rethinking rebuy tourneys

[AaronBrown]

I agree that rebuying when you're a bad player is stupid, but so is entering the tournament in the first place. Good player or bad, the rebuy is a better investment than the initial buy-in.

Look at it this way. Suppose you had the opportunity in a nonrebuy tournament to sit out until half the players were gone. Of course you'd take it. Although you would have half the average stack when you started playing, you'd be in better shape than a lot of players. A few rounds of cautious play, without taking a chance, and you could be in the money. You wouldn't figure to win the tournament, but your expected return would be better than you could get playing in the first half. If you wouldn't play the first half given the option, then you should rebuy if you have that chance.

I also agree that a rebuy tournament generally has a higher proportion of stupid money than stupid players. If half the players are bad, they will tend to go out early, and many of them will rebuy. The other half of the players will not qualify for rebuys as much, because they are better. Of course, it's a big advantage that more money is put up by the bad players. If you can just play even with the good ones, you're way ahead.

You say you have success, but unless you get to freezeout, or whatever the rebuy limit is, 100% of the time (in which case this issue doesn't come up) you are missing the opportunity to have more success by rebuying.

[binions]

I play the Stars 10R at 9:15 pm fairly often. Have won it a couple of times, and made many final tables.

Here's the deal - ~25% of the field drops out in the first hour, and there is $50-55 in the prize pool for every player remaining at the break. Meaning if you get to the break for $31, $41 or $51, you are paying a zero or negative rake.

So, don't look at it like a $10 tourney. It's really a $50 tourney which sometimes you get to play for $31 and other times you have to pay $101.

Moreover, because the # of places paid depends on the number of entrants, usually 12-14% of the people remaining at the break will make the money - which is more than your standard 10%.

It's the best deal going assuming you are a competent tournament player.

If you are a great player (which I am trying to become), then you should play crazy the first hour, and be willing to spend $150 routinely. Why? Because the huge chip stacks that are attainable that way are dynamite in the proper hands. At worst, you chip up the table and take them back in the second hour. And, if you are a great player, then the bankroll shouldn't be a concern as you keep rebuying.

[JonPKibble]

[ QUOTE ]
That's like sayign "well winning a tourney without rebuying is better than rebuying and bubbling".

You are comparing apples and oranges.

Doubling up twice after you rebought is significantly better than not rebuying and doubling up twice.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think we're not on the same page here --- I'm assuming the rebuy is only an option if a player has run out of chips. If the rebuy can be used as soon as you are below the starting chip count, then of course it's beneficial to use it. In that case you'd simply treat the tournament as a higher buy in tournament, using a rebuy whenever possible. However, all rebuy tournaments (online and offline) that I've played in only allow rebuys if you run out of chips. What you're referring to is usually called an add-on.

[benkahuna]

I've played in tournaments on pokerroom that let you rebuy once any time with the starting chips or less and that also allow one add on.

[binions]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm assuming the rebuy is only an option if a player has run out of chips. All rebuy tournaments (online and offline) that I've played in only allow rebuys if you run out of chips.

[/ QUOTE ]

You must not play in the most popular online rebuys, because both Stars and Party allow rebuys if you are at or below your initial allotment of chips.

[mudbuddha]

whats your ROI or ITM rate for these tournies??? must b pretty high if your spending atleast 50$ each time?

[jccookjr]

Party also lets you add-on when you go all in. Most people click the rebuy button as soon as they push all their chips in. So, you double up and add an extra 1,000 chips, if you win the hand.

[mudbuddha]

yeah i herad about that glitch
what a terirble glitch

[meow_meow]

As other posters have noted, you are thinking about these in entirely the wrong way.

For most rebuy tourneys, you should pretty much rebuy right away, and always take the add-on, so that's a minimum of 3 buy-ins right there.

Think of a 10+1 rebuy tourney like you would a 30+3 or 50+5 regular tourney.