Possible Tourney Seat for Sale (Sunday)

[JayCo]

I won a seat via a satellite into PokerStars $500+$30 NL tournament at 4pm Sunday 9/28.

I may not be able to play either because I may:
1) be home alone my daughter & unable to concentrate, or
2) get cold feet about blowing $500 in a tourney - my max buy-in previously in a multi-table was $100.

First, I'm wondering if I can sell my seat and if I can, thought I'd try to sell it to someone at the Zoo planning on playing anyway. Any interest?

Second, if I have the choice whether to play, I'm looking for someone to either be voice of reason or a little devil on my shoulder saying "Do it! You could win a 156" plasma TV, jackass!"

Is the level of play in these high buy-in NL tounrey's commensurate with the big bucks? Or is it similar to the $20, $30, $50 multis with the usual mix of "double early or go home" guys, weak-tighties, etc.?

I've been doing OK on the PL/NL multis, with about 4 finishes in the money out of 15 (counting the 115-player satellite), but this is more serious cash and I'd hate to be the dead money.

Any thoughts, reality checks, or goading welcomed.

J

[BookOfIcculus]

Just a quick HU stars changed the rules. Now you can just go to the tourney screen and click "unregister" to get a full refund. Please send me the diffence you were willing to sell the seat for.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I guess you've never played in the normal Sunday $200+15. My assumption is that this one will play a lot like that one. You will face an amalgam of tight-scared satellite qualifiers and the usual suspects of 'Stars best tourney players like Moneymaker, Erik123 et al, top names like McEvoy and Negreanu, maybe even Ivey and Hellmuth and maybe even the Fossilman. Think of these factors:

1) You only paid $58, not $530.
2) You'll only have to beat 600 or so players, not the 850 you'd get in the $200.
3) You can transfer your entry to next month.

[jasonHoldEm]

First of all, you only spent $60. For this $60 you are going to get the opportunity to play against some of the best tournament players on the net, as well as some real-life pros.

This opportunity is certainly worth the $60, if nothing else it should give you some great expereince, maybe show you some areas you need to develop, etc.

If you happen to win the event it could (possibly) change your entire life. Imagine in one day making enough money to put your kids through college or buy a new car. There's always that 156" plasma TV you were speaking about as well.

Personally, I think the choice is easy. You owe it to yourself to go for it.

Sincerely,
The Devil

PS - If you still don't want the seat, my friend jasonHoldEm will give you $4 for it.

[Rushmore]

It's not a refund.

What it does is to add a line to your cashier screen called "tournament dollars." When you unregister from the $500 tourney lobby screen, you will then have $500 to spend on any tournaments you like.

Which sounds like the best plan, based on what you posted. Maybe 5 $100 buyins is more what you're looking for, eh?

Anyway, go to the lobby, click "help" at the top of the screen, and scroll down to "news." It's like the 3rd or 4th item down.

Good luck.

[ZeeJustin]

The tournament dollar feature isn't currently working, but you can just email support and get them to unregister you for tournament dollars (that's what I did since I won a sattellite and realized I won't be home that day).

In terms of competition, almost half the people will be sattellite winners, and in general they aren't very good, although some will be very good. There will be a couple dozen pros, but that's not a big enough number to worry about. The majority are simply decent players, that may or may not understand proper tournament strategy.

[William]

The guy that came in second 2 weeks ago in the 200$ is the biggest fish in my country. That should tell you something about the levell of most players...

[JayCo]

Good thoughts, guys.

It seems stupid for me to be so intimidated about a $500 buy-in when I've played $15-$30 before, but I keep imagining the gut-wrenching experience of going all-in 2 or 3 hands in and busting for $530 in 30 seconds. Maybe it's just the idea of there being a 90%+ probability that at some point I'll be staring blankly at the screen knowing I just lost the equivalent 1/4 of my Stars bankroll (most of which was from a lucky low-limit tourney).

The Devil & his minions have some good arguments. When I bought into the satellite, I was thinking "hey $58 bucks for a good learning experience (or 2 if I win a seat) and a longshot at big bucks". I did forget I'd be up against a bunch of satellite softy-weenies like me, too.

Appreciate the heads-up on being able to convert to tourney credits - I missed that in the News. Only problem is that now that I know that, it feels like I'm actually spending $530 to play.

So I've boiled down all the advice down into a compromise that only makes me feel like a half-weenie... if I'm not home alone with my 16-month old AND I win a bit of the buy-in by playing tonight, I'll play. (BTW, for you future or new Dads out there - NEVER call it baby-sitting when it's your own kid. Learned that from my wife the hard way /images/graemlins/crazy.gif)

Otherwise, I'll take someone's idea of going half-way and playing a few $100-ish NL tourneys and maybe the $200+15 as well. If I place in the money in any of those, then I'll definitely take a shot at the next $500+$30. More practice, shot at a 4 or 5-figure payday.

If anybody in the Zoo's going to play I'd like to either railbird or watch your table while I'm playing. (I'm "Jayco" on PokerStars, too).

Thanks again, all.

J

[VeryTnA]

Good Luck!

[Simon Diamond]

I know first hand about the effects of 'baby-sitting' whilst trying to play poker - my advice is if you are having to look after your daughter during this $500 tournament, you need to seriously consider how difficult it is going to be to concentrate.

I seem to recall being affected, though I was only playing small buy in tourneys so it didn't matter too much.

BTW, for you future or new Dads out there - NEVER call it baby-sitting when it's your own kid. Learned that from my wife the hard way)

Would you mind explaining what you learned the hard way off your wife? I have to say I never refer to looking after my own daughter as baby sitting.

Simon

PS - If you do take the money (as tournament dollars) I think you could use them in the KotZ tourney on Thursday - good practice for these tough events. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[David]

I play on Stars alot and IMO if you feel uncomfortable playing the $500 or if you might be distracted then take the tourney $'s and play several smaller events. Sounds to me like both cases here so my advice would be take the tournet $'s play some smaller tournies and commit yourself to play the $500 when can give it your undivided attention if you win over $500 in any of the tournies you enter with the tourney $'s.

[JayCo]

[ QUOTE ]
Would you mind explaining what you learned the hard way off your wife? I have to say I never refer to looking after my own daughter as baby sitting.

PS - If you do take the money (as tournament dollars) I think you could use them in the KotZ tourney on Thursday - good practice for these tough events. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

For the record, I think my 16-month old daughter is an absolute blast and I love spending time alone with her. I referred to it as baby-sitting once, and only once... When my daughter was a few months old my wife was commenting that she needed to find a sitter so she could go to a doctor's appt. I said, "oh no, don't do that, I'll leave work early and baby-sit for you". The room temperature dropped 20 degrees as she gave me The Look. I have not been stupid enough to ever use that word again.

She's home now so I'm railbirding in between stories, and opted not to play.

Sometimes I play much better when she IS around and underfoot - how can you go on tilt about a river card when a little munchkin is pulling at your leg, tilting her head sideways, and giggling? Keeps it in perspective that poker doesn't matter.

Definitely in for the KOTZ if I can make it home from work on time for it. Probably better learning for a lot fewer $ and less stress.

J

[JayCo]

Took your and a few others advice and the tourney $. I'll play in a few $100s and maybe a $200 one after the baby's down for the night.

The Devil will be disappointed, but I'm a bit too intimidated by the size of the cash and the "one big shot at the big cash" vibe playing in a $500+$30 was for me.

[Simon Diamond]

Keeps it in perspective that poker doesn't matter.

For me, never a truer sentence has been spoken. I wouldn't swap my daughter for anything in the world.

Simon