- Blinds Texas Holdem Meaning Chart
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Table Of Contents
You're enjoying your first time in a real poker room.
You've played for several orbits of the button and are feeling like you're getting the hang of things.
Then, suddenly, when you're four seats left of the button, expecting to be second to act.
I recently got serious about online poker and off course hundred thousands internet sites offered winning strategies on texas texas hold'em. What I realized however was that many people are making a living from poker games. Real people like you and me are playing texas holdem and win constantly. 10) Fun device - OK? What I mean by this particular? In Texas Hold'em two players – the Big Blind and the Small Blind – are required to place bets (known as blinds) in the pot (the amount of money to be won in any single completed hand) before any cards are dealt. This means that in Texas Hold'em there will always be money to win in a hand. Blinds are part of a player's bet, unless the structure of a game or the situation requires part or all of a particular blind to be 'dead.' Dead chips are not part of a player's bet. Texas holdem poker has a language all of its own, and these Texas holdem terms can be confusing. Indeed it can be daunting to turn up to play a game of poker and hear words like ‘the river', or ‘a fish', or that a card is a ‘brick'.
The player to your right puts out some chips even before picking up his cards, the dealer says, 'Straddle,' and points to you.
Apparently, everyone expects you to do something.
Your mind reels, wondering if your legs are long enough to straddle whatever it is the dealer expects you to straddle and whether it will look pornographic if you do it.
What the hell is going on here?
What do Players Think about the Straddle Bet?
Players | Reaction |
---|---|
Aggressive Players | In Favor. You get more action when the straddle bet can lead to an all-in blind bet. |
Conservative Players | Against. When you don't set a limit for the straddle bet in no-limit poker games, you risk turning the hands into a luck-based lottery. |
What is a Straddle in Poker?
- The straddle in poker is an extra bet that is placed before the cards are dealt.
- The straddle bet is usually equal to 2x the big blind (BB).
- In some particular cases that we explore in this article, the amount of this bet can be unlimited.
The 'straddle bet' is one of the most confusing subjects to try to explain to new players.
The essential concept is that the straddle is an optional blind bet (i.e., one made before the cards are dealt).
But the number of variations on that basic idea is dauntingly large and bewildering to every new player.
The straddle is an optional blind bet.
You can hit five Vegas poker rooms in a day, and find that they all have different rules for straddles.
Let's start by describing the basic elements of what we might call the 'classic' straddle in poker:
- It occurs in 'flop' games or the versions of poker in which there are community cards used by all players to make their hands — mainly Texas hold'em and Omaha poker.
- The option to place a straddle bet belongs to the player who would otherwise be first to act, which is the seat to the immediate left of the big blind.
- The straddle bet, if it is to be done, must be either put out or verbally announced before the cards are dealt, or at least before the player has looked at his cards. (The former way is easier to enforce, but some casinos allow the latter.)
- The size of the straddle bet is double the big blind, and effectively acts as a voluntary third blind, by which I mean that it sets a new 'limp-in' level. In a $1/$2 no-limit hold'em game, the straddle would be $4. Subsequent players in turn then must either call that $4, raise, or fold. In essence, for one hand the straddle transforms the game from $1/$2 no-limit to $1/$2/$4 no-limit.
- Because the straddler put his money in without having seen his cards, he is given another chance to act after having looked at them, just as the two players in the blinds get. His options are the same as those that the big blind has when there is no straddle: check, fold, or raise, depending on what action has gone before.
- After the flop, everything proceeds in the normal fashion; the fact that there was a preflop straddle has no further effect on how the hand is played.
All of that is not too hard to deal with.
You just think of the straddle as an optional third blind, and everything makes perfect sense.
But poker players are never content to just leave well enough alone. They're always tinkering, coming up with new variations to keep from getting bored and to try to find a new strategic edge.
The most common variant is the 'Button Straddle'
So we started seeing mutations of the basic elements listed above. And these can change the very nature of this bet and the poker straddle definition.
The Straddle Bet in No-Limit Games
In no-limit games, some people reasoned that the 'no-limit' concept should apply to all bets, including the straddle.
As a result, you now sometimes see house rules that allow the straddle to be any amount, up to and including an all-in blind bet. Action-hungry players love this.
Other more conservative players think it ruins the game, turning a contest of skill into a crapshoot when the game has a few players who take advantage of this leeway.
