Galway Open €350 Freezeout

Pokerevents

This event will be fully compliant to the I.P.F (International poker federation)
There will also be a chip count before the final table commences to verify number of entrants and confirm prizepool. It is a satellite to the Irish Poker Final with 18x€1000 tickets awarded. Total prizepool is estimated at €55,000.
This event will take on a new format with the standard multi table tournament turning into a shootout when it s down to 90 runners. Winner of each single table will go through to the final table the next day. Players who qualify for final table will all have same starting stack. (comments please as this is first attempt at this format).
Westwood hotel Friday 21st Oct and Sat 22nd Oct.
Registration opens @ 17.00 with cards dealt sharp @ 19.00, there will be single table satellites from 15.00.
€350 entry with 35reg fee. 100% prizepool paid out which includes 18x1000tickets which their value comes off the prize fund. There will be a hot buffet served to all players at first break on day 1. Blinds are as follows.
DAY ONE BLINDS ANTES TIME

25-50 30
50-100 30
75-150 30
100-200 30
BREAK 45
150-300 25 45
200-400 25 45
300-600 50 45
400-800 75 45
BREAK 15
500-1000 100 45
800-1500 100 45
1000-2000 200 45
1500-3000 200 45
BREAK 15
2000-4000 300 45
3000-6000 400 45
4000-8000 500 45
5000-10000 500 45
BREAK 15
8000-15000 1000 45
10000-20000 1000 45
15000-30000 2000 45
20000-40000 2000 45
BREAK 15
20000-40000 3000 TILL FINISH
Player points will be awarded to top finishers for the Irish Poker League.
Senior Tournament director will be Donal Mac Aonaghusa. In the event of any disputes Donal's decision is final. Further info on pokerevents.ie or ring 091 799990.
Fintan Gavin.

NickyOD

Pokerevents wrote:

tournament turning into a shootout when it s down to 90 runners. Winner of each single table will go through to the final table the next day. Players who qualify for final table will all have same starting stack. (comments please as this is first attempt at this format).

Ugh! Why this format? Do you keep the chips you have accumulated earlier for the shootout period when it gets down to 90?

Pokerevents

NickyOD wrote:

Ugh! Why this format? Do you keep the chips you have accumulated earlier for the shootout period when it gets down to 90?

Yes, each of the players that make the cut return with the amount of chips they have accumulated during the multi. Some tables will have far more chips than others, however this will be totally random.
Have you played a shootout event before?

Duff Man Jr.

Will it be the same for all the Supersats?

NickyOD

Pokerevents wrote:

Yes, each of the players that make the cut return with the amount of chips they have accumulated during the multi. Some tables will have far more chips than others, however this will be totally random.
Have you played a shootout event before?

Yeah but a freezeout that turns into a shootout (with different stack sizes) that turns into a Single table SnG (with equal stack sizes)? That's one extraordinary structure. Why not just make the whole tournament a shootout. It would be so much fairer. With 90 left you could end up with several chip leaders at the one table or another table full of shorties. The only reason I can think of the change is make the tournement run faster.

Pokerevents

Duff Man Jr. wrote:

Will it be the same for all the Supersats?

Because the televised final will be this format, we want at least some of the supers like this to see how it transpires. The feedback I'm getting is very mixed as no other tournament I know of has the same structure. It's usually either a shootout or a traditional multi table. We felt this will give specialists of both a savage advantage event. We want the best players at that final table.In general players are buzzing about it. However if it does'nt meet expectations I've no problem reverting to the standard multi table tournament.

Pokerevents

NickyOD wrote:

Yeah but a freezeout that turns into a shootout (with different stack sizes) that turns into a Single table SnG (with equal stack sizes)? That's one extraordinary structure. Why not just make the whole tournament a shootout. It would be so much fairer. With 90 left you could end up with several chip leaders at the one table or another table full of shorties. The only reason I can think of the change is make the tournement run faster.

Nicky this is unknown waters. The idea was not to speed up tournament. These are only 2 day events with a buy-in this low that I know of in Ireland, and it's one of the reasons they are so successful. The idea is to give the better players a bigger avantage. Tell me this, if you make the cut, would you not fancy yourself in a S.T.T. Bearing in mind runner up of all singles will automatically qualify for 1000 final. I'm totally open to more ideas on it, but for me as a player this is somrthing I would definitely consider fair.

NickyOD

I don't see how this suits better players more. I'm trying to get my head round it. I don't see what's unfair about a freezeout or a complete shootout. With this structure whether or not you've played better than most of your oponents before the final table is irrelevent because you get no chip advantage. That's fine for a normal shootout which is basically a series of STTs but this is also partly a freezeout. When I pllayed the Cork Supersat last year 4 players from my table made the final table and finished 1st, 2nd, 4th and 7th. They got there by busting the weaker players not by being put up against eachother prematurely. This structure would probably benefit me personally because I'd consider myself a SnG specialist but its really going to depend on my draw for the shootout. It will be interesting at least.

