Getting to Grips with Tournament Structures and Home Games
The bankroll is all set, you’ve plunked down your tournament buy-in, and 💲 ready to roll. You’re seated at your table and given your weapons, a stack of chips to, hopefully, build throughout 💲 the tournament. That initial stack will vary from tournament to tournament and casino to casino, but those colours and chip 💲 values are essential to any tournament, and hopefully, you’ll have a massive stack by the end of the tourney.
The starting 💲 stack and chip distribution, as well as tournament level times and the blind progression, determine a lot about a tournament 💲 such as how long an event may last, the amount of time you have to make a move, and other 💲 variables.
Don’t follow Kenny Rogers’ advice – it’s always important to know how many chips you have at the tables.
Table of 💲 Contents
Poker Tournament Chip Distribution In a typical tournament, players get a particular number of certain-valued poker chips. That chip stack 💲 usually includes a few larger values, some of a medium denomination, and several lower values for the early stages when 💲 blinds and antes are low.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) offers several tournaments of varying buy-ins each year. In 2024, 💲 the series includes events ranging from aR$500 buy-in withR$1 million guaranteed to the winner, known as the Big 50 to 💲 celebrate the series’ 50th anniversary, to events ranging fromR$1,000 toR$3,000.
The annual series also features severalR$10,000 championship tournaments attracting plenty of 💲 big-name pros. The number of chips and distribution depends on the tournament buy-in. While the WSOP added more chips in 💲 general to its tournaments this summer, larger buy-in tournaments tend to offer more chips for players.
For example, players in the 💲 Big 50 event will start, fittingly, with 50,000 chips of varying denominations. With blinds starting at 100/200 and a 200 💲 big blind ante. That ratio gives players a starting stack of 250 big blinds.
The special 50th Annual High Roller event 💲 features a starting stack of 300,000 chips with blinds starting at 1,000/1,000 and a big blind ante of 1,000, giving 💲 players a stack worth 300 big blinds. The event has one-hour level durations while the Big 50 has 50-minute level
Other 💲 lower buy-in tournaments have even shorter durations, many in the 30- and 40-minute range. The larger distribution of chips certainly 💲 offers more play for the poker buck.
The annualR$888 Crazy Eights (of course, sponsored by 888Poker) offers players 40,000 chips with 💲 30-minute levels on Day 1 and then one-hour levels on Days 2-4.
Cash Game Distribution
Players jumping in on some cash game 💲 action will be given chips based on the stakes they plan on playing. A player in a low-stakes game at 💲 his neighbourhood card room or casino may buy in forR$200 and receive a rack full ofR$1 chips (100 chips) and 💲 then twenty additionalR$5 chips. Of course, all this may vary slightly.
Players in higher stakes, such as aR$25/$50 games, will, of 💲 course, receive high denominations with quite a fewR$25 chips - and some hundreds mixed in as well and possibly even 💲 higher.
Certainly, casinos will have even higher poker chip values for those playing at the very highest of stakes. Chip colours 💲 will vary by casino, but it’s a good idea to keep a few lower-denomination chips for waitress and cooking staff 💲 tips. Peeling off a big chip for the staff might bring some luck as well.
Home Tournaments The friends have been 💲 invited, the table is ready, and the pizza is on its way. You’ve got a great tournament planned with friends 💲 and prepared to stack some chips.
Which colours, values, and blind durations will all depend on your situation and the number 💲 of players. Planning a bit in advance will help get the action going sooner.
Here is an example of a tournament 💲 structure. If you are running a faster freeze out so that you can get your tournament wrapped up in a 💲 few hours, each player might start with 5,000 chips with blinds of 25/50 in that first level.
That setup gives each 💲 player 100 blinds to get things going. It can be easily adjusted if you’d like deeper stacks, and obviously chip 💲 colours may vary depending on the chipset you own.
Want a shorter tournament? Reduce the chip stack by 1,000 or so 💲 and reduce the time for blind levels.
A sample distribution in the above scenario might look as follows:
Running the Tournament Setting 💲 up your own tournament with a starting number of chips will undoubtedly depend on your schedule, the number of players, 💲 allotted time, blind levels, and numerous other factors.
Below is an example of a structure sheet for the 5,000-chip tournament mentioned 💲 in the above section.
Just a few reminders: Longer blind levels will obviously make for a longer tournament, but also reward 💲 more skill at the table. Shorter blind levels will reward luck a bit more.
The example below might be nice for 💲 a small tournament of 8-20 players.
Online Tournaments and Cash Games
Just like in a live setting, tournaments online also feature starting 💲 stacks, blind, and everything else one might expect in a casino. Those virtual chips will have specific colours as well, 💲 except they’re automatically collected in a pot and coloured up. As a player advances in a tournament, those denominations also 💲 go up - just as in a live tournament.
When it comes to starting chips, the number varies according to the 💲 event. Regularly scheduled tournaments will have a set defined number of chips. While significant events, such as theR$215 buy-in 888pokerR$100,000 💲 Mega Deep Challenge, may start with larger starting stacks, have longer levels, and feature a more favourable tournament structure.
Cash games 💲 will feature differing chips depending on the table stakes. The best way to get in on the action and grab 💲 those chips at the table?
Check out 888poker and take advantage of one of the site’s promos to sit down at 💲 the tables with a few extra dollars.
Home Cash Games If you’ve got that fun cash game scheduled with friends, maybe 💲 even after a tournament, there are numerous options for chip values as well, depending on your stakes, preference, and the 💲 number of chips.
For low-stakes games likeR$1/$2 No Limit Hold’em, if you have plenty of chips, making every colour only worthR$1 💲 keeps things really easy. However, if you are limited in the number of chips for a game (or simply like 💲 having a few denominations in play) adding different chip values can definitely help.
You may want to offer a player buying 💲 in forR$150 something like this:
• White –R$1 – 50 chips for a total ofR$50
• Red –R$5 – 10 chips for 💲 a total ofR$50
• Blue –R$25 – 2 chips forR$50 total
This arrangement allows players to quickly make change for higher denomination 💲 among themselves while being able to easily call and raise with larger chip values if needed.
One thing to remember: If 💲 you host a tournament before the cash game, it’s always a good idea to keep those cash game chips in 💲 a different colour, just in case.
Poker is a popular game because of the fun, strategy, and the possibility of accumulating 💲 more and more of those coloured chips and cash. 888poker offers plenty of opportunities to improve your skills online.
While 888poker 💲 LIVE offers players the chance to participate in some of the biggest and most prestigious live tournaments at great casino 💲 resorts, all over the world.
Get your game together and get in on the action.
Good luck collecting those chips!
