Ideas needed - 1st hour of rebuy tournament @ LAG table without cards?

[McMelchior]

Sitting here again after the end of the rebuy period (Stars, $10 rebuy) with half the average stack. Sigh ...

I'm familiar with applicable rebuy strategy: Maximize your stack at any point to benifit from a chance to double up, be very aggressive with strong hands and draws, don't be afraid to risk your chips with a small edge if you can double etc... I'm perfectly happy to spend up to $70 on double rebuys if they suck out on me.

Been at the same table all through 1st hour: A crazy player starts out from the get-go by moving his t3,000 all-in in an unraised pot (blinds 10/20), all fold, he does it again on the next hand and shows down 96s, the party is on ... people start calling his all-ins with QJs, KTs, 22, 98s etc ... nobody wants to leave this early, and consequently there's a lot of rebuying going on, and a lot of big stacks build up rapidly.

I see 64 hands during the first hour, not the top of the line but you gotta be able to play those as well; I have a pair of 33 (limp from EP/fold to an all-in on level 1), two times I see AJ (limp one UTG at level 2, fold another to an ealier already called all-in), AKs with I reluctantly fold to one all-in and two (2) earlier callers (88, AQ and AT that takes it down when the third T rivers).

20 minutes into the tournament there are three stacks of around t10,000 and two of t7,000 at my table, and I'm scrambling around with t2,500 - t3,000, picking up at pot or two when they allow me to see the flop on my BB, but that's basically it.

I just don't see myself calling an already called all-in with hands like A7, 22 or JTs ... even though I'd probable eventually manage a double-up if I did it often enough. So that's how I end up with t4,500 after add-on, while the average is in the t9,000 range.

This kind of table experience is not all that unusual - many players obviously enjoy the insame thrill of pushing or calling all-in with a wide range of hands as long as they can rebuy for $10 or $20. A bonanza if I just have the cards to call.

I can - and have on numerous occasions - played an under-average stack up to par after the end of the rebuy period, when the LAGgies suddenly tighten up and I can steal. But of course I'd rather start out here with more chips.

Is this just something I have to live with happens once in a while? Or are there suggestions on how to deal with somewhat sloppy cards on a super LAG table without sacrifying too many (and for me - considering my ITM for MTTs - more than 6-7 are definitively too many) rebuys?

Any idea or suggestion will be received with gratitute - thank you!

Best,

McMelchior (Johan)

[TomCollins]

Why would you fold AKs preflop here? Seems like a great holding to me.

[McMelchior]

Why?

AKs is decent heads-up, even though I generally don't like to CALL with it - much better to come over the top with. As we all know either a small dog or good favorite, but for a reason named "Walking back to Houston".

3-way ... erh, not that happy. I stand to win slightly more than my share against for instance a pair and a bad Ace, but close to two times out of three I'm in for a double rebuy. Of course I have a nice stack the one time out of three I win. 4-way it's the same story ... against a pair, a bad Ace and like JTs I'm winning slightly more than one time out of four, but again I'll be rebuying for $20 practically 3 times out of four.

I'm all for taking small edges heads-up, but when I stand to lose a majority of times and the pot-odds just barely justifies it I believe I'm better off waiting for a chance to isolate an opponent (if that chance comes, that is).

But maybe that's flawed thinking?

Best,

McMelchior (Johan)

[fnord_too]

I think you have to go with at least the AKs there, and probably some others. AKs most likely has at least 1/n pot equity preflop (where n is the number people in the pot) in that environment, and it likely has more. You are happy to take an even money gamble here (though again I suspect you would have slightly the best of it). You only have to win one of those crazy 3-4 way all ins to have a decent stack coming out of the rebuy.

[TomCollins]

It's great thinking in a freezeout, but you are going to get so many trash hands against you so often, you are getting the pot odds (usually).

[ZeroMan]

what do you mean by LAG? is that 'loose aggressive'? anyway i know what you mean, every one wants a piece of the cake, and you start lowering your requirements to call, yes you would like to isolate the LAG,,,, i dont like overcalling in this situation, unless you have a cinch hand. because your likely up against a range of hands that your likely to lose, i mean if its 4 way i wouldnt like to call with AKs, although it depends entirely on how you perceive the others are reacting to the LAGer and what hands there likely to have, depending on that it would be correct and your getting good odds,,, depends if a tight player has just called,,,,,ex,,

[betgo]

Definately call with AKs and 3 players allin during the rebuy period. When people are pushing like that, wait for a big hand like AKs and call.

I don't mind finishing the rebuy period with half the average stack. Those fish who have been making big stacks with all the allins will often give me their chips soon enough.

The Stars $10 rebuy is wild for 2 hours after the rebuy period. You almost never see pots with 3 or 4 limpers to the flop or with a raise that takes the blinds. Usually there is a raise and multiple callers or a reraise with atleast one caller. On the rare occasions there is a raise and just one caller, the players generally go to the felt regardless of whether either of them connected with the board.

[Toy4x4]

I think it just depends on how much money you are willing to put into your rebuy. Yes, you are getting the odds, but it is not always correct to play pot odds in tournament poker because you can't just keep reaching into your pocket to buy more chips. That said, in a similar situation at a bar game, I played AKs and quadripled up. I still think that I should have folded, though. My basic strategy against LAGs/Fish is to sit out for about an hour - they will eventually kill each other. I really don't mind playing from behind in a tournament especially when I know that everyone is going to tighten up at some point and I can steal my way back into the game.