A blind structure shows how the small blind and big blind increase as a tournament progresses. The table below is just an example - structure your game to suit your players and the variety of chips you have on hand. Use a timer so you know when to change to the next level. This will give you an idea of how long the tournament will last. Ten or fifteen minutes per round will make the game last two or three hours approximately.

Blind Levels

Round Small Blind Big Blind
1 25 50
2 50 100
3 75 150
4 100 200
5 150 300
6 250 500
7 500 1,000
8 1,000 2,000

Using This Example

Move through the rounds in order, increasing the blinds to the amounts shown. Before the tournament begins, explain the structure to players so everyone knows what to expect as the blinds rise.

The supplied schedule lists blind amounts only. It does not specify the duration of each round, breaks, antes, or players' starting chip stacks. You can set those details separately to fit your game.

Planning tip: Decide how long each round will last and announce the timing before play starts. A clearly communicated schedule helps keep the game organized.

See our free Blind schedule calculator for help deciding what blind structure you should use based on how long you want the tournament to last, and how many chips you have.

For more help preparing a home tournament, see the Home Poker Tournament Guide and the Home Poker Game Equipment Checklist.