Moving players to balance tables

[compost kid]

I have a question regarding moving players to balance tables. I know what Robert's Rules and the TDA Rules say...my question is how is it normally done in bigtime tourneys, such as WSOP, WPT or any other
major events.

There appears to be two acceptable methods. In one method, you determine what position is empty at the table to be filled, and move a player from the full table who is in the same spot relative to the blinds.

The other method is to move the player who is in the big blind to the worst position (nearest big blind)
at the new table.

Like I said earlier, I know what Robert's Rules and the Tournament Directors Association Rules say, but
how is it being done in the tourneys you guys play in.

Thanks for the help

[Excelsior]

Anyplace I have gone, they move the person going into the big blind to the 1st seat to come into the big blind at the new table.

[Rostov73]

This is the system we use. Seems the most fair, no one gets to skip a blind or pays double.


Moving Players

Tables will be kept within one player difference. When a player is eliminated and a move must be made, the player ‘playing a hand’ in the same position (seat), relative to the button, at the highest populated table must move to the eliminated player’s seat. The move must occur before the next hand is dealt at any table. For the purposes of this rule, a player is ‘playing a hand’ once all the blinds/antes have been posted.

[Zentish]

I do it a little looser, once we determine that the tables need to be rebalanced, I pick the first player to act after the button who's not in the current hand to move to the open seat at the short table. Note that I don't get all crazy about matching seat positions or worrying too much about how fair or unfair this might be. In most cases this results in a small advantage for the player who moved since they're quite likely to be moving away from the big blind.

I do it this way to keep the game moving and keep myself sane, since I play in my own game and am already distracted enough as the host.

[compost kid]

Thanks for the replies so far. As I mentioned in the OP, I am most interested in how this is handled in
large tournament settings. I assume they these big tournaments would simply used the procedures from
Robert's Rules or the Poker Tournament Directors Assocation rules, but maybe they do it differently.

Is there anyone who has played in a WSOP or WPT event and knows first hand how it is handled.

Thanks

[Rostov73]

This should point you in the right direction:

http://www.wsop.com/2011/2011-WSOP-Rules.pdf

[compost kid]

Thanks Rostov. Rule 62 A clearly states they use the big blind to worst position procedure, which is also Robert's Rules and PTDA rules.

[xswl]

In WSOP, single player moves only happen toward the end of the tournament. At the beginning they are typically breaking down whole tables and everyone at the table draws a seat card to a new table. So I've had situations where I just had the BB and ended up at the BB at a new table (conversely I've also moved from UTG to the Button).

[compost kid]

Originally Posted by xswl

In WSOP, single player moves only happen toward the end of the tournament. At the beginning they are typically breaking down whole tables and everyone at the table draws a seat card to a new table. So I've had situations where I just had the BB and ended up at the BB at a new table (conversely I've also moved from UTG to the Button).

Thanks, for this info. Our tournaments have between 50 and 100 players, so we are balancing all the time, but it makes sense that in a huge field, that by the time you needed to balance, you would have enough eliminations to close tables.

[jldecarlo]

During the early stages of the tournament, I usually just let my Tournament Director software handle it. It moves people at random to keep the tables balanced and I don't worry too much about the blinds. Early on, they are relatively insignificant. When we get down to two tables, I use the methods above and usually move the big blind. When I combine from one table to two, I use mrticsay's method of combining tables.

L