I'm new-ish here, and while lining up a set of Tinas to get in a few weeks after buying some Broken Arrow cards and dealer buttons on the group buy (that escalated quickly!), I've noticed some post for advice about how to better run games. Now I know no one asked for my 2 cents, thought I'd share a couple of our tried and true tourney blind structures. We have 14-20 runners, and these have served us well and last 4-5 hours. So I thought I'd share.
Keep in mind we use a T5 (red) chip, that's how my main set came. For a T25 set you can always multiply by 5.
The first is a T2000 we use for the first event of the year. It's a little quick, but that first event often has a few new players so we want to show them what it's like, but move through it a little quicker. Re-entries allowed the first segment. This lasts 4-4:30:
20 minute levels:
5/10, 10/20, 20/40, 30/60, break, color up red T5
50/100, 75/150, 100/200, 150/300, break, color up green T25
20, then 15 minutes at Level 9:
200/400, 300/600, 400/800, 500/1000, 800/1500, break, color up black T100 (generally ends in this segment)
1000/2000, 1500/3000, 2000/4000, 3000/6000, 4000/8000
For our annual Danny Devito Classic (6-max short handed tables) we add a 40-80 level.
The next is for our Benny Binion Heritage Classic, also T2000 and a throw-back to how the Main Event used to be like 20 years ago. I originally thought "We'll just lop a zero off everything!" But then you get 12 minute levels. Uh, no. We experimented with 15 and have landed at 18/16/15. Yes, it has antes. No we don't use BBA. Oddly enough most in our group aren't fans, me included. Roughly the 4 and 8 or 9 seats collect their ends of the table. This freezeout tourney takes 5-5:15:
18 minute levels:
5/10, 10/20, 15/30, 20/40, 20/40-5, break midway thru Level 5
16 minutes:
30/60-5, 40/80-10, 50/100-10, 60/120-15, break, color up red T5
75/150-25, 100/200-25, (15 min) 125/250-25, 150/300-50, 200/400-50, 250/500-50, break, color up green T25
300/600-100, 400/800-100, 500/1000-100, 600/1200-200, 800/1600-200, 1000/2000-300 (generally ends early in this segment)
Next month I'll be trying something new inspired by one of the T25,000 events at the current WSOP, so this is a T2500 with 15 minute levels throughout:
5/10, 10/20, 15/30, 20/40, 25/50, break
30/60-5, 40/80-10, 50/100-10, 60/120-15, 75/150-15, break, color up red T5
100/200-25, 125/250-25, 150/300-50, 200/400-50, 250/500-50, break color up green T25
300/600-100, 400/800-100, 500/1000-100, etc.
Hope these help and I welcome any thoughts.
Keep in mind we use a T5 (red) chip, that's how my main set came. For a T25 set you can always multiply by 5.
The first is a T2000 we use for the first event of the year. It's a little quick, but that first event often has a few new players so we want to show them what it's like, but move through it a little quicker. Re-entries allowed the first segment. This lasts 4-4:30:
20 minute levels:
5/10, 10/20, 20/40, 30/60, break, color up red T5
50/100, 75/150, 100/200, 150/300, break, color up green T25
20, then 15 minutes at Level 9:
200/400, 300/600, 400/800, 500/1000, 800/1500, break, color up black T100 (generally ends in this segment)
1000/2000, 1500/3000, 2000/4000, 3000/6000, 4000/8000
For our annual Danny Devito Classic (6-max short handed tables) we add a 40-80 level.
The next is for our Benny Binion Heritage Classic, also T2000 and a throw-back to how the Main Event used to be like 20 years ago. I originally thought "We'll just lop a zero off everything!" But then you get 12 minute levels. Uh, no. We experimented with 15 and have landed at 18/16/15. Yes, it has antes. No we don't use BBA. Oddly enough most in our group aren't fans, me included. Roughly the 4 and 8 or 9 seats collect their ends of the table. This freezeout tourney takes 5-5:15:
18 minute levels:
5/10, 10/20, 15/30, 20/40, 20/40-5, break midway thru Level 5
16 minutes:
30/60-5, 40/80-10, 50/100-10, 60/120-15, break, color up red T5
75/150-25, 100/200-25, (15 min) 125/250-25, 150/300-50, 200/400-50, 250/500-50, break, color up green T25
300/600-100, 400/800-100, 500/1000-100, 600/1200-200, 800/1600-200, 1000/2000-300 (generally ends early in this segment)
Next month I'll be trying something new inspired by one of the T25,000 events at the current WSOP, so this is a T2500 with 15 minute levels throughout:
5/10, 10/20, 15/30, 20/40, 25/50, break
30/60-5, 40/80-10, 50/100-10, 60/120-15, 75/150-15, break, color up red T5
100/200-25, 125/250-25, 150/300-50, 200/400-50, 250/500-50, break color up green T25
300/600-100, 400/800-100, 500/1000-100, etc.
Hope these help and I welcome any thoughts.
