Tourney, how to handle chips if someone shows up late? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter mummel
- Start date
detroitdad
Royal Flush
In our league rules it says that you have until the end of the first level to get there. If they don't show the stacks are removed from the table. If they prepay the stacks stay on the table until their blinded out.
links_slayer
4 of a Kind
We deal them in and blind them out for the first three levels (60 minutes) and if they don't show up then we remove their stack.
If they've prepaid their stack stays on the table for the whole tourney. Thankfully I've never had to deal with this scenario. Seems like it would be a royal PITA.
If they've prepaid their stack stays on the table for the whole tourney. Thankfully I've never had to deal with this scenario. Seems like it would be a royal PITA.
Yeah no one pre-pays, so thats not an issue. I guess we'll set a time limit then, maybe 45min = 3 levels. TY guys.
justsomedude
Royal Flush
It depends on your house rules.
For example, if you allow rebuys/re-entries/late-entries, there's no point in seating and blinding a stack. I allow rebuys and late-entries for the first four levels, which is almost 2 hours. As long as anyone shows up in that time frame, they can sit with a fresh stack.
If they do not arrive by the re-buy/entry cuttoff, then they cannot enter the tournament, and I will not seat a stack without a player.
It's simple: You show up, or you don't play. Those are my house rules.
For example, if you allow rebuys/re-entries/late-entries, there's no point in seating and blinding a stack. I allow rebuys and late-entries for the first four levels, which is almost 2 hours. As long as anyone shows up in that time frame, they can sit with a fresh stack.
If they do not arrive by the re-buy/entry cuttoff, then they cannot enter the tournament, and I will not seat a stack without a player.
It's simple: You show up, or you don't play. Those are my house rules.
I was thinking about doing rebuys until the first color-up, but thats 1.5 hours into the tourney.
But if you are not blinding the stack of the player showing up late, doesnt that put the other players at a disadvantage (even if its tiny, the perceived imbalance in their minds would be there no)? Also, what about a player that shows up an hour late, and now starts with a bigger stack than some of the other unluckier players. Wont that get to people? I would also want to create an incentive to show up on time, every time, and not have 3 players walking in an hour late. That would suck.
Even if you have rebuys, blinding the latecomers stack 45min in still probably makes sense to me. Whats the solution? No re-buys? Or allow re-buys but blind the non-present stacks.
Our group does it same exact way as @justsomedude said above.
We allow late buy-ins until the first break (1-1/2 hours).
I have played in leagues that players must pay for the whole season and if they can't make it their stack is blinded off. It is a real PITA and an advantage to the player that is on the button when they are in the BB as they have the best chance to steal the dead blinds.
We allow late buy-ins until the first break (1-1/2 hours).
I have played in leagues that players must pay for the whole season and if they can't make it their stack is blinded off. It is a real PITA and an advantage to the player that is on the button when they are in the BB as they have the best chance to steal the dead blinds.
If you want to add an incentive to get people to show up on time, offer a chip bonus for being bought in 10 minutes before the start of the tournament.
Several of our hosts have started doing this just do they don't have as many delays to themselves while trying to play.
Several of our hosts have started doing this just do they don't have as many delays to themselves while trying to play.
Kyle
Full House
To encourage players to actually show up on time for a tournament, I provide a bonus chip incentive.
It works pretty well and probably 90% of players will show up at that deadline.
In my game we start at 7:00pm sharp. If you show up at or before 6:45pm you will be given 300 extra chips. We start with 2000 chips.
6:46pm and beyond doesn't qualify. It is funny because most people will show up at 6:43.
This rule must be strictly enforced for the integrity of the rule, otherwise nobody will take it seriously going forward.
For late players beyond 7:00pm, your chips will be blinded in automatically after 7:00pm.
Chips are automatically forfeited at the first break (at the 2 hour mark) I have not had to do that yet though. Nor have had that problem.
If the confirmed player calls and says I cannot attend as plans can change at the last minute, we take the chips off the table the moment we all know and do so.
This should help getting your players to show up on time. This also allows you to collect money and assign seats, etc. before the actual start time.
It works pretty well and probably 90% of players will show up at that deadline.
In my game we start at 7:00pm sharp. If you show up at or before 6:45pm you will be given 300 extra chips. We start with 2000 chips.
6:46pm and beyond doesn't qualify. It is funny because most people will show up at 6:43.
This rule must be strictly enforced for the integrity of the rule, otherwise nobody will take it seriously going forward.
For late players beyond 7:00pm, your chips will be blinded in automatically after 7:00pm.
Chips are automatically forfeited at the first break (at the 2 hour mark) I have not had to do that yet though. Nor have had that problem.
If the confirmed player calls and says I cannot attend as plans can change at the last minute, we take the chips off the table the moment we all know and do so.
This should help getting your players to show up on time. This also allows you to collect money and assign seats, etc. before the actual start time.
For my league I decided not to have stacks of late arrivals on the table to be blinded out. I don't like having a player with the button twice per orbit. Fresh stack could work but then I'd have a bunch of players always late. So players at the table get full stack, late arrivals get about ~90% of starting stack, regardless if they are 5 mins late or 5 mins from cut-off, which is the same cut-off for re-buys. Re-buys are for full stack. It's been working great for a few years.
justsomedude
Royal Flush
I try not to over think it.
But I think you need to choose one or the other... blind stacks, or allow late buyins/rebuys. From a hosting standpoint, there is no way you can try to manage both blinding stacks on no-shows, while also trying to get people bought in who show up 30 minutes late... it's a mental fiasco trying to manage all that.
