Poker Blind Timer
A free tournament clock for home games and poker nights. Build your own blind structure — small blind, big blind, ante, and minutes per level — then start the timer and it counts each level down and moves the blinds up automatically. Play, pause, jump levels, nudge the clock, or reset at any time. Everything runs in your browser and your structure is saved on this device.
Next level: —
Edit blind structure
Set the small blind, big blind, ante, and length (in minutes) for each level. Changes are saved automatically. Levels with a higher number come later in the tournament.
| # | Small blind | Big blind | Ante | Min | Remove level |
|---|
How tournament blinds work
In a tournament, the blinds rise on a fixed schedule so that stacks keep getting shallower relative to the cost of playing a hand. That steady pressure is what forces action and brings the game to a finish instead of letting it run forever. Each level has a small blind, a big blind, sometimes an ante, and a length in minutes. When the level's time runs out, the blinds step up to the next level and the clock starts again.
A good structure ramps up smoothly — roughly a 1.3× to 1.5× jump between levels — so there are no sudden cliffs where everyone is forced all-in at once. The timer above defaults to a balanced home-game structure you can adjust to taste.
Choosing a blind structure
Pick a structure based on how long you want to play and how deep everyone starts. As a starting point:
| Style | Level length | Starting stack | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 8–12 min | 50–75 BB | Fast, swingy, lots of all-ins |
| Standard home game | 15–20 min | 100 BB | Balanced — the default here |
| Deep stack | 30–45 min | 150–200 BB | Slow, skill-rewarding, long |
Whatever you choose, aim to start players with at least 100 big blinds so the early levels are actually playable. With 25/50 blinds, that means a 5,000 starting stack. The poker odds guide and the equity calculator can help you study the spots that come up once the blinds get big and stacks get short.
The default structure
The timer ships with a 15-level structure at 15 minutes per level, with antes from the first level and every value a round multiple of 100. It is a sensible default for a home game of 6–10 players that you want to last a few hours:
| Level | Small / Big blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 / 100 | 100 |
| 2 | 100 / 200 | 100 |
| 3 | 200 / 300 | 100 |
| 4 | 200 / 400 | 200 |
| 5 | 300 / 500 | 200 |
| 6 | 300 / 600 | 300 |
| 7 | 400 / 800 | 300 |
| 8 | 500 / 1,000 | 400 |
| 9 | 600 / 1,200 | 500 |
| 10 | 800 / 1,600 | 600 |
| 11 | 1,000 / 2,000 | 800 |
| 12 | 1,500 / 3,000 | 1,000 |
| 13 | 2,000 / 4,000 | 1,500 |
| 14 | 3,000 / 6,000 | 2,000 |
| 15 | 4,000 / 8,000 | 3,000 |
Tips for running a smooth tournament
- Decide the structure before you start dealing — changing levels mid-game is the most common source of arguments.
- Keep the timer visible to the whole table so nobody is surprised by a blind increase.
- If you run late or pause for a dispute, use the +1:00 / −1:00 buttons rather than restarting the level.
- Plan a colour-up of chips a level or two before the smallest denomination becomes useless.
Frequently asked questions
How long should each blind level be?
For a relaxed home game, 15 to 20 minutes per level keeps the tournament moving without ending too fast. Turbo events use 8 to 12 minutes; deep-stack events use 30 to 45. The right length depends on how long you want to play and how many chips everyone starts with.
When should I add an ante?
Antes force more chips into every pot and speed up play, so most structures introduce them once the blinds reach a meaningful size — often around the fourth or fifth level.
Does the blind timer save my structure?
Yes — any structure you build is stored in your browser on this device, so it is still there next time you open the page. Nothing is uploaded.
Can I adjust the clock mid-level?
Yes. Use −1:00 / +1:00 to nudge the current level, Prev / Next to jump a whole level, and Reset to return to level one.
How big should starting stacks be relative to the blinds?
A good guideline is to start players with at least 100 big blinds. With 25/50 blinds that is a 5,000 starting stack. Deeper stacks reward skill and make the early levels more playable; shorter stacks create more all-in confrontations and a faster tournament.
Setting up a tricky all-in spot? Jump back to the equity calculator to see exactly who is ahead, or brush up with the how-to guide and hand rankings.