Best Tourney Structure for around $100 or less

Heading to Vegas in December. (9th - 14th) We are looking for the best poker structure without spending too much more than $100 for the tournament. (looking to play at least 1 or two tournaments a day during our 4 day stay, Sunday - Thursday)

We are fine with Strip, downtown, or off strip properties as we will have a rental car. Not sure where we are staying yet, but we plan on staying near where we will play more.

We are fine with lengthy tournaments and any level of competition. I just don't want a structure that forces luck to play into it too much. (of course a little luck always plays into it)

Any good ideas?

Thanks!
Kay

 

Hi.
I have found good tournaments at Binion's downtown. I think they start at about 10 am and go through the day and evening. $50-$100 range.
Good luck.

 

Best Poker Room

Planet Hollywood has 4 touraments a day $70 buy in and gauranteed $2,500 prize pool - winner $1,500, 400, 300, 200, 100 [five places paid], but normally chop at $500 each last 5

 

My specialty

Best structure for under $100 are Harrahs $60 at 10AM/3PM; $80 8PM bounty or TI $50 several times/day.
PH COULD be good if they have changed the starting blinds to 25/50...if it is higher than that then it is below these 2 above.
I do not recommend Binions 10AM/8PM as the blind levels are only 15 min. Their 2PM for $105 is solid. I also recommend Aria 1PM/7PM for $125 or Venetian 7PM for $125 if you are willing to bump it up.
Avoid any tourneys that have 15 min. blinds, starting stacks under $4K, or blinds that start over 25/50--all will cause luck to be much more of a factor in your game.
I can't strongly recommend any other tourneys--either 15 min. blinds, short starting stacks, high rake or too high starting blinds/stack ratio.

 

Binions

I played in a Binions tourney last year (and will this year) the run the best, most professional, polite, no local cahoots, affordable tourney I have played. I cannot wait to return.

 

No local cahoots???? I have played this tourney several times--LOTS of locals in this one...betting some cahooting is going on.

 

Yeah, I would agree with KBB. This tourney is loaded with locals. Half my starting table knew each other and spent the first hour shooting the shit.

Overall, still a good tourney.

 

http://www.allvegaspoker.com/tournaments.php

Go to this page and do some shopping. Find a time and place and amount you think you might like, then click on the casino name to get expanded information about that particular tournament.

Pay attention to the "admin fee". This is what sets the tournaments apart from each other.
For example Harrah's $60 tournament has a $15 admin fee. That means only $45 goes in the prize pool. A 25% vig.
Mirage has a $110 tournament with a $10 admin fee, less than 10% vig. Obviously much better deal.

 

I agree about checking things out.

The Mirage admin fee is enticing; as is the 25K chips plus 30 min. blinds. But blinds start at 500/500, which is a pretty high % of your starting stack. (2%)

Any admin fee of 20% or less is ideal, but you do have to look at structure as well. If the structure is poor, luck plays a bigger factor. I'd rather win a bit less if my odds are better.

For instance, Strat has a great structure, but admin is 35%

I prefer blinds no less than 20 min., starting stack of 5K, blinds at 25/50, and 75%+ going to the prize pool.

Aria & Venetian have awesome structure all around--30 min. blinds, 8-10K starting stacks, blinds 25/50 (about 1/2% of starting stack), 21% admin. But these go on for HOURS. Sometimes that just doesn't work.

So a shorter tourney I take TI w/ 20 min. blinds, 4500-5K (Harrahs was 6K, AVP is saying 5K, hoping AVP is wrong...) starting stack, 25/50 blinds (1%), 25-26% admin.

I don't even bother with anything w/ 15 min. blinds, admin more than 28%, starting stacks under 4500, blinds over 25/50--USUALLY. I did try PH for the guaranteed prize pool but the change in structure amps up the luck factor--I could sure tell. And Bills has a $35 tourney w/ rotten structure--but what the heck, I drop $35 in VP in 15 min.