[SingleMaltFan]

game: T5000
# of players: 6-8
rebuys: none
add-on: none

chips: $25/$100/$500
planning on starting with 25/25 blinds
planning on coloring-up the 25's (and maybe the 100's)

which staring stack do you feel works better and why? or would you adjust them and how?

12-12-7
20-16-6
20-20-5

thanks...
unsolicited blind schedule help appreciated

[tomb1]

Some people may not agree with this, but after trying lots of starting stacks, I conclude that a few simple rules of thumb make for a better night. (And you can also get more chips for your money, or more players for a given number of chips.)

1. Use a minimum of your lowest denomination in your starting stack. Use these (in your example, the $25s) just for blinds and limps. Color them up about 1/3 of the way through your tourney. In our experience, having large stacks of the smallest chips just becomes a pain. Plus you have to buy lots of them and see them sit out most of your tourney.

2. Make your middle denom the workhorse. Buy more of them and get more $$ value for your money. (If your $25 and $100 chips cost the same to buy, get fewer $25 and more $100 for the same amount you spend.)

3. Give out more of the middle chips in your starting stack, and start with only a handful of the smallest chips - maybe 8-10.

One stack we've used with $25/100/500 chips is:

8 x $25
13 x $100
7 x $500

- Total 28 chips (a decent stack)
- T$5,000 starting amount
- 100 x BB if you use 25/50 (or 200 x BB if you use 25/25)
- You can use 240 chips for 8 people, including color-ups

A good blind schedule is:
$25-$50
$50-$100
$100-$200
$150-$300 (we often skip this level based on how may people are out)
$200-$400 -- color-up $25s here (or at 100-200 if you skip 150-300 level)
$300-$600
$400-$800
$500-$1,000
$1,000-$2,000
$1,500-$3,000
$2,000-$4,000
$3,000-$6,000

[Wylecoyo]

We usually play a T2500 and for the last few weeks I have been using more 100's and cutting the 500's out of the starting stacks entirely. This will require you to have/buy more 100 chips, but I think it has worked better this way. It has been my experience that most of my players are in a rush to push their highest value chip into the middle and once the 500 chip barrier has been broken all the bets become 500 or multiples thereof. I think cutting the 500's out and starting with more 100's has calmed the game down a bit. I am all for aggressive betting when I can win, but with 2500 in chips to start out with I hate having to put almost half of my stack into the pot to win a hand which started with a 10/20 blind. Just my thoughts.

[SingleMaltFan]

what about not handing out the $500's unitl color up time?
that would avoid the temptation, besides at T5000 i would imagine there wouldnt be as much rush c/w 2500

1malt

[Wylecoyo]

Originally Posted by SingleMaltFan

what about not handing out the $500's unitl color up time?
that would avoid the temptation, besides at T5000 i would imagine there wouldnt be as much rush c/w 2500

1malt

Yea, I either have or will soon be getting (depending on the set) $500 chips for color-ups. Having them in play later in the game doesn't seem to be as much of a problem for the players who have large stacks of everything else already, but for small stacks $500's are dangerous

[Devilboy]

We use 16-16-6 and I think it's just perfect. The game goes a little faster with 12-12-7 but players like having more chips to start with.

We usually play a 3 hour T2000 with 16-16 but once in a while we play a big T5000 game with slower blinds and a 16-16-6 starting stack.

[Brewster]

I've been using the 16 - 16 - 6 starting stacks for a while but realize the game runs a bit smoother with 12 - 17 - 6 or 8 - 18 - 6. Once you start, you realize very quickly that nobody uses the 25 chips for anything other than posting the blinds and all ins. This also makes the colour up at the first break much easier on the organizer (you).

[SingleMaltFan]

Originally Posted by Brewster

I've been using the 16 - 16 - 6 starting stacks for a while but realize the game runs a bit smoother with 12 - 17 - 6 or 8 - 18 - 6. Once you start, you realize very quickly that nobody uses the 25 chips for anything other than posting the blinds and all ins. This also makes the colour up at the first break much easier on the organizer (you).

smoother, 'splain pls...
thanks for the input here and on my other bost...

[Brewster]

With my group, there is always one guy who likes to count out his bets one chip at a time. When he accumulates a large stack of 25¢ chips, it can be quite painful watching him count out a $5 bet (even moreso after a few bevies). By lowering the number of the lowest denoms in play to 8 or 12, you reduce the painful incidents like the one described above. We have to assign a chip caddy to this guy so the betting can take place in a timely manner. The only slowdown associated with fewer low denoms on the table is when players have to make change so they can post the blinds and that usually takes place during the deal. If your group is more organized, having more 25¢ chips on the table can be fun and rewarding (bigger stacks).

[SingleMaltFan]

what do the brick and motars usally start you out with chip count-wise in thier SnG's or satellites or even the first round of WSOP (main event)?

(count wise and distribution/not chip value i am talking about) big stacks, short stacks, medium stacks..(realising of course that they have plenty of chips in the rack to use for color-ups) just curious as i have never played b/m tourneys before, and wondered what their stacks were like and if most found it reasonable...