If you ask me, I'm delighted to have a game in which we have players routinely putting in all their chips in the dark.
That's because:
- I am not one of them
- I get to decide whether to call after looking at my cards.
If you think about it, this way of using the straddle bet in poker is an enormous advantage in my favour — a far larger mathematical edge than I could get in most games.
Besides, action like that doesn't tend to go on for very long.
The players doing it either burn through all the money in their pocket, or they get lucky, accumulate a huge stack, and decide to either cash-out or start playing more cautiously.
Poker Straddle: Three Scenarios to Know
There are different scenarios where you might be required to know how to deal with straddling and how to size your first bet.
- The Under-the-Gun (UTG) Straddle: This is the most common straddle in poker. The UTG player is required to place the straddle bet before the dealer begins to distribute the cards.
- The Mississippi Straddle: Any player can straddle — as long as they do it before the cards are dealt. If no one re-straddle (yes, that's possible), the player who places the straddle bet is the last one to act before the flop.
- The Un-Capped Straddle: This is the occasion we have seen above when we spoke about no-limit games. This type removes the 2x BB rule and lets players bet as much as they want / can afford.
The 'Button Straddle'
Things got even more confusing when poker rooms started introducing variations on who can straddle.
Very rarely, you'll find a game in which a straddle is allowed from any position.
Another common variant these days is the 'button straddle.' Blackjack club.
The game can't have more than one straddle. The button straddle, if in play, takes precedence over the under-the-gun straddle, and the dealer pushes the latter bet back to the player before passing out the cards.
Unfortunately, giving the straddle option to the player on the button wreaks havoc on the usual order of play, if the straddler is to have the last option to raise, as he does when the straddle is from the first position.
Casinos have devised several ways of handling this anomaly:
In some places, the use of the button straddle option means that action starts with the under-the-gun player, proceeds clockwise as usual, but then skips the button, jumps to the two blinds, then back to the button for his move.
Of course, if the button chooses to raise, then the action goes around the table again.
- In other places, the button straddle rearranges the order of play from the get-go, and the small blind is the first to act, followed by the big blind, then around the table to the button.
Finally, you will rarely encounter a game with even more complicated rules, such as having the order of action between the button and the blinds change depending on how many raises have been made in the meantime.
It gets horribly complicated and confusing to everyone.
Don't worry about these obscure variants. They're usually found only in high-stakes, action-crazy games.
I'll save for another day a discussion of whether and when you might want to straddle for tactical advantage.
For now, if you're aware of the traditional procedure and the most commonly found modern variants on that classic, as explained above, you'll be in a position to avoid the confusion and frustration that new players otherwise tend to experience when first encountering the poker oddity called the straddle.
888poker Ambassador Vivian Saliba Explains the Pros and Cons of the Straddle Bet
Usually, players will straddle from under the gun or the button, although on rare occasions they can be allowed to straddle from other positions (a.k.a., a 'Mississippi straddle').
The straddle size is commonly twice the big blind — thus, if the game is $5/$10 no-limit hold'em, the straddle bet would be $20.
The straddle bet increases the stakes of the game you are playing.
There are a few things to consider when putting in a straddle bet in poker or when playing a 'straddled' hand.
First of all, you must keep in mind that when a straddle or third blind bet is played, that will increase the stakes of the game you are currently playing.
If you are playing a $1/$2 no-limit hold'em game with effective stacks of $200, the Stack-to-Pot ratio (or SPR) before any bets are made is 66.66.
That changes if someone decides to throw the straddle bet into the mix.
If someone puts in a $4 straddle (2x the big blind), suddenly the SPR drops to 28.57. This change means you'll have to adjust your preflop ranges and strategy.
Two Key Factors to Consider:
If you believe you have an edge against the other players, decreasing the SPR might not be the best thing for you to do.
It might have the effect of limiting the decision-making of short stacks, which in turn gives them fewer opportunities to make mistakes, thereby lessening your edge.
- If most of those sitting around the table are deep-stacked, playing in a bigger game might be a good thing to do, insofar as it can increase your chances of winning bigger pots.
Another argument in favour of straddling is that doing so usually loosens up the game. This creates what could be a better dynamic for you with more action.
This is especially true if you can influence other players to do the same and straddle as well.
You shouldn't feel bad or hesitate at all to refuse to straddle if this is your wish.
