Bristol GBPT this week- changing the structure of a tournament

[easypickings]

It looks like the Bristol  Great British Poker Tour event this week will attract about 60 or 70 runners, falling short of its 200 capacity. However, this is not necessarily bad news at all, and is something that may happen more and more with the number of big buy-in tournaments expanding quicker than the number of people playing them.

Where the number of entrants becomes less than was expected, there is a big opportunity to make the structure much better to fill the same time. Let's say 70 turn up this weekend; why not..

-Use the extra space to play 7 seater tables. This is a much purer form of the game, and allows for faster and more aggressive, testing play.
- Increase the starting stack, from 15,000 to 25,000. Reducing the number of players on each table quickens the action, and could even allow for a bigger starting stack than 25,000.
-Extend the blind levels to 90 mins, and add in extra blind levels.

We've seen some good decisions recently (e.g. the increase from 10,000 to 15,000 at the Dublin EPT), but it feels like organisers could go even further and really expand the tournament to fill the time.

[dealerFROMhell]

That all sounds like lunacy.

[dealerFROMhell]

Actually, not lunacy. Just the maddest poker competition in the world.

[action man]

sounds good in theory mate, but the donks would soon get fed up of this game turning into a test of skill

[Ironside]

major problem is that some people who bought in for day 1b wont turn up for day 1a so they have to leave it with 2 starting days

if they only make 35 runners each day then they are going to have to slow the clock otherwise it could all be done and dusted before the dinner break

[dik9]

Not sure about changing the structure on the start day of a £2,500 comp ? Sounds lovely in theory, but some people may have travelled great distances etc to play what was advertised, changing it when you got there maybe a bit naughty. Maybe if there was a proviso in their advertising, saying upto 100 players 25,000 over 100 15,000 etc etc

[ripple11]

The Poker world and his wife, cat and dog have turned up in Amsterdam. It was also being reported that qualifers have sold their seats at a profit!
A £1000/£1500 buy in at Bristol would have been more sensible....allowing more satelitte qualifers/mid range players to play a good stuctured final comp. whilst the big boys are across the water.