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Main => Suggestions => Topic started by: TheCOG on June 01, 2006, 02:49:07 PM

Title: Seating people at different tables
Post by: TheCOG on June 01, 2006, 02:49:07 PM
Our tourneys sometimes have a few couples playing, and we would like for them to not play on the same table until we are down to one table.  I realize that we can manually seat people, but there are two problems with that:  (1) when TD suggests a move, we would have to manually override it to keep the couples separated, and (2) manually seating people starts a slippery slope away from random seating - e.g. the two husbands would then always start out on the same table.

As long as there are still multiple tables, could you consider an option in the player setup to "avoid sitting at same table as", then have selectable players or a drop-down list?

Carl.
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: CanopicJar on June 01, 2006, 09:58:57 PM
I run a monthly tournament of 20 - 30 people who are mostly couples.  Prior to switching to The Tournament Director, we kept the couples at different tables like you are doing.  This issue was the main argument people had when I switched to this program over the manual method I had been doing.  I suggested that we just try it out and see how it goes.  Since then it has been a non-issue.  Sometimes you end up at the same table as your spouse and sometimes you dont.  It really as not been the big deal that people thought it would be.

I think that once you start trying to prevent this person from being at the same table as another person it would get pretty complicated as you try to consolidate tables.  It takes the smooth operation out of the software.

Just my 2 cents worth ::)

Travis
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: Corey Cooper on June 02, 2006, 11:50:11 AM
I have to agree with Canopic on this one.  One of the valuable aspects of the TD seating players is that the seating is random.  This avoids a lot of issues all by itself.  If you prevent couples from being seated at the same table (and I understand why one might want to do this), it doesn't matter whether you do it manually or the software does it for you, you are tainting the randomness.  So you've started down that slippery slope either way.  However, I guess also I see why having the software do it would make it easier to deal with (fewer questions, etc, if couples just "randomly" ended up at different tables).  I'll put this down on the feature list and give it some thought but I won't make any promises.
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: CanopicJar on June 02, 2006, 12:26:05 PM
I have to agree with Canopic on this one...

You make it sound like that is a hard thing to admit! :o
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: Corey Cooper on June 02, 2006, 02:01:15 PM
Actually, I was glad to see someone with the same point of view chime in before I did.   :)
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: lethargicdolt on June 02, 2006, 04:16:31 PM
We have three couples in our home game on any given weekend. The only seats not randomized for us are the dealers on each table, and they will get moved to their seats at the final table if they make it that far. We have found that it is not that big a deal (at least until they knock each other out)....
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: detourglr on June 05, 2006, 11:50:33 AM
I play with my wife at tournaments and never have a problem with her seating at my table.. I do fuss saying i have to behave now becuase she is in smacking range. lol

but if you are serious about keeping the couples apart, the only easy soultion is to seperate the table by gender... guys sit at one table and the girls sit at another. forget the seating the software does and draw for position at the tabel by cards or something like it.

if you have several guys that are single then sit them at random between the two tables.

I forget what the term is but play each table till it gets to the number of people you want for the final table that you dont mind couples being at the same table.

bad thing about this is you will uneven tables.

my suggestion is dont worry about seperating the couples.  if the couples dont want to play at the same table tell them to alternate who plays at the tournament for that night.

I never seen any problems with couples playing at the same table.. only thin I could see is that they feel cheated because they feel they have a less of a chance of one of them making it in the money. but they have to understand that is poker.

if the couples cheat by giving each other signals them remove them from the tournament.
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: Corey Cooper on June 05, 2006, 01:47:47 PM
I think the biggest problem that TheCOG was probably referring to is subconscious or unintentional collusion.  It happens.  A lot.  And much of the time it is completely innocent.  But it's unfair to other players, whether or not it is intentional.
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: Jarmy on June 12, 2006, 10:45:50 PM
Let the software do its job.  Random is the only fair way to go!  Announce that some players are concerned about collusion and then they know that they are at least being watched.  Then........... let the cards and play do the rest of the talking.  Better players will prevail in the long run.
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: _Hithere_ on November 07, 2006, 11:58:58 PM
While I support the random seating concept, I do have a couple of suggestions related to this thread:
If you don't want automatic seating changes to put peopla at the same table, lock them in their respective seats.
If you want to separate by gender simply buy-in all of one gender's players first, then seat, then buy-in the other group and seat.  There is no need to find another way to randomize seating at the separate tables.
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: Captn_All_In on November 08, 2006, 08:15:11 AM
Well what do you do if you separate them, and they both make it to the final table?