When an entire table is straddling (or even most of the players), some don't even realize they are actually playing a bigger game than they should be.
A situation like this one can lead to those players experiencing more pressure and thus play less well.
The straddle bet can even cause them to tilt and make more mistakes.
Even if you believe there are good reasons to straddle, keep in mind that straddling from Under the Gun (as opposed to straddling from the button or other positions) can mean putting in more money and potentially playing bigger pots from out of position.
Most players — even the most profitable ones — lose money when playing from the small and big blinds.
Voluntarily putting in that third blind from UTG thus increases your risk.
Not only you'll be playing a bigger game but very likely be playing from out of position in most post-flop situations.
The scenario is considerably different when you straddle from the button, which is the most profitable position at the table for most players.
Making the game play bigger while enjoying position post-flop can be a profitable strategy.
Remember that making smart decisions is the key to success in poker.
Always make it clear to yourself the reasoning behind your decisions with every move you make when playing poker.
That goes for decisions made in a hand, as well as the decision whether or not to straddle when given the opportunity.
Even though poker is a social game — and I highly recommend you try your best to enjoy it and also to be sociable while playing — you shouldn't feel bad or hesitate at all to refuse to straddle if this is your wish, even if everyone else is doing it.
Stay disciplined, and evaluate every situation in order to make the best choice for you.
Video: How to Use the Straddle Bet to Win More Hands
In this conversation part of the PokerSimple series, poker-lifers Tommy Angelo and Lee Jones explain how you can use the straddle bet in poker to your own advantage.
Poker Straddle F.A.Q.
Why do you straddle in poker?
The straddle bet 'buys' you the right to be the last one to act. This way, you can act as if you were on the big blind even if you are not.
Is the straddle considered to be a raise?
According to Robert's Rules of Poker by Bob Ciaffone, the straddle is a third blind, not a raise. However much the straddle is, that's the new big blind.
How much can you straddle in poker?
The standard straddle bet is equal to 2x the big blind (BB). In a $1/$2 Hold'em game, the straddle would be $4. Once the straddle bet is on the table, all the other players will need $4 to 'Call' and continue playing the hand.
Is straddling profitable in poker?
Hardly so. The straddle is a blind bet, and it is never +EV to invest in your hand before you see what cards you hold.
About the Authors
Robert Woolley lives in Asheville, NC. He spent several years in Las Vegas and chronicled his life in poker on the 'Poker Grump' blog.
In some places, the use of the button straddle option means that action starts with the under-the-gun player, proceeds clockwise as usual, but then skips the button, jumps to the two blinds, then back to the button for his move.
Of course, if the button chooses to raise, then the action goes around the table again.
- In other places, the button straddle rearranges the order of play from the get-go, and the small blind is the first to act, followed by the big blind, then around the table to the button.
Finally, you will rarely encounter a game with even more complicated rules, such as having the order of action between the button and the blinds change depending on how many raises have been made in the meantime.
It gets horribly complicated and confusing to everyone.
Don't worry about these obscure variants. They're usually found only in high-stakes, action-crazy games.
I'll save for another day a discussion of whether and when you might want to straddle for tactical advantage.
For now, if you're aware of the traditional procedure and the most commonly found modern variants on that classic, as explained above, you'll be in a position to avoid the confusion and frustration that new players otherwise tend to experience when first encountering the poker oddity called the straddle.
888poker Ambassador Vivian Saliba Explains the Pros and Cons of the Straddle Bet
Usually, players will straddle from under the gun or the button, although on rare occasions they can be allowed to straddle from other positions (a.k.a., a 'Mississippi straddle').
The straddle size is commonly twice the big blind — thus, if the game is $5/$10 no-limit hold'em, the straddle bet would be $20.
The straddle bet increases the stakes of the game you are playing.
There are a few things to consider when putting in a straddle bet in poker or when playing a 'straddled' hand.
First of all, you must keep in mind that when a straddle or third blind bet is played, that will increase the stakes of the game you are currently playing.
If you are playing a $1/$2 no-limit hold'em game with effective stacks of $200, the Stack-to-Pot ratio (or SPR) before any bets are made is 66.66.
That changes if someone decides to throw the straddle bet into the mix.
If someone puts in a $4 straddle (2x the big blind), suddenly the SPR drops to 28.57. This change means you'll have to adjust your preflop ranges and strategy.
