Moving Players between Tables

[BOBLAGIO]

My tournaments are usually 3 tables. And, I currently use Method 1 as described here:

http://www.homepokertourney.com/moving_players.htm for moving players.

My issue arises when, after a player has busted-out, and the player to be moved to that seat from another table is in a hand (especially when that hand has just begun).

The table with the busted-out player must wait until the new player finishes their hand.  This can be several minutes.

My first three rounds are 30 minutes each, then they go to 20 minutes each; which is when most of the "moving" occurs.  Meaning the table might have to wait 3-4 minutes of a 20 minute round.

So, should they just sit and wait for the new player to arrive, or should the clock possibly be paused?  I've considered Method 2 (where the player on the button moves), but really prefer Method 1.  Or, any other suggestions?

[Martini]

Seems like it would be difficult for this to be a chronic problem since it would require a bunch of coincidences of hands starting at just the wrong time and the player to be moved happening to be involved in the hand and staying through to the River. Obviously it can take the full length of a hand at times but that seems like it would have to be a rarity.

I would not stop the clock for moving a player.

[Magoddi]

I would have the table with busted out player play another hand and then the new player could join when it is done

[William]

Why would a whole table need to wait for the new player at their table?

The idea is that every table keeps playing, and when the hand of the full table is finished you move the player from the position of your choice. That player is moved and maybe misses a hand, the rest just keep playing.

[Nerre]

William, the page he refers to states:

The move must occur before the next hand is dealt, or the button is advanced, at any table.

[Muley05]

I move players the same way, assuming we are all in the same room and are playing on 3 or fewer tables. 

I agree that the waiting sucks, but like Martini said the waiting game doesn't always happen. 

And the table the player is moving to cannot start because the incoming player could be a blind or even the button.  The purpose of moving players in the same position relative to the button is to make sure no one skips out on a blind.  Therefore, the new table cannot play a hand without the incoming player as that would mess up the whole point of moving players in the same position relative to the button.

Boblagio, as I see it you either have to put up with the occasional waiting game or change the system to use to move players.  I prefer moving players relative to the button because of the blinds issue, and put up with the waiting when it happens.

[Dr. Neau]

William, the page he refers to states:

The move must occur before the next hand is dealt, or the button is advanced, at any table.

That's under the context of "Moving the player in the SAME SEAT", which is logistically challenging for the reasons stated above.

I vote let everyone keep playing.  Take the next BB at the "from" table and move them to first open seat to the left of the current BB at the "to" table.

Done.

[BOBLAGIO]

Thanks everyone for your input, I appreciate it!

A couple of points:

Martini, it does seem to happen quite often, since the table with the player busting out means they have just finished the hand, and therefore will always be ready to begin a new hand.  So, very seldom will the table that a player must be moved from also have just finished a hand. In our game they will always have to wait, it's just the amount of time that varies.  Of course, if the player to be moved has already folded he/she would immediately be moved, but coincidentally, that hasn't happened lately.

Dr. Neau, if I were to move the next BB at the "from" table to the first open seat to the left of the BB at the "to" table, I think a problem would arise, if for example, the player that just busted out (and the only open seat) was the Button. Then the "moved" player would then miss posting the blinds completely for that round.

[Martini]

Well, I suppose if you have a table full of calling stations then that would explain why the person to be moved would always be in a hand. Otherwise, I'd figure that if you have a table with 8 people at it and you get maybe two or three people to a Flop then that's roughly 1/3 of the people in a hand at one time and no more than that as the hand progresses. Even so, if you guys are anywhere near average then you're getting in roughly 30 hands/hour (the commonly used benchmark for live games) so a typical worst case scenario would be 2 minutes wait. If it is common for you to have to wait several minutes to move a player then I think there may well be a bigger issue of your players taking too much time in the play of hands.

[Nerre]

That's under the context of "Moving the player in the SAME SEAT", which is logistically challenging for the reasons stated above.

Yes, Method 1, as the OP stated he used.

[nutN2Lewz]

So a table waits for a couple minutes, no big deal. Good time to get up to pour yourself another whisky. The odds are about 50/50 that the other player isn't even in the hand at the other table.

Good luck, nutn

[BOBLAGIO]

This had happened the previous couple of times we had played.  Through coincidence, those times the player to be moved was in an unusually long hand (like contemplating calling an all in), and a couple of players didn't like waiting.

We played last night, and had absolutely no issues with moving players.

Nutn, I really like the new Maker's Mark 46    Have you tried it?