Free calculator
Poker blind structure calculator
Build a blind schedule that fits your night. Set the players, stacks and how long you want to play — you get a complete level-by-level structure with antes and breaks that ends right around your target time.
A good blind structure follows three rules: start everyone about 100 big blinds deep so the early game is real poker rather than an all-in lottery, raise the blinds by roughly 1.3–1.5× per level (never doubling all the way up), and bring in antes around 40% of the way through to keep the action moving. The calculator below applies all three automatically.
| Lv | Small / Big | Ante | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 / 50 | — | 20m |
| 2 | 50 / 100 | — | 20m |
| 3 | 75 / 150 | — | 20m |
| 4 | 100 / 200 | — | 20m |
| 5 | 150 / 300 | 50 | 20m |
| Break | 10m | ||
| 6 | 200 / 400 | 50 | 20m |
| 7 | 250 / 500 | 75 | 20m |
| 8 | 300 / 600 | 100 | 20m |
| 9 | 500 / 1,000 | 150 | 20m |
| 10 | 750 / 1,500 | 225 | 20m |
| Break | 10m | ||
| 11 | 1,000 / 2,000 | 300 | 20m |
| 12 | 1,500 / 3,000 | 450 | 20m |
How do you set blinds for a home poker tournament?
Start the big blind at roughly 1/100th of the starting stack, so everyone begins about 100 big blinds deep, then raise the blinds each level by around 1.3–1.5×. Keep every value a whole multiple of your smallest chip so the blinds are always makeable. This calculator does all of that — set your players, stack and target length and it builds the full ladder, antes and breaks included.
How long should each blind level be?
About 10 minutes for a fast turbo, 15–20 minutes for a standard home game, and 30+ for a deep, serious session. Shorter levels finish sooner; longer levels reward skill over luck. The calculator sizes the number of levels so the tournament naturally ends near your target time.
What starting stack should I use?
Anywhere from 50 to 200 big blinds works, but 100 big blinds — for example a 10,000 stack with 50/100 blinds — is the sweet spot for a home game. Bigger stacks and longer levels make a longer, more skilful tournament. The calculator suggests a stack from your player count and target length.
When should antes start?
Antes usually kick in around 40% of the way through, once the blinds are meaningful, to force more action and stop play from stalling. Toggle antes on or off above — when on, each ante is sized to about 15% of the big blind and rounded to your smallest chip.