Two Key Factors to Consider:
If you believe you have an edge against the other players, decreasing the SPR might not be the best thing for you to do.
It might have the effect of limiting the decision-making of short stacks, which in turn gives them fewer opportunities to make mistakes, thereby lessening your edge.
- If most of those sitting around the table are deep-stacked, playing in a bigger game might be a good thing to do, insofar as it can increase your chances of winning bigger pots.
Another argument in favour of straddling is that doing so usually loosens up the game. This creates what could be a better dynamic for you with more action.
This is especially true if you can influence other players to do the same and straddle as well.
You shouldn't feel bad or hesitate at all to refuse to straddle if this is your wish.
When an entire table is straddling (or even most of the players), some don't even realize they are actually playing a bigger game than they should be.
A situation like this one can lead to those players experiencing more pressure and thus play less well.
The straddle bet can even cause them to tilt and make more mistakes.
Even if you believe there are good reasons to straddle, keep in mind that straddling from Under the Gun (as opposed to straddling from the button or other positions) can mean putting in more money and potentially playing bigger pots from out of position.
Most players — even the most profitable ones — lose money when playing from the small and big blinds.
Voluntarily putting in that third blind from UTG thus increases your risk.
Not only you'll be playing a bigger game but very likely be playing from out of position in most post-flop situations.
The scenario is considerably different when you straddle from the button, which is the most profitable position at the table for most players.
Making the game play bigger while enjoying position post-flop can be a profitable strategy.
Remember that making smart decisions is the key to success in poker.
Always make it clear to yourself the reasoning behind your decisions with every move you make when playing poker.
That goes for decisions made in a hand, as well as the decision whether or not to straddle when given the opportunity.
Even though poker is a social game — and I highly recommend you try your best to enjoy it and also to be sociable while playing — you shouldn't feel bad or hesitate at all to refuse to straddle if this is your wish, even if everyone else is doing it.
Stay disciplined, and evaluate every situation in order to make the best choice for you.
Video: How to Use the Straddle Bet to Win More Hands
In this conversation part of the PokerSimple series, poker-lifers Tommy Angelo and Lee Jones explain how you can use the straddle bet in poker to your own advantage.
Poker Straddle F.A.Q.
Why do you straddle in poker?
The straddle bet 'buys' you the right to be the last one to act. This way, you can act as if you were on the big blind even if you are not.
Is the straddle considered to be a raise?
According to Robert's Rules of Poker by Bob Ciaffone, the straddle is a third blind, not a raise. However much the straddle is, that's the new big blind.
How much can you straddle in poker?
The standard straddle bet is equal to 2x the big blind (BB). In a $1/$2 Hold'em game, the straddle would be $4. Once the straddle bet is on the table, all the other players will need $4 to 'Call' and continue playing the hand.
Is straddling profitable in poker?
Hardly so. The straddle is a blind bet, and it is never +EV to invest in your hand before you see what cards you hold.
About the Authors
Robert Woolley lives in Asheville, NC. He spent several years in Las Vegas and chronicled his life in poker on the 'Poker Grump' blog.
Primarily an online player, 888poker Ambassador Vivian 'Vivi' Saliba has recently collected numerous live cashes including making the money in both the 2017 WSOP Main Event and 2017 WSOP Europe Main Event.
Pot-limit Omaha is her favorite variant, and among her many PLO scores is an 11th place in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship at the 2017 WSOP.
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Tournament poker has become the proving ground for aspiring players looking to make a name for themselves. While more money can be made playing cash games, the prestige and ego boost comes from dominating the tournament scene. If you're new to tournament poker, welcome to one of the fastest-paced, most action-filled events on the planet.
The first step to dominating poker tournaments is understanding what you're getting yourself into. Not all tournaments are created equally. Certain tournaments favor more skilled players, while others favor those that need a little Lady Luck to help them get to the finish line. If you're looking to prove that you have the most skill in the game, you're going to want to play in the tournaments that predominantly favor the skilled players.
The factor that determines which side of the aisle a poker tournament favors is known as the blind structure. The blind structure determines how much play there will be in a tournament. A structure that favors stronger players is one where the average chip stacks (measured in big blinds) stay the deepest for the longest. A structure that favors weaker players is one where the chip stacks (measured in big blinds) stay the shallowest.
