, I think your levels are too short. I would sooner shrink the starting stack and allow for at least medium levels of 18 minutes. You can schedule 15 levels at 18 minutes each and be under 5 hours with breaks. I think that's where I would be personally.

But it sounds like you aren't the boss on this one. But if you are trying to affect the change, I would just point out the deck isn't even going around in some levels and players perceive this as too quick. If you can't get the director to buy that, then probably not much to be done.

 

[horseshoez]

Yeah now that I have the details, I think your levels are too short. I would sooner shrink the starting stack and allow for at least medium levels of 18 minutes. You can schedule 15 levels at 18 minutes each and be under 5 hours with breaks. I think that's where I would be personally.

But it sounds like you aren't the boss on this one. But if you are trying to affect the change, I would just point out the deck isn't even going around in some levels and players perceive this as too quick. If you can't get the director to buy that, then probably not much to be done.

Great suggestion—I’m on board. Our next tournament is being hosted by someone with more pull than me when it comes to these changes, so we can implement this change there and announce it before the tournament begins.

 

[BigGrizz]

Just out of curiosity, how many hands does everyone normally get though per blind level? I've got some slow ass players that would struggle to get around the table in 20 (plus a couple where calling the clock becomes basically mandatory).

 

[Jaxen]

Just out of curiosity, how many hands does everyone normally get though per blind level? I've got some slow ass players that would struggle to get around the table in 20 (plus a couple where calling the clock becomes basically mandatory).

Tell Kabrhel and Kassouf to get the lead out or get the f--k outta your game! LOL

We get around a table of 8-9 in a 20-minute level. I'm thinking right at 10 per level ... but we have guys ready to deal the next hand as the pot's pushed on the current one.

 

[horseshoez]

Just out of curiosity, how many hands does everyone normally get though per blind level? I've got some slow ass players that would struggle to get around the table in 20 (plus a couple where calling the clock becomes basically mandatory).

It really depends on our table. We’ve got about two or three players who are completely oblivious — we have to remind them every single time it’s their turn to act. And I’m not just talking pre-flop, it’s the same story post-flop too. A couple of them are the members’ wives, lol. Some nights we’re lucky to get through a full orbit in 20 minutes. It’s a miracle when we do.

 

[BigGrizz]

Cool. So its not just me. I have one player in particular that just draaaaaags. He always wants the maximum time to calculate (even with board games). He gets frustrated if we call the clock but he will take multiple minutes per turn otherwise. Great guy and great friend, but he just has horrible analysis paralysis. Plus we have quite a few, "in training" that aren't ready to play for any stakes. That drags things on.

Funny enough I have another player that will without fail bet big on 6 9, because you know. Otherwise he is a nit so its a real curveball.