Texas Holdem Tournament Chip Values

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. Tournament Poker Chips Values & Colors. Poker tournaments are different from cash games as blinds constantly change. So, tournaments usually require a wider array of poker chip denominations. Also, tournaments traditionally start at higher blind levels like 25/50 or 50/100, so smaller poker chips values aren’t needed.

1. Texas Holdem Tournament Chip Values Price Guide
2. Texas Holdem Tournament Chip Values List

Understanding M and Q in Tournament Play. Compared to cash games, tournament holdem poker is notably different by the fact that you need to increase your stack in order to survive, whilst in cash games if you maintain a constant stack for hours, you are not winning but you are not losing either. Texas Holdem Tournament is a web site that helps you learn more about Poker rules and strategies used to win in texas holdem tournament. Value for 10 Players. As a poker tournament progresses the stack sizes will vary considerably. You may have more chips or fewer chips than an opponent at any given time. The shortest of these stacks is what is considered the effective stack size of the hand since this is the most chips that either player can win from each other.

What are poker blinds ?

Based on the limit of the poker game the player to the left of the dealer’s button (small blind) and the player two to the left of the dealer (big blind) are required to place mandatory bets in the pot before cards are dealt (Small blind has to put half of the big blinds amount). These bets count toward the first round of betting. So if the pot is not raised pre-flop, small blind will only have to put half a bet to call and big blind has the option of raising or just checking.

In a poker tournament, blinds go up gradually. This is to ensure that the tournament finishes on a timely manner. (the higher the blinds get the more players tend to get eliminated).

Blinds usually go up after predetermined periods of time. (for example every 15 or 20 minutes).

Two main factors determine blind structure of the game:

• Starting chip amount
• How long you want the tournament to last.

Poker Blind Structure Tips

• The first big blind should be 1/50 of the starting chip amount. (or the starting chip amount should be 50 times the starting big blind). So if everyone starts with 1000 in chips the first big blind should be 10/20.
• Blind period is the time each blind lasts:
• Typical tournament blind periods are 10, 15, 20, 30, or 60 minutes.
• Blinds period should be the same for every blind.

• The faster the blind period is the faster the tournament ends and the more luck involves. So it’s a good idea to have slightly longer blind periods at your house game. 15 or 20 minute blind periods are good choices. Blinds in online websites tend to go up faster. This is because online poker action is much faster than live poker.
• Blinds typically double after each round. If the first big blind is 10/20, the next one should be 20/40.

Calculate Blind Structure

Follow these simple steps to create blind structure that best fits your game:

• Decide your starting chip amount.
• Divide it by 50. This should be your first big blind.
• Make your final big blind (when the tournament should finish) equal to your starting chip amount.
• Arrange the middle level blinds so that they gradually increase from your first big blind to the last one. It is best to keep the first couple blind periods low.
• Add the period (times) together. If it seems too long takes couple levels off the chart, and if it seems short add couple level to the chart.

Sample Tournament Blind Structure Chart

Following is a chart of recommended blind structures based on different starting chip stacks :

An add-on is an additional buy-in in a poker tournament.

In a poker tournament, they may offer an 'add-on,' which is an option to buy more chips than a player received with his original buy-in. Usually, there is one option to 'add-on' during a tournament, at the end of the rebuy period or at the first break. Add-ons are more common in rebuy tournaments, where players have probably been buying in repeatedly already when they busted or their stack got low. However, an add-on is different than a rebuy in that players can choose to 'add-on' regardless of how many chips they have. And it is definitely different from a re-entry, where not only do you have to be busted, you need to go to the cage and buy an entirely new entry rather than just buying in where you sit.

The price of the add-on and how many chips it provides to the player is completely at the discretion of whoever runs the tournament, though it is the same for everyone and should be known before the tournament starts. i.e. 'This $30 tournament features unlimited rebuys and a $10 add-on for 2,000 additional chips at the end of the rebuy period.'

If the number of chips the add-on gives you isn't mentioned, you can always ask. It's a common question and It's best to know up front so you can plan your strategy accordingly.

Add-on Strategy

You always want to know how much of a percentage boost the add-on will give your stack and how much of a percentage of your buy-in it is going to cost. If you can double your stack for less than the original buy-in, you should definitely take the add-on. But if you've already gone on a good run and built your stack to the point where an add-on would only gain you 15% for the same price, then it would be silly to add-on. Basically, any time the percentage of your buy-in add-on costs is less than the percentage increase in your stack it provides, you should take the add-on.

Texas Holdem Tournament Chip Values Price Guide

There are other considerations, however:

• Will it give you the chip lead at your table? Having the chip lead — and more importantly, knowing how to use it — can be worth a slight negative in the straight up value of an add-on.
• Do the extra chips keep you even or ahead of a player you know would be hard to deal with if you didn't have enough chips to scare them with. By the time the add-on comes around, you should have a good idea of who these players are. Watch to see if they take the add-on — you may need to take one yourself just to keep pace.
• Does the add-on's cost put you into the tourney more than you are comfortable? You should have factored this in before you played, but perhaps you used your case money to rebuy at a very good table. It can take quite a few rebuy/add-on tourneys before you get comfortable with how much they are actually likely to cost you.
• If you are backed or sharing the tournament buy-in with others in some way, does the add-on come out of your pocket or the communal one? Another factor that should be hammered out before the first hand of tournament poker is dealt.

Texas Holdem Tournament Chip Values List

Edited by Adam Stemple.