Basically, the more room you have to play and make moves and the longer you have to wait for better cards, the more skill is going to be involved. In tournaments where you don't have a lot of wiggle room, there is a lot more weight placed on what cards you get. In deeper and longer structures, the variance of the cards will be less.
This is a tough concept to put into words, but once it clicks, it will make perfect sense. Here's an analogy: let's say that we're trying to figure out who the best Tetris player is. If you've ever played Tetris, you know that the game spits out random blocks, and sometimes you can get unlucky with what blocks come out. If we only let everyone play three games, it's very possible that the best player in the world could get unlucky all three times and put up bad scores.
However, if we allow the players to play 100 games, the better players are going to rise to the top, because they're not going to get unlucky run-outs 100 times in a row. This is the same with poker. A deeper and longer structure gives more time for the better players to utilize their skills and not just rely on getting good cards.
This means that if you really are one of the best and want to prove it, you need to be playing in tournaments that allow your skill to shine through. Sure, you can still get unlucky in the best structure in the world, but it will give you more wiggle room to absorb this bad luck and persevere through.
Now that you understand what we are looking for and why we are looking for it, let's talk about exactly how you identify one of these great structures.
A Complete Picture
We're going to start out by giving you a statement about several different tournaments. We want you to decide which of these tournaments has the best structure for skilled players:
- Tournament 1 – The starting stack is 50,000 chips.
- Tournament 2 – The blinds start at 10/20.
- Tournament 3 – The levels are two hours long.
- Tournament 4 – The tournament is called 'The Mega Deepstack Invitational.'
Which of these four tournaments has the best structure for skilled players? It's a trick question. All of them actually have terrible structures. Tournament 1 has the blinds start at 5k/10. Tournament 2 only starts you with 200 chips. Tournament 3 starts you at 50/100 with 1k chips. Tournament 4 has the same structure as Tournament 3.
The point we're trying to make here is that the only way to know if a blind structure is any good is to have ALL of the information about the tournament. You need to have information about the starting stack size, blind schedule, and the level duration. Putting all of these pieces together will give you an accurate picture of how the structure stacks up.
You also need to be careful of some of the tricks poker rooms will play to try to make you think a tournament has a great structure, like giving the tournament a cool-sounding name.
We're going to walk you through each of these components individually and let you know what you should be on the lookout for. Remember, though, you need all of the components together, or else you have no idea whether the structure is good or not.
Starting Stacks Sizes
More is USUALLY good when it comes to stack sizes. However, as we stated, it doesn't mean much if they increase the blind levels along with the stack sizes. Ideally, we're looking for a tournament that starts you with at least 100 times the big blinds, but hopefully more. For example, if the blinds start at 25/50, you should hope to see AT LEAST a 5k chip starting stack. More than that is definitely going to be better.
Be careful that you don't let this fool you. We see players all the time raving that you start with 100k chips or 200k chips in a tournament! They're excited because they are imagining that size chip stack with the blinds they're used to. You must tie the stack size in with the blind schedule and then see what the ratio is.
Blind Schedule
The blind schedule refers to the different levels that a poker tournament is offering. You'll have to study this fairly closely to see any issues, but this is one of the most important factors. For instance, let's take our example from the last section. Let's say we have a tournament with 25/50 blinds and a 5k chip starting stack. It's not the greatest, but we're initially happy with that.
We look at the blind schedule and realize that it goes 25/50, 50/100, 100/200, 200/400, 400/800, 800/1600, etc. The blinds double every single time they go up. This is insane and is going to shrink that 5k chip stack in a heartbeat. Though things start out great, the doubling blinds are going to get ridiculous as the tournament goes on. This tournament will turn into a super-turbo in a matter of a few levels.
What you should be looking for is a blind schedule that follows a much more 'typical' progression. Below, we have what you'll see in most tournaments. We have a few levels colored in red, and we will address why. It's also important to point out that we have not included antes in this example, though they are commonly seen in tournaments. We have yet to see a tournament abuse the ante schedule, so it's not necessary that we cover it here for you. We also only went to the 1500/3000 level, but the structures usually continue on much further. Most of the issues you can find will be visible in this first set of levels.
