The structure is set for 4 players with 100 big blinds to start: the highlighted row marks the tournament's estimated finish. Change the pace or the stack and the estimate follows.
Standard pace. 20-minute levels early on, then 15 and 12 minutes as the tournament progresses.
100 big blinds to start30 levelsEstimated finish with 4 players: around 2h30 (level 8)
Level
Start
Blinds
Ante
Length
1
0 min
100 / 200
200
20 min
2
20 min
200 / 400
400
20 min
3
40 min
300 / 600
600
20 min
4
1h
400 / 800
800
20 min
5
1h20
600 / 1,200
1,200
20 min
6
1h40
800 / 1,600
1,600
20 min
7
2h
1,200 / 2,400
2,400
20 min
8
2h20
1,600 / 3,200
3,200
20 min
9
2h40
2,400 / 4,800
4,800
20 min
10
3h
3,200 / 6,400
6,400
20 min
Break
3h20
15 min
11
3h35
4,000 / 8,000
8,000
15 min
12
3h50
6,000 / 12,000
12,000
15 min
13
4h05
8,000 / 16,000
16,000
15 min
How long does a 4-player tournament last?
With 4 players at 20,000 chips each, there are 80,000 chips in play. A tournament is close to its end when the big blind reaches about 1/20 of that total, here 4,000: heads-up, each player is down to about ten big blinds. With 100 big blinds to start (100/200 blinds), here is when that happens for each pace:
Pace
Starting levels
Estimated finish
Classic
20 min
2h30
Slow
30 min
3h55
Semi-Turbo
15 min
1h55
Turbo
10 min
1h20
It is an estimate: every rebuy puts another stack in play and stretches the night, a table that busts fast shortens it.
Which pace for 4 players?
For a night of about 3 hours, Classic is the closest: estimated finish around 2h30. With 20-minute levels to start, it is the right default for 4 players.
Slow finishes around 3h55, for a game that starts early; Turbo lasts about 1h20, for a second tournament in the night.
Chips and payouts for 4 players
You need 120 chips to give everyone 20,000 at 25/50: the breakdown by value is on the chip distribution for 4 players page. On payouts, 4 players pay 2 places (65 / 35%), worked out by the payout calculator. On Classic, the tournament plays to about level 8.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a 4-player poker tournament last?
About 2h30 on Classic (20-minute starting levels) with 100 big blinds to start, 1h55 on Semi-Turbo and 1h20 on Turbo. Rebuys make the night longer.
What blind structure for 4 players?
To finish around 3 hours: Classic, 20,000 chips per player, 100/200 starting blinds, big blind ante from level one and a break between phases. Estimated finish around 2h30.
At what level does a 4-player tournament end?
Around level 8 on Classic, when the big blind nears 4,000, 1/20 of the 80,000 chips in play.
