Asinine PokerStars tournament management

[Dale]

I was playing in the Poker Stars PPA tournament, and got stuck at the table with the chip leader with all other players sitting out (perhaps not there?). This situation gave the chip leader unlimited blind stealing at 50/100 and I had to play him heads-up for several hands. Poker Stars, you suck bigtime for giving the chip leader a freeroll in a $100K tournament.

[MicroBob]

You're complaining that there were 7 players sitting-out on your table in your tournament?

Even if he had position on you on every hand you still had an opportunity to accumulate chips too.

[Dale]

I am complaining that their formula, which supposedly takes into account sitting-out players, failed badly and gave one person an undue advantage. They claim to have a formula that favors moving sitting out or not often moved players. That same formula should take into account the number of sitting out players at a table where a player is moved.

[JoseGonzlez]

how could he steal blinds and you not?

this is good for you.

and its really the equivalent of a 30 dollar buy in tourney hence the open seats.

[Dale]

It's not when I have to play heads-up against the chip leader while everyone else is at a full table.

[JoseGonzlez]

even theoretically if the guy was stealing every hand you could reshove alot. or if he is going all in every hand if you knew everything about calling ranges you would have a nice chance at winning some large pots.

i think pokerstars seat assignments are random. would probably be difficult to mix up tables just because people are sitting out.

[MicroBob]

Dude, being a table with sitting-out players with all those dead-blinds is GOOD for you.
You happened to be playing against a guy who understood that he shouldn't be folding a whole lot.


"They claim to have a formula that favors moving sitting out or not often moved players."

They do? I had never heard of them taking into account whether a player is sitting-out with regards to moving them in a tournament.
Can anyone confirm that they do this?

[JoseGonzlez]

at the 50 100 level you really are not going to get a chance to play tons of big pots unless you hit a sick rush of cards.

in a big field event i would be happy to be in a weird situation where i could accumulate even if it meant busting early.

i mean judging from your post you are probably going to bust out before the final table anyway. so why not take a shot and if you lose go outside.

[Dale]

I understood that, too, but still don't think it's fair. This is their answer about the formula. It should be easy to fix:

There are two different times a player may be moved in a tournament.
A single player may be moved by himself to correct a table imbalance,
or an entire table may be "broken up" and distributed to the empty
seats at other tables.

A table break happens as soon as enough empty seats are available to
eliminate one table from play. If your table is chosen to be broken,
the re-seating algorithm is as it would be in a brick and mortar
room. It is completely random, as if seat cards were thrown face
down in the middle of the table.

While this does mean that it may be possible to move right back into
the blinds having just paid them, it also means you can move
from "under the gun" to a late position. All players are subject to
the same random chance in such a move.

When a player is chosen to be moved individually (such as one table
has only 7 players, while others have nine), we try to minimize the
number of moves. If possible, the system tries to choose a player who
has been moved less than others, or to choose a sitting out player.

Once the player to be moved is chosen, we try to find a seat available
for that player that has a relative position to the button close to
the one that the player was at previously.

In summary, there are two fundamental goals that the table balancing
system achieves, and they are:

a) to maintain blind position
b) to distribute movement evenly between players.

Overall, we have received very positive feedback since implementing
this system. I hope this clarifies for you how players are moved in
our tournaments.

[Eagles]

[ QUOTE ]
You're complaining that there were 7 players sitting-out on your table in your tournament?

Even if he had position on you on every hand you still had an opportunity to accumulate chips too.

[/ QUOTE ]
Meh not really I'd need to see exact stacks but Hero should basically be folding into second. As for the OP I don't really see what stars can do. You should just realize this when you sign up this will happen.

edit:O nvm I thought this was the final table. Who cares just play your best HU. With everyone istting out it gives you a massive edge you should be very happy not complaining.