Guides · 4 November 2026

The blind timer for your poker tournament

The blind timer tells every table how long until the next increase. Here is what it should do and what it should show.

What it is for

In a poker tournament the blinds (small blind and big blind) go up at fixed intervals called levels. The blind timer keeps time for these intervals: it shows the current level, the current blinds, the time left and the blinds of the next level. Without a timer everyone can see, the tournament director spends the evening answering “how long left?” and levels end up lasting whatever feels right.

What it should show on screen

• The time left, large and readable from every table.
• The blinds and ante of the current level.
• The next level, so players know what is coming.
• When the break is.
• The tournament numbers: players left, average stack, prize pool, rebuys and re-entries.

What it should do

• Alert with a sound, or a voice, one minute before the end and when the level changes.
• Pause and resume without losing seconds, even if the computer restarts.
• Handle breaks and the color-up, when small chips are exchanged for higher denominations.
• Run on a second screen, a TV or a projector, while you manage entries and eliminations from the computer.
• Work offline: in many clubs the connection is not reliable.

Simple timer or tournament manager?

A stopwatch with blinds is enough for a game among friends. When there are entries, rebuys, re-entries, tables to balance and prizes to split, a tournament manager is worth it: the timer is linked to the tournament data and the display shows players left, average stack and prize pool by itself.

To prepare the levels, read the guide on blind structure.

More guides

• How to run a live poker tournamentFrom choosing the format to paying the winners: the steps for a tournament that runs smoothly, at home or at the club.
• Blind structure for a poker tournamentLevel length, blind increases, antes and breaks: how to build a balanced structure, with a ready-made example.
• How to split the prize pool of a poker tournamentHow many places to pay, which percentages and what to take off first: payouts explained with an example.
• ICM deal: how to split the prizes at the final tableWhen the remaining players want to end the tournament by splitting the prizes, ICM tells you what each stack is really worth.