PokerStars Qualifier with Rebuys Madness

[docknet]

First, let me thank all you for the help I've received from this forum. I am a fairly new MTT player and haven't posted here because I didn't feel I had much to offer.

Considering that I haven't been playing long, I think I do ok, finishing in the money and winning more often than not in small, cheap MTTs, and qualifying often in the larger qualifyers, and even finished in the money a few times in larger 2000-player tourneys.

I am enjoying the heck out of it. However, last night I entered my first rebuy MTT on PokerStars. From the starting bell it was total bedlam--people betting big on everything and going allin with cheese. In one hand, about four hands into the tourny, 4 players were all in--one of them from MP with 85o! Within 20 minutes the chip leader was up to nearly 20,000 chips and people were rebuying right and left.

The whole thing was way beyond my experience, I was overwhelmed and confused.

My question to you more experienced players is two fold: Is this normal for these MTTs, and is there a stragegy (other than rebuying 20 times in the first hour) for getting through this to the second hour with a reasonable chip stack.

As it was, you couldn't get involved in a hand without committing half or more of your chips preflop. It seemed silly.

[Tom Bayes]

Here's my take on online rebuy tournaments-I've played these at the $3 and $10 levels-the $3 tourneys are supersatellites for bigger tournaments where the goal is just to finish in the top x places (xth place=1st place).

The first hour will generally be pretty crazy because people are trying to build stacks and will push with far less than normal. You've got to accept this as part of the game. There will be absolutely no bluffing in the first hour-assume every bet you make will be called. You will have to decide for yourself how loose you want to be-some people wait for monsters, push and cross their fingers to not be sucked out while others will push every decent hand or draw. If you have a total LAG maniac at your table, then there are going to be lots of chips in play at your table to get at some point (maybe now, maybe later).

For a $10 rebuy, I would be prepared to spend at least $50 on the tourney and $30 is the minimum. If that's too much, don't play. I always rebuy immediately to get a double stack because you always want as many chips as possible if you catch a monster. Be very careful the last 2 or 3 minutes before rebuys end because lots of players will go absolutely insane trying to double/triple up (or go home) with any two cards. Be prepared to rebuy if you bust out or drop below 1500 and take the add-on at the end of hour 1. The 20-30% of the field that drops out in the first hour is pure dead money.

After the first hour is over, the stacks are going to be a lot larger than after hour 1 of a regular tourney. Even if you only have an average/below average stack, there will be a lot more time to play, since the blind structure is the same. A lot of the first hour loonies won't be able to change gears and will throw away their chips. So you can resort to a normal style at this point, take advantage of bad players with lots of chips. Baring bad beats, it should a long time before your stack reaches the 10xBB level and you have to resort to push-or-fold mode.

[eMarkM]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The $10 rebuy on Stars is the best tourney value out there for exactly the reasons you state. Typically, on this kind of maniac table, you have one guy who's strategy is to go all-in every hand until he builds a stack. A stupid strategy if you ask me as it's easily exploited by solid play. You simply wait for a decent hand and call them. Not just AA/KK/QQ/JJ/AK, but even AJ/AT and other good hands that beat random ones. You can call with weaker hands the fewer people behind you that might wake up with a bigger hand. So folded to me in BB and facing an all-in with A7o, I'll probably call the all-in-every-hand-guy. You're at risk that his 64o will suckout on your Ace high, but you must be willing to get all your money in as 2-1, 3-2 favorites in these situations whenever you can. If you lose, yeah, you have to be willing to rebuy. But sooner or later you'll double up on the all-in-maniac and you're ready to fight post-rebuy right there.

[docknet]

Thanks - this was very helpful. I don't have trouble with rebuying, providing there is some logic to investing the extra money. I've played in a couple of B&M single rebuy MTTs, but this was the first unlimited rebuy I've been in.

[docknet]

Thanks - I will give this a try.

[fnurt]

[ QUOTE ]
I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The $10 rebuy on Stars is the best tourney value out there for exactly the reasons you state. Typically, on this kind of maniac table, you have one guy who's strategy is to go all-in every hand until he builds a stack. A stupid strategy if you ask me as it's easily exploited by solid play. You simply wait for a decent hand and call them. Not just AA/KK/QQ/JJ/AK, but even AJ/AT and other good hands that beat random ones. You can call with weaker hands the fewer people behind you that might wake up with a bigger hand. So folded to me in BB and facing an all-in with A7o, I'll probably call the all-in-every-hand-guy. You're at risk that his 64o will suckout on your Ace high, but you must be willing to get all your money in as 2-1, 3-2 favorites in these situations whenever you can. If you lose, yeah, you have to be willing to rebuy. But sooner or later you'll double up on the all-in-maniac and you're ready to fight post-rebuy right there.

[/ QUOTE ]

Another point I would add is don't be afraid to overbet your good hands. If you're at a wild table, and you get dealt QQ, don't make it a wimpy 60 to go. Raise it up to 200 or even more. If people are calling huge bets and pushing with questionable holdings, you want to take advantage of that. You won't get too many monsters during that first hour so you really want to win the maximum when you get one. There is no need to slowplay when people are getting crazy.

[Percula]

You are also going to see a lot of "stop and go" style all-ins too. Many with very very poor hands or draws. TPTK can be a very strong hand with these types or two pair. Sure they are going to hit their draws sometimes.

Also keep in mind that not every table in these is wild. If 1-3 people are playing tight, it can calm the whole table down. Sometimes it is to your benifit to get a little wild to get the rest of the table going.

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Another point I would add is don't be afraid to overbet your good hands. If you're at a wild table, and you get dealt QQ, don't make it a wimpy 60 to go. Raise it up to 200 or even more.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is great advice. Raising the standard 3xBB, even from EP, is a quick recipe to get 5 or 6 callers who will push hard with any piece of the flop. Yes, you want that with premium hands, but it does make it harder to play post-flop.

One other tip, I would completely ignore the chip standings and your position during the first hour. A lot of the maniacs who accumulate big stacks during the rebuy have a hard time turning off their maniac mode, and often lose most of it after the rebuy period is over. You WANT one of those guys at your table after the rebuy, because they are the ones who are going to pay off your big hands.

[Eder]

I like to be at a wild table...calling cheap late...waiting for the flop to hit hard then checking till someone goes crazy pushing with tp etc....over an hour usually not hard to at least triple up...I hate rebuying often so tight play till you flop the set/st8 etc works for me. Same deal for next 2 levels after rebuy ends because not all the crazies have been knocked out or slowed down. Btw I only play the $3 rebuy...cant believe anything crazier than that one haha

[Percula]

[ QUOTE ]
Btw I only play the $3 rebuy...cant believe anything crazier than that one haha

[/ QUOTE ]

If you think that is crazy, try the $11 or $22 sats for the Sunday. With the turbo mode on, and the smaller starting chips it becomes an all-in fest all the way till the end. It slows down a little after the rebuy, but picks right back as soon as the blinds get big.