NLHE: strategy during rebuys

Oh dear I thought I had this sorted out, but my recent showings are making me doubt myself.


In my local NLHE tournament, you start with 500 in chips, blinds of 25-25 for 45 mins, then 50-50 for 45 mins, then doubling every 20 mins. You can rebuy for the first 90 minutes.


Play is often a bit on the wild side. Three and four way all-ins are common. Last week I had AK beaten by 34, all-in before the flop, and the call didn't raise any eyebrows.


What kind of strategy should I be playing here? I try to play solid hands: AQ, JJ, that kind of thing, a bit looser in late position if nobody's in, which is rare. So, I don't play many hands, and they usually don't hold up, so should I be looking for something else?


Blind-stealing is out of the question before the rebuys end. You can occasionally bluff after the flop though.


The players whom I respect in this tournament make the money very regularly: 40% of the time or so (it's usually 45 players, paying /images/glasses.gif. Me, I have made the money 3 times in 30 attempts. Not so good. The last three times I've played I have won at most one pot in the evening. Am I playing too tight?


Cheers,


Guy.

No, you're not playing too tight at all.


You shouldn't gamble during the rebuy period any more than you should just after the rebuy period. You should be playing in whatever way you feel maximizes your expectation. Now, that doesn't mean avoid situations where your edge is small, it means avoid situations where your edge is negative. So, if a 4-way all-in comes up and you have AK and feel there's no AA or KK out there, then go for it, even though your edge isn't big. If you find 76s in the same spot, fold, as you really don't have more than the necessary 25% pot equity with that hand (or probably don't).


If guys are going all-in with 34o and you see them making the money 40% of the time, one of two things is going on. First, maybe they're "buying" their way in, by rebuying so many times that they make the money a lot when they get lucky early (yet still lose money overall, because they invest so much to make the money). Second, they've just been lucky recently, and you've noticed. If you start your observations from scratch, you'll likely find that a different group of regulars is making the money so often.


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

Thanks for the advice Greg.


I must have been a bit misleading in my original message. The guys going all in with 34o are not the same ones making the money 40% of the time... But, I have only rarely sat at the same table as these two or three players, so I don't know what their approach is in the early stages. I am guessing they play fairly solidly, but probably a little looser than I do.


I have trouble with the "trouble hands" (no, really? ;-). What would you do with something like a KQ in third position with two limpers?

You are likely to get action if you flop top pair and are winning. So, do you limp and see what develops, raise it now, or wait for a really good hand?


Guy.

Unless the money is very deep or very shallow (i.e., my raise will be all-in), I rarely raise with KQ.


later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

Do you play KQ at all in normal circumstances? Would you call a small raise? How much of your stack would you be willing to put in before the flop with a hand like this?


Guy.

One thing I will add to Gregs advice is it is extra important to know the "gamblers" during this rebuy period. Watch what they are raising all-in with. If they are pushing it all-in pre-flop don't be afraid to call or re-raise with a hand you would normally fold. For example I was playing a similar crazy rebuy tourney last year. Blinds are 15-25 and UTG raises 1000 all-in. I have JJ. Normally I wouldn't risk my whole stack in this situation but based on the player and the rebuy situation I called. He had K6o.


Ken Poklitar

ohKanada@hotmail.com

I have no strict guideline for any hand. It all depends upon the opponent(s). With some guys, I'd call all-in with KQ in the right situation, with others I wouldn't risk anything.


The trick is to make sure that for whatever you expect might happen postflop, you haven't put in so many chips preflop that you can't get positive equity.


For an easy example, if you're going to check-and-fold if you don't flop top pair or better, you don't risk half your stack prefop. ;-)


Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)