[argentis]

Hi guys, I want to host a tourney for some guys I took a new parents course with awhile back, but I'm not too sure how to set it up. If everyone comes, there would be 13 of us. Would it be best to run one table with 6 people, and one with 7?

I'd most likely be running a tourney. What do I need to worry about as the host/director? Is it just keeping track of blinds, and colour ups? I don't think I'll offer rebuys, but I might, because I don't neccessarily want people standing around without anything to do if they bust out.

Would a cash game work better for this? I really have no idea, since all of my live poker experience (such that it is) is from casino play.

Help!

Argentis

[machinelf]

Have you visited this site? It's a great resource:

Home Poker Tourney - How to Run a No-limit Texas Hold'em Poker Tournament

[argentis]

Thanks machinelf, I found a page on there detailing seating. I missed it the first few times I looked over the site. I'm suffering from a bit of information overload right now, but it's fun .

[beekeeper]

Machine Elf is right--homepokertourney is a great resource.

Yes, you'll need 2 tables for 13 (you can maybe get away with 1 for 11 but I wouldn't do that).

If you have the chips, assume that one table will become the "cash" table as soon as 3 players have busted out.

Your starting stack should be 50-100x your big blind, depending on how fast you want the tournament to play. The higher your starting stack, the more play players get. Your blind length and structure also affects how fast the tournament plays.

I try to avoid having a lot of my lowest denomination because it will slow the game down at higher levels (since invariably players hate to bet with their high denomination chips). Thus, for $5000 stack I have ( $25 ( $100 (6) $500 (1) $1000 (as opposed to something like 12/12/5/1.

You can also read other threads about this in the home game forum.

[argentis]

Maybe the question I should be asking first is if I'm hosting a game with 12 other people of unknown skill, what is the better format, cash game or tourney? Either way, it'll be a $20 buy-in, but other than that, I'm wide open to suggestions.

Argentis

[jojobinks]

Originally Posted by argentis

Maybe the question I should be asking first is if I'm hosting a game with 12 other people of unknown skill, what is the better format, cash game or tourney? Either way, it'll be a $20 buy-in, but other than that, I'm wide open to suggestions.

Argentis

depends on their willingness to lose more. if your players won't be fazed by losing $80, then play cash.

if they want to spend $20 for the night, then it's a tournament.

assuming tournament, b/c it's what people know:

• figure out first what starting stacks will be.
• 13 players * starting stack = total chips in play
• when the big blind is 5% of total chips in play the tournament will end. that's your last level. (example 10k*13 players = 130k. tournament will end when the bb is about 7k. so our last round will be 4k/8k or 3k/6k).
• decide where the blinds will start (25/50?). we already know where they'll end.
• decide how long blind levels will be (15, 20, 30 minutes are all homegame standards).
• decide how long you'd like the tournament to go (anywhere from 3-8 hours depending on start time/et cetera).
• fill in the missing blind levels.

other issues:

• you should have enough chips to, at the very least, color up your smallest denom, and probably your lowest two denominations. do you?
• make a plan for combining tables. should be fairly easy with only two tables. ask questions here if you're not sure how/when.
• food/drink
• use evite for invitations.
• make a protocol for dealing/shuffling. shuffle behind, shuffle ahead?
• do you need to post rules? do a lesson? explain string betting/single oversized chip/protecting your hand/other various stuff?
• payouts? top heavy (50/30/20) or flatter (40/30/15/10/5)?

dunno...a lot of it is easy, but you still need to think it out your first few times.

[jojobinks]

ooh ooh. software. i can't recommend strongly enough something like tournament director. it puts important information (time left in round, current blind level, next blind level) in a spot where anyone can see it whenever they need to. 30 day free download here: The Tournament Director

[argentis]

Thanks a bunch jojo. That list gives me a place to start. I shall return with more detailed questions as they pop up.

Argentis

[abby99]

People will bust out and have nothing to do whether you have rebuys or not. Plan to start a cash game when enough people have busted out. In the meantime, perhaps the first two people out would be willing to deal.

It's nice to have a small table and some chips for some short-handed cash-game action or a HU tournament, just in case the early bust-outs want something to do.