If the players are at that game are worried about collusion...even unintentional, I would say there are some trust issues that go deeper than just poker.

Randomly seat them.  If you feel like you have to...keep an eye on them.  If you think thier colluding, don't invite them back.
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: _Hithere_ on November 08, 2006, 06:24:52 PM
In my experience, the competitive spirit of tournament play keeps unintentional collusion to a minimum.  I see it a lot more in cash games.  Especially in the case of someone makning an obviously chasing call, and their spouse chasing as well doubling the chance that lightning might strike and the quality hand will end up beat.  With actual $$ on the table, people seem to do this subconsciously.  In tournaments, the benefit of an outdraw going to one's spouse is less obvious, and usually not worth losing more of one'e own chips.
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: macacan on November 09, 2006, 11:30:27 AM
I have read with interest the posts here, We only run 10 people games.
So as a outsider to your size of tournaments I can not understand why people should be
kept away from other people if spouse or not.
The idea of any tournament is to seat people at random thus no favoritism.
We all have players we would rather not see on our table,might be because they are top players or just always seem to have bad
luck against them.
Just my why of thinking, if I was to attend a tournament and it was handicapped, that is what your doing
when keeping people apart, I would go mad.
Say if there were 2 or 3 top players attending, that would mean that the odds of 1 or more of them being on my table was less than it
should be, therefor I could say I wanted to be kept away from the top player.
Also keeping them apart for as long as possible also gives them the greater chance of winning more
prize money into their household.
I don't want any arguments, this is just how I see it.


http://www.chorleypokerleague.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/


macacan
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: JonnyRockets on November 16, 2006, 01:58:45 PM
Just do it manually -  drag and drop.

thats what I do -  sometimes you get powerhouse table vs. weak table - all the rebuys are on the powerhouse table = not good.

Anyway -  I keep hitting random generate till I'm pretty happy with mix.  then you can drag and drop to even out more if you'd like.

Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: CanopicJar on November 16, 2006, 02:06:48 PM
I keep hitting random generate till I'm pretty happy with mix.  then you can drag and drop to even out more if you'd like.

I think this is one issue everyone will have to do their own way, but it seems like once you start hitting the random generate button over and over, it is just going to encourage complaining, and then there will always be one person not satisfied (like the first person out!)

Travis
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: JonnyRockets on November 16, 2006, 04:45:17 PM
I keep hitting random generate till I'm pretty happy with mix.  then you can drag and drop to even out more if you'd like.

I think this is one issue everyone will have to do their own way, but it seems like once you start hitting the random generate button over and over, it is just going to encourage complaining, and then there will always be one person not satisfied (like the first person out!)

Travis

Actually - I've had no complaining since I started this - whereas I used to have complaining before.  If you're just doing a single table game - then just hit random -  but multi table -  16 guys who you know -  they like the tables balanced out a bit more.  Again - especially when comes to rebuys.  If you have one table - all guys with the money and agressive / rebuyers.   you might come to the final table finally -  with a total of 200,000 chips allocated to the strong table - vs. 100,000 to the weaker table.

So most the weaker players are taken out.

Now - if I had a 3 table game -  I'm sure random generate would work better again.

But yeah -  the way I'm doing it is the best for happy players / fairer game for everyone.
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: CanopicJar on November 16, 2006, 08:24:09 PM
I understand where you are coming from, but why even use the random generator button?  Why not just manually seat balanced tables?
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: JonnyRockets on November 19, 2006, 10:48:58 AM
Hey man!

