Tournament Rules: When To Change Tables

Rubens

How do they dictate when a player moves to a new table? I know its based off of stack size, but when is this actually determined?

I play mainly online and I often get bounced to new tables, noticing that they seemingly try to keep similar stack sizes at the same table. Is it just as simple as that?

Thanks,
Rubens

cadillac

They move whoever is the next person to pay the Big Blind.

This has nothing to do with stack sizes.

Rubens

cadillac wrote: »

They move whoever is the next person to pay the Big Blind.

This has nothing to do with stack sizes.

So basically when a table loses a player, and someone from another table is coming up on a big blind, they take that player coming up on the BB and move him to the table that is missing a player, to keep filling the voids at the table as people drop off?

BlondeFish

Yes, if one table has 10 players and the second table has 8 players, a good tournament director will tell the second dealer that a player is coming in then move the player who will be big blind from the first table to the least advantageous position in the second table, e.g., big blind or UTG. Some players whine about one table having all the big stacks, but randomness is very important in poker, including player moves and chip races.

Rubens wrote: »

So basically when a table loses a player, and someone from another table is coming up on a big blind, they take that player coming up on the BB and move him to the table that is missing a player, to keep filling the voids at the table as people drop off?

Rubens

Thanks Blonde, that makes sense. It also does seem that they put the bigstacks at one table, not randomizing them around. Do they also try to keep the bigstacks together?

BlondeFish

No, as cadillac and I posted, it should be done based on position, i.e., who RANDOMLY happens to be the big blind next.

Rubens wrote: »

It also does seem that they put the bigstacks at one table, not randomizing them around. Do they also try to keep the bigstacks together?

Rubens

Ok, I do realize its completely random based off of who is the BB. But as an example... lets say they need to relocate 2 BB's at the same time. Player 1 had 10,000 chips, player 2 has 5,000 chips.

Everyone at Table 1 has around 8,000 chips and everyone at Table 2 has around 4,500 chips. It seems to me that they often assign Player 1 to Table 1 and Player 2 to Table 2.

The only reason I say that it doesn't seem random is because whenever I get moved (because of less chips or more chips) they seem to put me at a table with similar chip stacks. It just often seems that its not random.

Thanks again!

BlondeFish

No, a good tournament director shouldn't try to balance the number of chips in each table, just the number of players. If one table happens to have 90% of the chips in play by RANDOM chance, it would be highly inappropriate for the TD to intentionally move the big stacks and try to directly affect the outcome of the tournament. It's possible that your online site has different house rules so you can track if it doesn't properly use randomness.

Rubens wrote: »

Everyone at Table 1 has around 8,000 chips and everyone at Table 2 has around 4,500 chips. It seems to me that they often assign Player 1 to Table 1 and Player 2 to Table 2.

Rubens

Hmmmm, its FullTilt. I'll have to check what the house rules say. Thanks again BlondFish, as always.

Mchempstein

I've never heard of stack size having anything to do with player movement, unless it was a big event with a large audience for entertainment purposes.

Table movement also has a lot to do with crashing tables. If all the tables have 7 players, but a few tables get down to 4 players, those latter few tables will be closed and one player will be added to 8 of the remaining tables.

Advancement in a tournament = fewer tables = more people moving.

DennisG

The tourneys I direct weekly only usually run 3-4 tables...but when evening them out, typically I try to fill a void with another player in the same position from the other table...typically I try to leave the dealer and blinds alone. but, if BB disappears off one table, I will steal the next BB from another table..I never worry about stacks. The only time it gets messy is when closing a table and moving one in to each of the others...trying to explain to them who has to sit out, and for how long, when that circumstance arrives...

But yeah, equal players, position moves, forget about stacks.

Rubens

Its gotta be just a coincidental observation on my part. And it makes sense that I'd start seeing bigger stacks anyway because as people drop off, someone must have their chips. Good info, good to know.

Thanks guys.