+1

I think the Stars change of going to 8-handed deep in the PCA and old NAPT events were a good change. I think 8-handed tournament poker is slightly better, it forces people to slightly widen their opening ranges without making every engagement a HJ through BB battle as 6-handed or 5-handed tends to be.

I think if these tournaments follow this format, they need to be aggressively advertised as this rather than expecting everybody (especially rec players) to go through the fine print on the structure sheet.

I suspect some of doubejoker's justification for his opinion (particularly when talking about things he has only anecdotal knowledge of) is rather flimsy. That being said - and I find myself in an awkward position to do this - I agree with him. Tournaments should not have such a significant switch in table structure in their later stages.

+1, 8 max is awesome, EPTs are 8 handed from day 3 (maybe mid day 2 sometimes)

Also worth adding that Aussie Millions has been doing 8 max early and 6 max from 36 for years.

Just wanted to voice that as big a proponent I am of 6max play, I would prefer a 9max tournament to remain as such throughout its structure or otherwise bill itself as a mixed-max event.

That's the overwhelming consensus. Hopefully this will remain a one shot deal just at bay 101

Its not about who wins, its about completely changing the game dynamic to 4/5/6 handed at a time when the tournament gets shorter handed anyway. I rarely complain, and I disagree with Allen on many of his posts but this rule is not a good one.

+1 I may gripe alot to matt, but this rule is not liked by their core customers

can we just make every tournament 8 handed from start to finish...then we woudln't have to have this argument

I doubt that's possible logistically. It would require poker rooms have more dealers available and there is already a shortage in many events.

+1 we should also abolish 10max wherever and whenever possible...it makes for horrible gameplay; lets make 10max against TDA rules

also regarding Allen's posts, I'm a huge fan of 6max at 36 and if 3-4 majors a year have this feature its just not a big deal at all. Don't forget, Aussie Millions has had this feature forever and also has rich history just like LAPC/BAY so we shouldn't expect any negative affect on attendance at all going forward. No one has ever complained about it in aussie millions and just look at turnouts there. Numbers don't lie. Shorthanded play has become more and more standard and acceptable even in recreational players' eyes. Considering how many WPTs are on the calendar year, only 3 of them having this feature is an awesome and welcome change IMO

TDA abolishing 10-handed poker is far more important. FIFA doesn't authorize 12 a side football matches.

PokerStars Hand #114083126199: Tournament #884080305, $150+$12 USD Hold'em No Limit - Level XIX (600/1200) - 2014/03/31 2:14:55 CET [2014/03/30 20:14:55 ET]
Table '884080305 102' 9-max Seat #6 is the button
Seat 1: felter1989 (22485 in chips)
Seat 2: megafish_rus (55254 in chips)
Seat 3: highland (61237 in chips)
Seat 4: fr0zZy (22587 in chips)
Seat 5: majo-K88 (70194 in chips)
Seat 6: iisZet (81633 in chips)
Seat 7: datrue (30264 in chips)
Seat 8: Carster (31007 in chips)
Seat 9: prepstyle71 (14437 in chips)
felter1989: posts the ante 150
megafish_rus: posts the ante 150
highland: posts the ante 150
fr0zZy: posts the ante 150
majo-K88: posts the ante 150
iisZet: posts the ante 150
datrue: posts the ante 150
Carster: posts the ante 150
prepstyle71: posts the ante 150
datrue: posts small blind 600
Carster: posts big blind 1200
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to highland [Ah Ks]
prepstyle71: folds
felter1989: folds
megafish_rus: folds
highland: raises 1212 to 2412
fr0zZy: folds
majo-K88: folds
iisZet: folds
datrue: folds
Carster: calls 1212
*** FLOP *** [7c Kh Js]
Carster: checks
highland: bets 2650
Carster: calls 2650
*** TURN *** [7c Kh Js] [9c]
Carster: checks
highland: checks
*** RIVER *** [7c Kh Js 9c] [Tc]
Carster: checks
highland: checks
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Carster: shows [5c Kc] (a flush, King high)
highland: mucks hand
Carster collected 12074 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 12074 | Rake 0
Board [7c Kh Js 9c Tc]
Seat 1: felter1989 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 2: megafish_rus folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 3: highland mucked [Ah Ks]
Seat 4: fr0zZy folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 5: majo-K88 folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 6: iisZet (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)
Seat 7: datrue (small blind) folded before Flop
Seat 8: Carster (big blind) showed [5c Kc] and won (12074) with a flush, King high
Seat 9: prepstyle71 folded before Flop (didn't bet)


EDGE


APPLIED


FOR

You keep posting this everywhere but there isn't much logic behind it. Lots of casinos deal 10 handed cash games. Poker is not an inherently 9 man activity.

I would prefer tournaments to be 9 max too but I can't see much of an argument for it to be a TDA rule.

10 handed poker should honestly be abolished. Should not exist ever.

The analogy doesn't work. There is no long-standing history of how many players can or should be playing in a poker game. Technically, HoldEm poker can be played with up to 22 players, if my arithmetic is accurate. The reason it isn't has to do with logistics more than anything else.


You may not like 10-handed play for a variety of reasons, but there's just no way casinos, which are already cutting back live poker because of its razor thin margins, are going to eliminate 10-handed play for no good business reason.

And frankly, I have yet to hear a really good poker reason to eliminate it, though I am open to the idea.

decreases the chances I have to be sat with someone like you

This is off topic but I like having the bubble being a payout where all tables are equal people. So 20 pay tables are 7/7/7/ instead of 18 and 7/6/6

Pokerstars has implemented this for the EPT this season. It is an easy change to the payout structure and puts everyone on even footing when playing hand-for-hand.

I'd rather play ten handed at the start of day two than play 4-5 handed when all the money is at stake.

I agree.

10 handed poker is awful and shouldn't be in any MAIN events ever. Unfortunately due to space at Bay, it had to be done, but, I'd prefer to not have to play a 10 handed Main as opposed to this 36 player 6max format.

Also, just for what its worth Allen, you don't play 4 handed often. And I'd assume you've actually made a final table before...so uh...you know, you play 4-5 handed, (sometimes 3, or hell, who woulda believed....HEADS UP!) when ALL the money is at stake.

Going to 36 isn't really that bad, its actually better for some people who don't have short handed experience to get some before at the final table.

I'd be interested in why you prefer 9-handed over 10-handed so much.

Mods could also change the title of this thread because its not a "trend." It was done on three events of the WPT during the "California Swing." No other tournaments on the WPT that I know of go 6 handed at 36. I haven't decided If we will keep it at LAPC for next year but it will be in place for Bay 101 as it has been for 8 years.

I agree that going 6max for an event that play 10 and 9 handed until then is bad. But staying 9 handed is bad too, I think 8 handed is the perfect balance.