Would you like to buy a stack?

[Chris Callahan]

Let's say at the end of a typical online SNG there are four players left with stacks of 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000. Blinds are 100/200, button position is unknown. You are given the chance to buy one of the stacks for a "fair price", perhaps determined using the ICM (which gives rough $EV of 13%, 24%, 29%, and 34% respectively).

Which one would you buy and why? What would be your second and third choices?

--- Chris Callahan

[valejo]

I'll buy the big stack. I trust ICM, and I don't have the patience to play the longshot. I'd rather win more often at smaller margins.

[Bigwig]

I'd buy the small stack everytime.

[bawcerelli]

i'd buy the small stack, and just aggro it up, using better pushbot skills to gain the extra value.

2nd choice would be big stack. again, using aggro pushbot.

Depends on the buy-in. At my low stakes, I'm taking the short stack and should be able to make the money a huge percentage of the time. High buy-ins, I take the big stack and bully.

[citanul]

i buy none of them, and start a sng instead.

you didn't say i was forced to pick one, just that i had the chance.

i know that i start with more than 1/10 the field's equity, whereas icm semi accurately predicts late game equity.

citanul

[swiftrhett]

Buying anything at fair price is a waste of time. Buy low, sell high! The price that people are willing to pay for the stack is a much better way of determining its true value, over ICM.

[Apathy]

[ QUOTE ]
i buy none of them, and start a sng instead.

you didn't say i was forced to pick one, just that i had the chance.

i know that i start with more than 1/10 the field's equity, whereas icm semi accurately predicts late game equity.

citanul

[/ QUOTE ]

nit.

I take the big stack, ship it holla.

[Chris Callahan]

[ QUOTE ]
i buy none of them, and start a sng instead.

you didn't say i was forced to pick one, just that i had the chance.

i know that i start with more than 1/10 the field's equity, whereas icm semi accurately predicts late game equity.

citanul

[/ QUOTE ]

You might not be able to avoid this choice. Let's say the chip positions are as above and you are the 2k stack. You are faced with an all-in from the 4k stack. The ICM tells you it is $EV=0. Now you have to guess whether it is worth enough extra to be a 4k stack and if it's enough to make the gamble worth it.

By the way, not only am I giving you a rake-free entry, you also get to enter directly in a lucrative phase of the tournament, *and* you get to choose your favorite stack. How can you turn this down? /images/graemlins/blush.gif

--- Chris Callahan

[Chris Callahan]

[ QUOTE ]
Buying anything at fair price is a waste of time. Buy low, sell high! The price that people are willing to pay for the stack is a much better way of determining its true value, over ICM.

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, cool. How much would you pay for each stack?