Pokerevents

Nicky, nothing unfair about a freezeout or complete shootout. And I hope the same is true for a tournament with a well thought out blind structure that incorporates both formats. Truth is Nicky that the vast majority of final tables in any tournament is made up of players who have visited and done well at many other tables during that specific tournament. 4 players reaching a final table that have being at the same table already is commonplace.
It is a unsual structure, that I'm proposing, but I dont see any downsides for the better player, and in this day and age when it's getting harder an harder for the best players to win tournaments I think it has it's merits. OK top 9 players end up with same starting stack, but if you gave me the choice of a traditional format where all final tablists ending up with what they earned throughout the day's play or the genuine top 9 players who have made the cut and won their table of the particular event ending up with even stacks at final table (and also in the money), I know what I would chose.

ZZR1100

Don’t think I like it. Maybe if you seeded the shootout period dividing the stack sizes so all the large / small stacks don’t end up on the same table. Is the format for the televised final set in stone? Surly now that the tourneys are going 2/3 days long the problems in the past of a freezeout turning into a crapshoot due to time limitations is gone,

Pokerevents

ZZR1100 wrote:

Don’t think I like it. Maybe if you seeded the shootout period dividing the stack sizes so all the large / small stacks don’t end up on the same table. Is the format for the televised final set in stone? Surly now that the tourneys are going 2/3 days long the problems in the past of a freezeout turning into a crapshoot due to time limitations is gone,

The shootout tables will be totally random.
Nothing is set in stone, however the producers(power pictures) preference is a total shootout for the final, with the idea of adding more excitement and dramatics. Camera s will be featuring 9winners sort to speak giving viewers the advantage of being familiar with all final table players. It is most definitly not to speed up event. Event has being planned to give as much play as possible. Remember the final is first ever 3 day event under $10k that I know of. It is the blinds that will determine whether a tournament will turn into a crapshoot not the format. If you study the structure of blinds for the supers it s obvious how player friendly it is. The final will be even more friendly.
The jury will be out after Galway next weekend. I'm nervous but quietly confident it will be a success. However if it turns out it s not what the players want I think we will revert to traditional multi rather than total shootout.

ZZR1100

Pokerevents wrote:

The shootout tables will be totally random.
shootout.

But thats my point ,if drawing the tables for the shootout is random it could happen that 3 or 4 of the leaders at that point end up on the same table.If you split up the top 10 .1 going to each table .same for the next 10 etc all the way down to the low stacks so all the tables will have the same balance.

spaczed

could i suggest a change of ranking all players before the shootout by their number of chips. Then give top put player 1...10....20...30...40...50...60...70...80...90 together.

prevent 3\4 of chip leaders being put against each other early on

Daithio

I think it will work Fintan but you'll definitely have to draw the seats for the shootout period so that roughly the same amount of chips end up at each table. This is the only way that it'll be fair to give all the players the same amount of chips at the final table. If it's done otherwise you'll have some people having to navigate their way through much tougher tables with more chips on them and getting no reward for it at the end. If you draw the tables so that they all have the same amount of chips it will be much fairer. It shouldn't be too difficult to do, Mike Sexton wrote an article on it in cardplayer a few months ago.

http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_magazine/archives/?a_id=14854&m_id=65567

I'd say it will go fine if you do this. Best of luck, I might just make the trip down to have a shot.

Fatboydim

Bollox it's a gimmick. Don't like the idea of it at all. Really disappointed and might decide not to play... I can't see how it gives better players an advantage at all. Aggresive players and lucky players yes... But in most freezeouts the leader on day one is not the person who ends up winning... and there's a very good reason for this.

€350 is a lot of money to throw away on an expiremental structure that may or may not work. So why not set up a seperate tourney with the shootout structure if you are going to experiment? Make it a lower buy in and iron out the problems first - Then give it a go at the higher buy in.

Fintan don't let TV people ruin it. [Do the TV people understand poker at all?] TV is my field so I know how they can ruin things. Most producers don't have a clue.

Pokerevents

Very good article Dave, and certainly gives merit to spaczed suggestion.

I think we will have balance tables taking into account each players stack size.

I'm getting very mixed reactions from players. Fat boy, your comments are appreciated and for a regular player like yourself you has always supported us in the past to be so anti makes me even more nervous. However the only way we can find out how this structure works is by actually trying it a one of the super satellites. It has to be a event at least the size of one of our super freezeout. One point though I can't accept is saying a player will be throwing away their money, the blind structure is the best we have come with, and we are genuinely into giving what the players want. I think some of our freezeouts have being seriously good events that would stand along side any tournaments worldwide. While proposal certainly adds a new dimension to a tournament, I do think it will make it more exciting and interesting. I know the VC cup is being talked about among the top players as one of the best tournaments in Europe at the moment, this has the shootout format.
Some players prefer multi some shootout , Why not try both in the same event?