- 25/50
- 50/100
- 75/150
- 100/200
- 150/300
Blinds Texas Holdem Meaning Chart
- 200/400
- 250/500
- 300/600
- 400/800
- 500/1000
- 600/1200
- 800/1600
- 1000/2000
- 1200/2400
- 1500/3000
If you see this structure, you can give the tournament a check mark in this category, at least. If the stack sizes and level durations are good, then this would be a great structure. We marked several levels in red because we wanted to point out the levels that get dropped by tournaments the most frequently. Usually, if a tournament has these levels, the structure is going to be good. If a tournament does not have any of these levels, it's going to be a much faster and less favorable structure.
Should you not play a tournament that doesn't have the red levels? That's going to be up to you. We've seen some great structures before that are missing one or two of these levels. If they are missing all of them, it doesn't mean you shouldn't play. It just means that you should be aware that the tournament is going to be a faster structure where luck is going to play a larger role.
Great players can still win in faster structures. They're still going to have an edge. That edge is just going to be diminished some, and not as big as it would be in a more favorable structure.
Level Duration
Finally, we reach a criterion that is uniform across the board! Well, sort of. Longer level duration is always going to mean a better structure. The longer that is spent on each level, the more play and 'wiggle room' you're going to have to let your skill shine through.
Now, we did say that this was almost uniform across the board. What were we talking about? It's possible for a structure to be too good. If the levels are so obnoxiously long that the tournament takes forever, it might not be the most effective use of your time. You want to be able to let your skill shine through, but you don't want to be playing the same tournament for three weeks, unless it's a huge tournament.
Make sure that you weigh the prize pool versus how long the tournament is predicted to last. If it's too much of a time investment for a small prize pool, the structure might be over-the-top too good. There really is no magic formula here for what is best. All we can say is that you need to weigh the two factors and make sure that you're happy with it.
The Tricks of the Card Rooms
Card rooms and casinos have gotten pretty masterful about making tournaments that seem to be great structures that are actually turbos. Why would they do this? Well, they know that players want great structures, but it costs them a lot more money to run a good structure. You don't pay additional rake for the tournament if it runs longer. You pay the exact same entry fee whether the tournament takes five minutes or five days.
We wouldn't say that this is scummy or anything like that. We understand what the poker rooms are trying to do. What is a little shady is when they try and hide the fact that the tournament has a quicker structure.
Here are some of the more popular tricks to look out for:
Blinds Texas Holdem Meaning Dictionary
Watch out for Cute NamesJust because a card room calls something 'deep stacked' does not mean that it actually is. Card rooms and tournament directors love to give tournaments catchy names that lead players to think that the structure is better than it really is. We're all for catchy names, but we just want you to make sure that you don't 'take their word for it.'
Watch for Dropped LevelsWe talked about this earlier, but wanted to reiterate it again. Be careful of events that start out great and turn sour quickly. Make sure you look at the entire structure before you make your assessment of whether or not you want to play the event. A few dropped levels are fine, but if a lot or crucial ones are missing, then that could be a red flag.
Watch for Piggybacked StructuresWe couldn't think of what to call this one, so 'piggybacked structures' is the new phrase we are coining. Imagine this: you play in an event this year, and the structure is incredible. Next year, the same event comes around, and you don't take the time to look at the structure. You assume that it's the same event, because it's put on by the same people, with the same name…it has to have the same structure. Right?
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Sometimes tournament directors will change the structure of a tournament from year to year without drawing attention to it. They will piggyback on the fact that everyone knows that the structure the year before was great and will just assume it will be this year. Make sure that you check a structure each time you play the event. If anything has changed, you need to reassess whether it's an event you want to play in.
The Key Takeaways
Blinds Texas Holdem Meaning Quick
The idea here is that if you're a good player, you want to be playing in poker tournaments that favor skill over luck. Tournaments that do this are ones with a structure that allows for more play. If a tournament has a deep structure, your skill will have much more time to shine through. You'll be able to survive some unluckiness and push through to the victory.
Remember that in order to determine whether or not a tournament is good for you, you need to have the complete picture. You need to avoid the casino tricks and assess the starting stack, blind schedule, and the level durations together. The only way you can get an accurate picture is by combining all of these factors together.
Lastly, we want to point out that just because a tournament does not have a great structure does not mean that you shouldn't play it. It just means that the lucky ducks are going to have a slightly better shot at beating you. You will still have a skill edge, but you're also going to have to catch some cards to go along with that skill edge.