Home Game Kit

Everything you need to run a home poker tournament

The Home Game Kit builds the two things every home tournament needs: a blind structure that lasts the length you want, and a payout that feels fair to the table. Set your starting stack and how long you want to play, and the structure generator produces a clean ladder of blinds and antes. Enter your field size and buy-in, and the payout calculator splits the prize pool with a sensible, top-heavy curve. For deeper reading on why structure matters, see Tournament Structures Decoded.

How the blind structure works

A good structure keeps play deep enough to be skillful without dragging on forever. The generator starts you at the stack depth you choose (100 big blinds is a common, comfortable starting point) and raises the blinds on a smooth curve, using round numbers that are easy to make change for at a live table. Longer level lengths and more starting big blinds both slow the tournament down. Once you have a structure you like, run the clock with the free Blinds Timer.

How the payout works

The calculator pays roughly the top portion of the field you set (about 15% is standard) and distributes the pool so first place earns a meaningful premium while the minimum cash still returns more than a buy-in. If your game ends in a deal rather than playing it out, the fairest split is by tournament equity, not by chip count, which is what the ICM Deal Calculator is for.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should each blind level be?

For a home game, 15 to 20 minutes per level is typical. Longer levels keep stacks deeper and reward skill; shorter levels speed the tournament up. The generator lets you set the length and target duration and builds the ladder to match.

What percentage of the field should get paid?

Around 15% is the common standard, so a 20 player game pays 3 places. Paying fewer places makes the tournament more top-heavy and higher variance; paying more flattens it. Adjust the field-paid percentage to taste.

How should we split if we end early?

Split by tournament equity, not by chip stacks, because chips are not worth their face value in a payout. Enter the remaining stacks and payouts into the ICM Deal Calculator for a fair number.

How many chips should each player start with?

Start players deep enough for real play, commonly 75 to 150 big blinds. Set your starting stack and starting depth above and the blinds scale to keep the tournament the length you want.

How do we settle up the cash at the end?

Use the Settlement tab. Enter each player's total buy-in (rebuys included) and cash-out, and the kit nets everyone off and lists who pays whom in the fewest transactions, so nobody has to hand money around the table five times. It also flags when the buy-ins and cash-outs do not add up, which usually means a miscount.