Author Topic: Tournament Director Suggests Odd Blind Structure  (Read 2099 times)

edneely

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Tournament Director Suggests Odd Blind Structure
« on: September 28, 2009, 08:04:49 PM »
I just bought Tournament Director. The software is great, with one exception. I'm not happy with its suggested blind structure. I can set it manually, but I'd prefer to take the suggestions, if they are reasonable.

Here's an example:

    4 hour tourney
    400 chip stacks
    1, 5, 25 and 100 chips
    20 minute rounds
    10 players
    3 re-buys (during first 3 rounds only)

The first few rounds go like this:
     Level Duration SB BB Start Time
     Round 1 20m $1 $2 0:00
     Round 2 20m $12 $24 0:20
     Round 3 20m $23 $46 0:40
     Round 4 20m $34 $68 1:00
     Round 5 20m $45 $90 1:20
     Round 6 20m $56 $112 1:40
     Round 7 20m $65 $130 2:00
     Round 8 20m $80 $160 2:20
     Round 9 20m $95 $190 2:40
     Round 10 20m $110 $220 3:00
     Round 11 20m $125 $250 3:20
     Round 12 20m $140 $280 3:40
And this is on the "relaxed" setting. The $1 chips are meaningless after the first round. The software appears to set up almost linear increases. This would make the first few rounds a major shove-fest. In the first three rounds, starting stacks go from 100BB to <10BB.

Am I missing something in the setup?

Corey Cooper

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Re: Tournament Director Suggests Odd Blind Structure
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2009, 10:48:07 AM »
No, you're not missing anything.  Admittedly, the suggestion feature could use some work.  That is why there are a lot of pre-configured schedules included with the software.

The suggestion feature works mainly on a principal that once the blinds reach a particular threshold, the tournament will likely end soon.  It then moves the blinds up at a linear rate over the period of time the user would like the tournament to last.  I'm sure there's a little more logic to it in there, but I haven't really looked at that feature in some time.

Many people like the first few rounds to go up at a slower pace, and then accelerate more towards the end.  Something closer to an exponential curve.  This would allow a sizable amount of players to remain in the tournament for a good while, then start forcing people to make tougher decisions later in the tournament.  Of course, it's all up to you.

I would take some of the included blinds schedules as examples, and see what others around here suggest.  Real-life use will always trump what a blinds calculator can come up with.

edneely

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Re: Tournament Director Suggests Odd Blind Structure
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2009, 02:58:05 PM »
Corey,
Thanks for the reply.  I would suggest this as a really good upgrade for the future.  If you haven't already, check out http://blindvalet.fr/.  It works really well.  There must be a formula being used there that produces more of a curved increase in blinds, instead of the linear increase in TD now.  Seem like a solvable algebraic problem, but algebra is too far in my past.

In the meantime, I'll check out the supplied schedules.  Maybe I'm trying to over-engineer the blinds, and a few preset structures will do me.  I like Blind Valet, though, in that it handles the variables very well.

Good app otherwise, though.

Thanks,
Ed Neely