BARGE TOC TOURNAMENT STRUCTURE
by JP Massar
Initial chips: T3000.
Initial players: 108.
Initial chip distribution:
3 T500 = T1500
10 T100 = T1000
16 T25 = T400
20 T5 = T100
= T3000
Total chips in play: T324000.
Rounds: approximately 30 minutes during the structured
limit games. No Limit rounds will be 20 minutes each,
15 minutes for what should be the heads-up finale round.
During each round, 2 of the three games will be played.
Hold 'em rounds will be 12 minutes, Seven Stud rounds
will be 15 minutes, and Omaha Hi/Lo rounds will be 18
minutes. This models the 2000 TOC.
The starting game and the order of the games will be
determined randomly before the tournament starts.
Each player starts with 100 small bets, equivalent to
buying into a 10-20 Texas Hold 'em game with $1000.
Level Structure Blinds Antes Bring-in 7Stud Ante-Steal
Ratio (9-handed)
Time 12:00
1 30-60 15-30 5 10 (30 to win 55, 1.8)
2 50-100 25-50 5 15 (50 to win 60, 1.2)
3 75-150 50-75 10 25 (75 to win 105 1.5)
9 minute break. Race off T5 chips.
Time: 1:39
4 150-300 75-150 25 50 (150 to win 275, 1.8)
5 300-600 150-300 50 100 (300 to win 550, 1.8)
6 500-1000 300-500 100 200 (500 to win 1100 2.2)
9 minute break. Race off T25 chips.
Time: 3:18
7 1000-2000 500-1000 200 400 (1000 to win 2200, 2.2)
8 1500-3000 1000-2000 300 500 (1500 to win 3200, 2.1)
Time 4:18
At some point in one of Levels 8,9 or 10 we allot 2 minutes to
reorganize at the final table (9 handed).
If the final table is reached during Level 8, proceed
to play No Limit with the Level 9 structure for the
remaining Level 8 time, then continue with level 9
(i.e., no further change until Level 10).
Otherwise, start playing No Limit at Level 9 even if the final table
has not been reached.
9 No Limit 1500-3000 200
10 No Limit 2000-4000 300
10 minute break. Race of T100 chips.
Time 5:10
11 No Limit. 4000-8000 500
Time 5:25
Play will probably finish during the preceding round.
12 No Limit. 10000-15000
Play continues at this limit until one player remains.
Time 5:25+.
-------------------------
Prize structure.
Given 108 players, there will be $4104 in the prize pool.
Ignoring the $4, the suggested prize distribution:
1st: $1200
2nd: $ 900
3rd: $ 600
4th: $ 400
5th: $ 300
6th: $ 250
7th: $ 200
8th: $ 150
9th $ 100
-----
$4100
Minutae:
The placement of the button should be determined before play
begins, even if stud is going to be the 1st game.
During stud, the player who is to have the button in the forthcoming
blind-game will hold the button. Should this player be moved the
button remains in the spot, and will become a dead button.
Should another player be moved into this spot, he/she will inherit
the button.
To facilitate table balancing and fairness, I suggest that a player
being chosen to move to balance a table be selected via position
from button instead of from a random draw. During stud, the
player chosen should be chosen from the same seat, or if impossible,
from the seat closest, clockwise.
E.g., during stud, if a player is needed to fill seat 4 at table #X
to balance the games, the floorperson selects the person in seat
4 from table #(X-1) (or #(X-2), etc, until a table is found with an
excess of people). If seat 4 is unoccupied, seat 5 is selected, or
if vacant, seat 6, etc.)
No one should be allowed to bust out because of the chip race.
Anyone in such danger should have the option to receive 1 higher-
denomination chip.
The chip-splitting rule is:
High hand takes precedent over low hand.
First-to-act takes precedent over last-to-act.
Note that it IS possible to get quartered or sixthed out of the
tournament.
Notes:
The schedule is designed down to the minute.
If the schedule is not strictly adhered to, the tournament
will run late.
The structure is designed as much as possible to be 'slow' in
the beginning, and 'faster' as the tournament progresses.
Hence the ante-steal ratio for 7Stud steadily climbs, producing
more aggressive, 'faster' play, and antes are present in the
No Limit rounds, again producing more aggressive, 'faster' play.
Unlike the TOC, No Limit is scheduled to go into effect at a
certain round, not at the final table. Otherwise the tournament
would probably run too long.
Comments/Suggestions/Corrections mail Michael Hunter.