Should I add on?

[Aces McGee]

Hi all

I'm playing in a 20-player NLHE tourney this weekend. Buyin is $30, for T400. Add-on for $20 (and T325) within the first hour. Blinds start at $5/$15 and escalate every half an hour.

By the end of the add-on period, then, we'll go to level 3 with blinds at $25/$50. What determines whether I add on or not?

My hunch is that I should only add on if I'm doing well. If I'm down or holding steady, the blinds are going to eat me up pretty quickly.

Should it matter if other guys are adding on as well?

Other pertinent details:

Payout is 70% of entry fees to first place, plus all add ons.
Second gets 20% of entry fees, third gets 10%.

Many of the opponents are unknown, but I am confident that I'll be better than at least a few of them and won't be totally outclasses or outskilled by anybody there. If it turns out I'm up against some real sharks, I obviously wouldn't want to invest any more money against them unless I'm up early.

Thanks for comments.

Aces McGee

[Bozeman]

Since the addon gives you significantly more chips/dollar, I would add on unless you have ~50% of the chips, or you are hopelessly outclassed.

Craig

[Aces McGee]

Thanks for the reply, Craig.

When you say 50% of the chips, what do you mean? Half of what I started with, or half of everything in play?

Aces McGee

[Greg (FossilMan)]

So, if I read between the lines correctly, this 70% thing means that when you buyin for $30, you're paying $21 to the prize pool and $9 to the house. You get T400. For the rebuy, you get T325 for $20.

In my mind, this means the rebuy chips are MORE expensive than the buyin chips. That being the case, the average player will lose a little equity with each rebuy, and thus shouldn't make the rebuy. Of course, an average player should never enter either, because they will lose the vig (on average).

If you're an above average player, then the chips you buy are worth more in your stack than you paid for them, and thus you would rebuy/addon.

In most rebuy/addon tourneys, the extra chips are either the exact same price as the original buyin, or cheaper. If they're cheaper, then you should make every possible rebuy/addon you can.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[Aces McGee]

Hi Greg

Thanks for responding.

I know if matters or not, but I think you are reading between the lines when there is nothing there to see.

There is no house take on this tournament. 70% of the entry fees goes to the first-place finisher, 20% to second place, 10% to third place. First also gets all the rebuys.

Does this change your advice?

Aces McGee

[Bozeman]

Since only 3 places are paid, and first is most of the money, I mean the unlikely event that you have half the total chips.

[Greg (FossilMan)]

In that case, since the rebuys/addons are cheaper than the original buyin, take all that you can.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)