Free tool
Blind structure maker
Tell it how many are playing, the chips each starts with and how long the night should last. It gives you every level, the breaks, and when it'll likely finish.
| Level | Blinds | Ante | Minutes | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 / 50 | – | 15 | Start |
| 2 | 40 / 80 | – | 15 | 15 min |
| 3 | 60 / 120 | – | 15 | 30 min |
| 4 | 100 / 200 | 200 | 15 | 45 min |
| Break | 10 | 1 hr | ||
| 5 | 150 / 300 | 300 | 15 | 1 hr 10 min |
| 6 | 250 / 500 | 500 | 15 | 1 hr 25 min |
| 7 | 400 / 800 | 800 | 15 | 1 hr 40 min |
| 8 | 600 / 1,200 | 1,200 | 15 | 1 hr 55 min |
| Break | 10 | 2 hr 10 min | ||
| 9 | 1,000 / 2,000 | 2,000 | 15 | 2 hr 20 min |
| 10 | 1,500 / 3,000 | 3,000 | 15 | 2 hr 35 min |
| 11 | 2,500 / 5,000 | 5,000 | 15 | 2 hr 50 min |
| 12 | 4,000 / 8,000 | 8,000 | 15 | 3 hr 5 min |
| Break | 10 | 3 hr 20 min | ||
| 13 | 6,000 / 12,000 | 12,000 | 15 | 3 hr 30 min |
| 14 | 10,000 / 20,000 | 20,000 | 15 | 3 hr 45 min |
| 15 | 15,000 / 30,000 | 30,000 | 15 | 4 hr |
How it works
A home tournament usually ends about when the big blind reaches 5% of all the chips in play. With nine players starting on 10,000 chips each, that's a big blind of about 4,500. The maker counts back from there to fit the levels into the time you have, the same way tournament directors plan a night.
- Start about 200 big blinds deep. Everyone has room to play for the first hour, and nobody's out in the first few hands.
- Blinds go up steadily, by a half or so each level and never more than double, so stacks shrink gradually rather than all at once.
- Tidy numbers. Every blind is a number your chips can make: 25/50, 40/80, 100/200 and so on.
- A few spare levels at the end, in case the last hands take longer than planned.
Rebuys and late entries put more chips in play, so a tournament with them runs longer. Add half an hour or so to the time you ask for.
Tips for the night
- Agree the finish time first, then pick the levels to fit it, rather than the other way round.
- Shorter levels for a smaller group. Six players finish sooner than ten with the same chips and blinds.
- Antes speed up the middle. A big blind ante from level 4 keeps players from waiting for perfect hands, without adding work: only the big blind puts it in.
- Print it or put it on a screen. The free tournament clock runs this structure on a laptop or TV, with a chime as each level ends.
Playing online instead? Tournaments on Poker Rooms come with Turbo, Standard and Deep structures ready to go, or your own, and the blinds go up by themselves.
Shuffle up and deal
Your table is one tap away.
Free, private, and ready before everyone's found their drinks.
Start a free table