Should I buy into a Main event?

renodoc · #1 03-16-2005, 01:37 PM

Just want some opinions.

My resume:

I'm a budding recreational player with about 18 mos experience now. I cash or win local weekly tourneys with some regularity and recently made two final tables in events with 200 entries at the Peppermill.

I won a seat to play in the WPT event at the Hilton last year ($5100) and managed to bust out after about 3 hours with some horrible weak-tight play. I was nervous and intimidated.

I'm debating buying in this year and taking another shot. I'm a much better player than I was this time last year, but obviously don't have much experience playing at this level. With a goal of making it through the first day with an average or above chip count, who would advise that I go for it, and who thinks its a waste of my time and money. Gaining experience at this level might be worth the buy-in??

Please spare me the "we need fish like you in the tounery" comments....

shadow29 · #2 03-16-2005, 01:42 PM

Can you afford it?

Oh and:

[ QUOTE ]
we need fish like you in the tounery

[/ QUOTE ]

renodoc · #3 03-16-2005, 01:48 PM

I can afford it.

I guess I'm trying to get to what the EV of this play is for me. There is some analogy to a golf tournament or perhaps a #13 seed winning the NCAA tourney. I'm not sure exactly.

So we have the immediate small expectation of cashing in this tourney + the long term expectation that my game will somehow improve if I pay this $5100 lesson + the miniscule chance I would get face time on the travel channel (which of course would have all kinds of +EV from an ego standpoint)

eurythmech · #4 03-16-2005, 02:13 PM

Aren't the side tournaments about the same in experience but a hell lot cheaper though?

BarronVangorToth · #5 03-16-2005, 05:26 PM

[ QUOTE ]
I can afford it.

[/ QUOTE ]

There is "afford" it (you won't be homeless if you pay for the event) and "afford" it (the 10,000 is absolutely meaningless to your life).

I would suggest if it's more of the former, than the latter, you should reconsider and instead satellite it.

Barron Vangor Toth
www.BarronVangorToth.com
Can afford it; can't afford it.

A_C_Slater · #6 03-16-2005, 05:32 PM

I would want a bankroll of at least 100 buy ins. So when you get a $1,000,000 BR then you should enter.

renodoc · #7 03-16-2005, 05:37 PM

100 buy ins? Percentage of players in the WSOP that buy in that have $1M BR ?????

ok, how many sats would you play then?

MLG · #8 03-16-2005, 05:41 PM

100 buy-ins should be the benchmark for any tournaments you play regularly. There's nothing wrong with taking a shot at a bigger tournament occasionally, provided you don't go nuts.

renodoc · #9 03-16-2005, 05:35 PM

LOL Barron!

Is there any of us who couldnt use an extra $5K. (Not that it makes much of a difference, but that is the buyin I'm talking about)

Besides, I won enough to cover the buy-in at the Peppermill last month.-- I could look at that as my sattelite win.

I think I'm in the "take a shot" mode right now. Its not like I travel to go to big tourneys, and the circus is in town....

KenProspero · #10 03-16-2005, 05:41 PM

Have fun!!

I think you're coming to the conclusion that whether or not it's a +ev move. If you have the money in your grouch bag and it's worth it to you for the fun/experience you'll have, then by all means go for it.

In another thread in this forum, I think I've reached the opposite conclusion personally, but hey I truly respect your decision.