Theories on Stars rebuy MTT's

[bigfishead]

I've only been on Stars for a month. Played a bunch of these little rebuy tournys like the 45k, 25k, the $5 rebuys, etc. Are these things whacked or what?

I've seen as many as 100 rebuys at a table during the first hour! All-in 3-4 ways with any two ! Ya'all know what I mean.

My practice has been to mostly just watch and join in when I have a premium hand only. Figuring to often times be wayway ahead of teh majority. Now this hasnt always worked...in fact it often doesnt and I get to make a rebuy myself. But for the most part, during that first hour I may only drag 1-3 pots. And my vpip is usually 12-15%. It just doesnt seem worth it to join the all-in fest with 76s cuz your getting 3:1. Or KQs AJo (probably better than most these yayhoos hands tho) etc.

So is it worth it to go rebuy crazy trying to hit 2-4 key pots? Or be patient and try to just have an edge against the wookies?

I suggest that if I can just be near or slightly above the avg stack by the break then I'm fine. But that does require winning 1-2 all-ins too. I kinda look at it like if I can, I want to make no more than 1 rebuy and an add-on if possible. It appears that the rebuy ratio hovers around 3.5-5 per player. So I am trying to work with the $$ overlay. Does this make sense? Or am I on glue and looking at this wrong?

I really want to hear how many of you approach these things.

Best wishes

My approach is to do the instant rebuy to T3000, then just play my regular game, with a little bit more willingness to take a risk in a marginal situation. Value betting during the rebuy period is tremendous, because people are willing to call with any pair/ any draw. So make a lot of overbets with hands like top pair, two pair, etc.

[bigfishead]

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My approach is to do the instant rebuy to T3000, then just play my regular game, with a little bit more willingness to take a risk in a marginal situation. Value betting during the rebuy period is tremendous, because people are willing to call with any pair/ any draw. So make a lot of overbets with hands like top pair, two pair, etc.

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Thats all well and fine and I understand that part. What I see alot of tho is ZERO post flop play. if 60 hands are dealt in the first hour, I suggest that less than 20 have post flop play whatsoever.....other than all-ins.

[mblax10]

I'm sure somebody with more re-buy experience can better elaborate on this point. Playing crazy during the re-buy period will put a lot of chips on your table. You want this to happen so you can build up your stack after the re-buy period. It also gives you a better chance of amassing a huge stack before the re-buy period. Playing your regular game, you will have to go on a real heater to have 20k+ at the end of the re-buy period. With a stack like that, you're in good shape.

Also, in the smaller buy-in rebuys, you'll run into some unexperienced players who don't realize what's going on. They'll think your lose and crazy, and will pay you off when you bet your real hands in the 2nd hour. Some of them will also not adjust and keep playing loose after the re-buy period. When they make these mistakes it's also to your advantage.

[bigfishead]

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I'm sure somebody with more re-buy experience can better elaborate on this point. Playing crazy during the re-buy period will put a lot of chips on your table. You want this to happen so you can build up your stack after the re-buy period. It also gives you a better chance of amassing a huge stack before the re-buy period. Playing your regular game, you will have to go on a real heater to have 20k+ at the end of the re-buy period. With a stack like that, you're in good shape.

Also, in the smaller buy-in rebuys, you'll run into some unexperienced players who don't realize what's going on. They'll think your lose and crazy, and will pay you off when you bet your real hands in the 2nd hour. Some of them will also not adjust and keep playing loose after the re-buy period. When they make these mistakes it's also to your advantage.

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Some itneresting thoughts there. But I tend to argue that the tourney isnt won in hour two. Yet it can certainly make a huge difference having 20k buy the begining of hour 2. Being able to give a little gamble to get a big pot off the other decent stacks and all. And yes taking advantage of "too loose" play after the rebuy periods.

Basically after the rebuy periods I'm looking for 1-2 key pots per hour to win. With a few small ones.

yet we have all seen that after the first hour there are 20 players with 25K on up to 60k in chips..how often do those players actually make it deep into the money? did they just gamble it up to get that high in the first hour? Do they usually go broke by the time hour 3 ends?

[whiskeytown]

I suggest Poker Babe's article about online rebuy strategies - I agree with her pretty much.

RB

[Rickyroodido]

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I suggest that if I can just be near or slightly above the avg stack by the break then I'm fine. But that does require winning 1-2 all-ins too. I kinda look at it like if I can, I want to make no more than 1 rebuy and an add-on if possible . It appears that the rebuy ratio hovers around 3.5-5 per player. So I am trying to work with the $$ overlay. Does this make sense? Or am I on glue and looking at this wrong?

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I think this is a very bad approach. Dont play rebuy turnies if your unwilling to rebuy. The key to winning these turnies is to afford to gamble; GET a bigstack and put everybody to the test as often you can, search for coinflipps.

I think its a kind of weaktightness not to wast alot during rebuy, and usually make a note that that player could be bluffed. My favorite scenario is when someone is holding on to his initial buyin so tight, like a pillow to keep him in his ignorance, gets aces and finally decides to play. Since he is so short I decide to call and win with k4. He then says moron, and I agree.

[M.B.E.]

http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/...?Number=494565
http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/...Number=1046600
http://archiveserver.twoplustwo.com/...?Number=737308

[flyingmoose]

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Some itneresting thoughts there. But I tend to argue that the tourney isnt won in hour two.

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I think the "the tournament is not won in the first hour, but you can lose it" line of thinking isn't really applicable to rebuy tournaments. Truth be told, you're at ZERO risk of losing the tournament in the first hour, but you can greatly increase your chances of winning it.

If you're better than the field, then staying in the tournament with enough chips to play non-desparation poker will greatly increase your ROI. A 20K stack is good for 50 big blinds during the 200/400 level. That means that if you end the first hour with 20K, you will have a nice chunk of time to play pure, +EV poker and not have to let your stack influence your decisions.

Just to give you an example I rebought a total of 12 times in last nights Stars 3R, which is about average for me if not a little on the low end for this tournament. At the end of the first hour there was over 100k in chips on my table. By the end of the 2nd hour I had about 60k of those chips. If not for the crazy rebuys the most I could have had might have been closer to 30k. I'm glad the rebuy hour is insane.