Either let people rebuy/buyin late and don't worry about hurt feelings or "fairness" nits (it's your house - it's your rules), or institute a hard time cutoff and blind the no-show stacks.
No way to to both - for sanity's sake.
FWIW... plenty of casinos allow late buyins at their tourneys, and people don't bitch about "fairness." Just sayin'.
One more thing... There's also a double-edge sword to the "fairness" issue: if you want to show up early and risk 60% of your stack with AQ off with only 6 players, and you know 4 more guys are on their way, that's your own damn fault.
justsomedude
Royal Flush
Interesting... nice middle of the road solution. I like it.
I wonder if rebuys are the way to go in general? Doesnt it create a shove fest just before the color up? I want rebuys just in case someone busts out in level 2 going all in, it happens, and I dont want the poor guy to home after 30min and not have a chance to recoup his loss.
But at the same time, I dont want rebuys to incentivize people to start shoving just before the color up. Some guys are in for a single buy, no matter what, and will just keeping folding at that point, ending up being majorly disadvantaged to whoever just won the shove fest and ends up with a huge stack.
I dont care either way, but I want to make sure its fair for all involved, so that guys keep coming back and enjoying themselves (taken from that "how to save my game thread").
But at the same time, I dont want rebuys to incentivize people to start shoving just before the color up. Some guys are in for a single buy, no matter what, and will just keeping folding at that point, ending up being majorly disadvantaged to whoever just won the shove fest and ends up with a huge stack.
I dont care either way, but I want to make sure its fair for all involved, so that guys keep coming back and enjoying themselves (taken from that "how to save my game thread").
justsomedude
Royal Flush
In my experience, it only incentivizes shoves for those under 20-30% of the starting stack. In my T10ks, guys with 2,000-3,000 or less will start shoving around the cutoff. But that's usually only one or two players, and it's only the people who have the cash to rebuy. I have some tightwads who will milk a 2,000 chip stack for hours, simply because they refuse to rebuy.
So... no... a shovefest is not guaranteed. Depends on the player. Their bankroll, and their playing style. Like I said, you might get one or two guys wanting to repop at the cutoff, but most people won't engage them, because they won't want to risk their OWN stack. See what I'm saying?
At least, this is how it goes in my experience. YMMV.
(FWIW my rebuy cuttoff is at the 4th level of my T10k which is 100/200 ... not much reason for a shove fest at those blinds, unless someone got super unlucky, super early. I intentionally start with 25/50 blinds in Level 1, to serve as a bit of a warmup level, and to allow the slow pokes to arrive. This is where your blind structure comes into play, as it will effect your overall tournament experience.)
Thats a good point about people not wanting to risk their larger stack. Makes sense.
justsomedude
Royal Flush
Of course, there's no guarantee. You might get some nut to call an allin with A-6 off with a minute left in the level, lose half his stack, go on tilt and bust out right after the break since he dropped so low before the cutoff. It's bound to happen. That's poker.
This
justsomedude
Royal Flush
Im sure our firewall went thermal.
justsomedude
Royal Flush
Can't skip him... button has to play if chips are seated and blinded. Just have the guy next to him deal? Or if you're hosting and at that table, you can take the reins for that hand, then just get the deck back to its regular rotation.
Got it TY.
Kyle
Full House
Adam Crowley
Two Pair
If this happens with the majority of your player base there is a fair chance your buyin is too low.
I missed this thread. We made a rule a few months ago based on a suggestion from BGinGA. We put all possible stacks on the table. When the SM hits an empty seat, the SB and BB are removed from play, and that seat is ignored -- no cards. No one is on the button twice. If a player shows up and draws that empty seat (there might be more than one empty seat), he takes the seat and only cannot start in the SB.
I used to give non-prepaid stacks a full stack upon arrival. This provides some penalty for being there late, but it doesn't provide any advantage to a player at the table. It is a little more complicated than just giving them a full stack, but players perceive it to be more fair. If a stack is prepaid, it gets cards and is blinded normally.
I used to give non-prepaid stacks a full stack upon arrival. This provides some penalty for being there late, but it doesn't provide any advantage to a player at the table. It is a little more complicated than just giving them a full stack, but players perceive it to be more fair. If a stack is prepaid, it gets cards and is blinded normally.
moose
4 of a Kind
Huh?
Hosting is not easy. Make your life easier. Only seated players, receive stacks. Offer a 10% bonus for showing up and paying by a time you specify. After the cutoff they only get the base amount.
So as host you do not have to worry about who is/is not showing up, who is/is not going to be on time, removing stacks from play, what to do with stacks that have prepaid etc. Your players do not have to worry about dealing to away stacks, nor is anyone forced to deal twice for away players, nor does that person receive an advantage for acting last twice.
Hosting is not easy. Make your life easier. Only seated players, receive stacks. Offer a 10% bonus for showing up and paying by a time you specify. After the cutoff they only get the base amount.
So as host you do not have to worry about who is/is not showing up, who is/is not going to be on time, removing stacks from play, what to do with stacks that have prepaid etc. Your players do not have to worry about dealing to away stacks, nor is anyone forced to deal twice for away players, nor does that person receive an advantage for acting last twice.
We do exactly what kyle is describing and it works well.
The easiest method of all is to host a cash game instead. 
For me and my mostly recreational player pool, cash games simply don't get the numbers that tournaments do. 10% on time bonus and full stacks to late arrivals. Minimal effort FTW.
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