Playing in rebuy tournaments

[Spree]

Is it dumb to play in a tournament that has rebuy for the first hour if you don't plan on rebuying?

Personally I don't like to rebuy because I guess i feel if I couldn't do it when I had chips to start with i'm not gonna get it done by investing the same buy in with most players having a jump start on me. Should I be skipping these tournaments or does it not really matter?

[Spree]

none?

[Edge34]

I'm sure something has been posted on this before...

Rebuy tournaments are a different animal. Because of the rebuy potential, many players will play much looser than normal knowing they can get back into it if they go broke. The difference AFTER the rebuy period is over is virtually nil, and the "real poker" starts then.

If you don't feel comfortable playing in a looser, more aggressive tournament and don't want to buy-in more than once, skip them. If you can afford the rebuys, though, there's no real good reason NOT to play them, IMO. Just depends on what you want to do.

In answer to your question - if you don't plan to rebuy, yeah, it is kinda pointless to play a rebuy tourney. There's a section about this in TPFAP, its pretty helpful for this type of question.

[binions]

I only play on Stars. So this post is limited to Stars rebuys.

First, some facts:

1) The purse is usually 3.3-3.5 times the number of players times initial buy in.

2) Approximately 15% of the field drops out in the first hour

3) Approximately 85% of the remaining field adds on at the break

4) Approximately 12% of the field who make it to the break will cash

5) The average stack at the break is around 7200

6) You can hardly ever play a hand and have a stack of nearly 5000 at the break for 3 buyins

7) Some people will play an all-in game until they build a stack of 20,000 or more, damn the expenses.

8) The blinds to start the second hour are 75-150


I am guessing the average person who makes it into the second hour has bought in 4 times. Some more. Some as little as 2 times (initial buy in and add on at the break).

IMO, you need to be prepared to buy in 4 times (including the add on). Significantly more than this, and you have to go too deep in the tourney to show a profit.

BTW - I have made several final tables in these rebuys starting with 4800-5000 chips after the add on. A huge stack at the break, while nice, is not a necessity to make money in the rebuys.