I wanted to see if you guys/gals had any recommendations, I am planning to have about 6-8 guys over for some NLH mini-tournaments. I want them to last about 1.5 hrs so we can get about 3 games in. These guys don't like to sit around and wait forever between games.
Here are my thoughts so far, I was going to start with 2500 starting chips, 15 min. blinds. While a hand is going, one deck will be shuffled, making shuffling faster, using 2 decks. When one hand is done, the next one is dealt, thus allowing more hands per hour.

Blind structure:
25/50
50/100
100/200
200/400
300/600
500/1k
1k/2k
2k/4k
2500/5k

I also thought about using antes
What do you think? Any suggestions are welcome!

There used to be some kind of tourney clock where you could enter the number of chips, number of players, and the time desired and it would come up with a blind structure that would finish your tourney within 15 mins of your desired length. Someone may do this online somewhere.

You could always have a cash game going, but for that you will need a second set of chips, cards and table. You don't want the tourney and cash chips mixed up.

One of my buddies did this, it was an eight person tourney. When you got knocked out you played in a heads up tourney, then after that we played cash. So 8th place played 7th place in the HU tourney and the winner played 6th place. It was kind of cool.

I wouldn't use antes in home tournament since people always forget to post them and it delays the game.

Other than that your structure looks good.

I agree with this. I never do antes in a home game. There is no dealer to keep it straight, and there usually ends up being an argument about who didn't ante.

The structure looks fine otherwise.

_________________
Vegas is my Graceland.


http://twitter.com/chadwilliams71

Keep in mind a standard raise even in the first level will be almost 10% of your stack. Seems like this will be a shove-fest rather quickly. But if you want a few games that night I imagine you'll get your wish. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I understand you want to end the tourney quickly , but that structure looks a little fast. With t2500 and 8 players, that's t20,000 total in play. At level 6 that's 20BB total, or 6.7BB with three left or 10BB heads-up. Unless your friends don't understand tournament strategy and are doing too much limping late I think it'll be over before then. I agree with the others- antes are unnecessary. I have just one suggestion- add a 75/150 level after 50/100.

_________________
This post is my own and does not represent the views of All Vegas Poker, its hosts, management or sponsors.

http://twitter.com/zzjitterzz

Looking at your recommendations, I was going to tweak my blind structure, I will not use antes.
25/50
50/100
75/150'
100/200
200/400
300/600
500/1k
1k/2k
2k/4k
2500/5k

Do you think this would lend for about a 1.5 hr game for 7-8 players? I don't want it to be a total all-in fest. The guys playing are not the best players and I just want it to be enjoyable or all. The buy ins won't be huge.

Thanks.

I could also up the chip count to T3000 thoughts?

Why don't you start with your latest tweaked structure and see how it goes (too short, too long) and adjust accordingly?

Happy games!

You can't both have a tournament that will end in 1.5 hours, even single table, and have a decent blind structure.

Even in your revised structure, after 45 minutes people should be playing shove or fold, after level three or four, they will be. Of course, you need that if you want to end in the 6th or 7th level.

Either accept that the point is for a bunch of guys to hang out and drink some beer (and whatever else you do) and the poker isn't going to be good. Or plan on a 2.5 hour tournament.

_________________
Don't tap the glass!