Just the way I do it -  I use the Random Generate fuction to keep some randomness there.   I don't sit there nitpicking at the list and making sure it's balanced perfectly.   I just look -  if I've got 20 players and I feel that 6 of them are "POWER" players - if those power players are out of whack -  i move em around a little.   Thats all -  keep the rest Random.   So I use the Random Generate function (keep clicking) until my power players are close to balanced out - then I usually only have to move around 1 or 2 players.

Good to go!

I'll do whatever I have to to keep the majority of people happy at my game.   It's a competitive game yes - but I try to keep it as fun as possible for everyone involved -  This is just one thing I do that adds to that.  Whatever works for you own game right! 



Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: CanopicJar on November 19, 2006, 04:46:59 PM
Whatever works for your own game right!

exactly! 8)
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: hawklight on November 20, 2006, 06:04:56 PM
Our tourneys have one or two couples who request that they are initially separated. I do what I can to accommodate by letting TD do its normal random thing - if they end up on the same table I just manually swap them with another player. I appreciate this is a pain if you have lots of couples.

Either way, they know that it is only for the initial seating. If after 5 mins they end up having to move to their partner's table they have to accept that. That way you can accommodate it but not in a hard to maintain way.

Doesn't help the chap who is inundated with couples - but just my twopenneth worth
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: brenner on November 24, 2006, 02:51:18 PM
Does anyone have any issues with the seat moves?  I know in the casinos it is done based on the button and blinds.  No one has had an issue with it at my tourneys but one player who runs his own tourney did question me on it.

I can't disagree with him that it sometimes is not fair because you could end being Big Blind at two tables, but trying to TD and play makes the auto seat move a blessing.

Is this more of a non-issue versus fairness?
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: CanopicJar on November 24, 2006, 06:49:10 PM
This is the sound effect I play when anyone questions TD  ... ;D
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: britnt7 on November 28, 2006, 08:22:49 AM
I can't disagree with him that it sometimes is not fair because you could end being Big Blind at two tables, but trying to TD and play makes the auto seat move a blessing.

Our rule is that if you are moved to another table to keep the tables balanced, and if you come into a blind, just sit out two hands and let the deal pass you so you won't ever be the big blind twice if you move tables. Also, since we have a three table tournament, when a table is broken down, high card is the new dealer at each table. This has worked out great for us with no complaints.

Just my 2 cents.
Tim
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: hawklight on November 28, 2006, 08:35:01 AM
At our club and UK casinos the player who is about to be the big blind is moved and positioned on the new table in a vacant seat (if more than one vacant seat is available he is seated so that he will become the the big blind as soon as possible).

If that seat happens to be the next big blind then he is the big blind straight away (which he was about to be anyway on the old table). If he is positioned as the small blind or dealer he must wait until AFTER the button passes him before he can be dealt in (i.e. he becomes the cutoff), otherwise he is dealt in stratightaway
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: britnt7 on November 28, 2006, 08:43:35 AM
At our club and UK casinos the player who is about to be the big blind is moved and positioned on the new table in a vacant seat (if more than one vacant seat is available he is seated so that he will become the the big blind as soon as possible).

This is probably the best way to do it but then it takes TD randomized seating out of the picture. I would rather have TD randomly select the person to move instead of selecting someone in the blinds. If you have more than two tables, how do you select which table to pull from? Especially when the other two tables have the same amount of players.
Title: Re: Seating people at different tables
Post by: hawklight on November 28, 2006, 08:55:42 AM
Well, in reality random seat assignments should be restricted to initial seating and table break ups only IMHO as it is unfair to let someone play a BB more than once in a round which is likely if randomness is used all the time.

I use TD to tell me that a person needs to move and just note the "old" and "new" suggested tables and then tell it not to move anyone - I then move the BB from the suggested "Old" table to the suggested "new" table and then reflect that move in TD by dragging that person's name from the old table to the new table on the "tables" tab. If 2 people need to move I will do the same.

However, in the event a table is broken up and therefore there's a whole bunch of moves, I just accept TD's suggestions and click "ok move everyone" button - which is all you can realistically do anyway. Likewise in a casino - when a table breaks you randomly draw a card for a new seat. This is is the only time that randomness should come into play (aside from initial seat draw).