Bad Beats Season #6 - Input Wanted

[Chipless Wonder]

Dana and I have enjoyed hosting all five seasons of the Bad Beats Poker club.

Each season we learn a few things and do our best to make improvements in every aspect of the league. Based on your input during season #5, here are some of the things we plan to keep the same, or consider changing for our next season:

1. Start after football season is over, so no one is forced to choose between football and poker.

2. Increase the buy-in from $75 to $100.

3. Increase the starting stacks from 7,500 to 10,000 chips.

4. Improve the blinds/antes structure:

1 25/50
2 50/100
3 100/200
4 100/200/25
5 150/300/25
6 200/400/50
7 300/600/75
8 400/800/100
9 500/1,000/100
10 600/1,200/100
11 800/1,600/200
12 1,000/2,000/300
13 1,500/3,000/400
14 2,000/4,000/500
15 3,000/6,000/500
16 4,000/8,000/1,000

5. Increase T.O.C. buy-in from $250 to $300. Note: The top 10 league players will still qualify for free entry, and 11th through 15th will still qualify for half price entry.

6. Increase T.O.C. starting stacks from 10,000 to 20,000 chips.

7. Stick firm to the four game minimum requirement for anyone who wants to play in our T.O.C. If you want a shot at the big bucks, then you'll need to make a reasonable contribution to the prize pool.

In preparation for our sixth season, we're asking for your input. As always, our mission is to create the best possible league and attract the most talented local players. So please give us your thoughts...

1. What do you like best about our league?

2. What do you think we should consider changing?

3. If you've never been to one of our games, what would we need to do in order to attract you?

[Kojangie]

3. If you've never been to one of our games, what would we need to do in order to attract you?

Not a higher buy-in!

But that's just me. I'd definitely enjoy to start playing in the league, I just don't think I could play in every game. I might go broke.

[wreaks]

I like the deepstack structure, and I'm fine with having it start whenever as long as the games aren't on Sunday (Saturday games wouldn't interfere with football for me).

I'd like to see 3 tables each week instead of 2, if there is enough interest too.

[bursell]

1. Yes
2. No
3. Yes
4. Yes Yes Yes (also make consistent at both locations)
5. No
6. Yes (maybe start the game earlier, though)
7. Yes

[PokerBroker]

1. I can handle missing football for poker.
2. I like the idea, but would still like to see 2 full tables
3. I like more room to play
4. Yes
5. Maybe even more? If we have 12 weeks of 20 players and set aside 20% we would have $4800 in reserve with 10 free players. I'd like to see the buy-in bumped to $480 to reflect the value of each of the ten free seats.
6. Again, always like more room to play
7. Make it firm and stick to it

My additional thoughts...
1. The thing I like most about the league is the opportunity to OWN DANA.
2. I wouldn't mind mixing in an occasional Omaha, or mixed games tournament even if it doesn't count towards league points.
3. If you haven't been you are really missing out on a great competetive game and great group of friends.

[otbdave]

I am indifferent to the higher buyin, if I were forced to pick, higher.

Everything looks great and the games look like a good structure. My main problem is scheduling, I have scheduled Sundays and Thursdays for live poker next quarter and I must stick firmly to my schedule.

So far I am planning Sundays for Gemini and Thursdays for the home game that is the most appealing to me.

Therefore, I don't want to offer too much input as it is quite likely I will be unable to play anyway

Looks like a great game though!

[davgolf3333]

1) Only care about ncaa
2)im poor so i like 75
3)Love it
4)the slower and more levels the better
5)yes
6)like it
7)agree

[niner1984]

think everything is a good idea i really hope you decide to do all 7 things.

[Blue_O_Rock]

1. Duck season! Rabbit Season! Either is fine for me.
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2. $75 or $100 is fine.
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3. Sounds pretty good, but see #4
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4. Levels look good too. Just realize with 20 players there will be 200,000 chips in play. So when it gets heads up, the game will end approximately when they have about 10x the BB. If they both have equal stacks of 100,000 the final big blind will need to be about 10,000. So you would likely have to go to a 17th level. If levels are 30mins each, then it would likely take 8-8.5 hours not including breaks. Just something to be aware of. Personally, If I am deep in the money, I don't care if it is 3am on the weekend (I'm happy).
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5. If the attendance numbers are the same, then it should probably be around $335 for a straight buyin for the T.O.C. If the league games are %33 bigger, than the T.O.C. should be too. A normal tournament should have a buyin = prizepool/#players. I noticed that for T.O.C #5, the $250 'full' buyin was a discount (13%). But it seemed reasonable because players had already donated and outside players were not allowed in the T.O.C. The T.O.C. buyin may have to be calculated when it gets close to that time since lower or higher attendance may make $335 seem out of place for the prize pool.
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6. 20,000 starting chips for the T.O.C. sounds good, but start earlier in the day?
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7. Sounds good
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1. What do you like best? The people and the location of the games.
2 & 3. What to do to improve / attract new players? Have an incentive to bring new people in. Perhaps give a small number of points, say 5?, to the regular player and the new player for that one game. Or maybe option to waive the T.O.C. drop for the two players on that game. (but it won't count toward their 4 min if they choose this option)

[DevilFish73]

I like the the higher buy in but I understand that others might not... I like Derek's idea of 3 tables.. w/ 10k in chips... Yummy... But that is all based on interest so if say we kept it at $75 and recruited more, it might make it all workout.. I also like 20k and longer blinds for the TOC.. I would also like to ask that Mike Murphy start every hand w/ one card.. This would prevent unnecessary suckouts..lol.. Over all I think it all sounds good.. I think for a "fun" element you put a $50 dollar bounty on the previous winner from the game before..