Pokerevents

Fintan don't let TV people ruin it. [Do the TV people understand poker at all?] TV is my field so I know how they can ruin things. Most producers don't have a clue.[/QUOTE]

Producer is Dave Power from Power pictures. He does play poker. His record to date is pretty impressive with much of his work being award winning. The last thing this man will do is ruin it.

NickyOD

Fintan. Are only 9 players going to get paid at this event? Why not final two from each shootout table to an 18 player second day? Whittling it down to 9 seems a bit much especially since its likely less than 10% of the field will get paid or players who come second in their shootout also finish ITM? How many entrants do you expect will be there? Oh, and when will my leaderboard points be updated?

N.

Fatboydim

Pokerevents wrote:

Very good article Dave, and certainly gives merit to spaczed suggestion.
I think some of our freezeouts have being seriously good events that would stand along side any tournaments worldwide.

I absolutely agree with this statement which is why I was so looking forward to the event. And why I’m angry at the idea of you changing what clearly works. The last month or so I've been in the UK mid-week so haven't been able to get to Galway or Sligo events... I'm flying back late Thursday night this week so I can play in Galway on Friday... But now I have to reconsider. - There are so few good freezeout Tournaments especially in the West - Inflict it on the dubs Fintan :-)
In all seriousness wouldn't the Leinster Cup be a better place to try it first time out. After all that tourney has to finish early on account of the EPT - and you'll have all the best players in town who might like to try the experiment.

Effectively the way I see it is that it will increase the likelihood of risky play in the early rounds of the tournament. Giving the aggressive and loose players an distinct advantage whilst punishing the more methodical players [as a gross generalisation]
Then when it turns into 9 SnGs the play will be dictated by the luck of the draw. Also in my experience sit and go’s are less dependent on blind structures – but much more dependent on relative stack sizes. Therefore one table may be done and dusted in an hour and another table may take twelve hours if it’s inhabited by rocks.

And I certainly don’t wish to insult Mr Powers [Because I don’t know him] but look what happened to snooker – They changed the game for the TV cameras and it never truly recovered. It’s a separate issue maybe… but in my opinion the best poker TV programmes are the ones that follow standard freezeout rules. IE: WSOP and WPT [and to a degree EPT and LNP]

Pokerevents

NickyOD wrote:

Fintan. Are only 9 players going to get paid at this event? Why not final two from each shootout table to an 18 player second day? Whittling it down to 9 seems a bit much especially since its likely less than 10% of the field will get paid or players who come second in their shootout also finish ITM? How many entrants do you expect will be there? Oh, and when will my leaderboard points be updated?

N.

If we run with new format all SnG runner up s will receive 1000euro ticket. Making it top 18 from a field between 140 and 160runners. If we stay with the old traditional system the usual 10% of the field are I.T.M.
I'll e-mail Manus about leader board.

Pokerevents

I'll let you know by Wednesday what the structure will be.

Fatboydim

Cheers Fintan - I know that the choice you guys make will be based on the feedback you get and if the majority want to try it then fine.

I guess I'll turn up anyway as I've set the time aside for it - and I need the practice.

Pokerevents

Confirmation of structure for Galway is as follows.
Event will be played as a normal multi until down to 90/80 runners. At this point there will be a chip count and the seeding of players. Tables will then be balanced to get the same amount of chips at each table(approx). Biggest stack will be appoint table number 1 with second biggest stack table number two and so on, with shortest stack appointed table number 1 and second shortest stack table number 2 and so forth.This will be the system all the way through the player list to ensure all tables are evenly balanced. This will be played out as a shootout with the runner up of each table winning 1000freezeout final ticket and winner going through to final the next day. Players who qualify for the final table will have same start with the same amount of chips.
Just a few points to clarify if anyone is not happy with this structure and holds a ticket, if they contact me before the start of play I will exchange for cash. It is a experiment with the intentions of creating an even better event. It's more work and much more expense to carry this format as a organizor, but it has being thought out from a players point of view, were confident players will appreciate the structure and enjoy more the creativity of the tournament.
Also to confirm prizepool is NOT guaranteed it is estimated as with all our Championship events and super-satellites are NOT televised, just the three day final in January.

Fatboydim

Think I will give this a miss then.:(

Daithio

Fintan I like the way you're making it so each table has the same amount of chips but don't you think the seating order within each table should be random then?

Pokerevents

Fatboydim wrote:

Think I will give this a miss then.:(

give it a try and give yourself the satisfaction of knowing you were right in the first place or the pleasure of discovering something new. still hope to see u len

Pokerevents

Daithio wrote:

Fintan I like the way you're making it so each table has the same amount of chips but don't you think the seating order within each table should be random then?

another good point dave seating arrangement will be random.

lolkelly

Anyone heading into this today?


Fintan, Do you think ye will get many in for the Satellites early in the day?