Re-buys in MTTs

[2damnhype]

I tend to stick to STTs but have had a bit of a dabble recently with MTT freezeouts, so I am used to the fact that when i go all in then that could be that.

Is there a different approach to playing rebuy tournaments during the rebuy phase?

Do you play looser, trying to increase the chips on the table?

How many times do you rebuy before deciding this tournament is going nowhere?

If there is a limit that you set of say 5 - which is more attractive a $25 MTT or a $5 rebuy?

[Beanie]

Hmmm...don't think I can help much here 2damn as I detest rebuys, but here's a little article which might:

Online Multiple Rebuy Tourneys
by Shirley Rosario

Rebuy tournaments are a totally different game than standard tournaments. Players must be able to adapt to the differences in order to do well in both. The key difference between the two is the selection of starting hands in the early stages of a tournament. Two other differences are the amount of chips in play (usually larger in rebuys) and the willingness to gamble more in rebuy tournaments versus standard tournaments.

Selection of starting hands is an important factor in any tournament you play in. You must be able to determine when the appropriate time to play a certain hands is. In rebuy tournaments, I loosen my standards for starting hands tremendously during the first couple levels. Most of my rebuy tournament experience is from online poker, so that is what I am talking about in most of this article (although the strategy can normally apply to live rebuy tournaments as well).

I always allow myself at least four buy-ins. I do my first rebuy the moment I sit down at the table. If some of the other players are going to start with $3000 in chips, you better believe I am going to start myself with as much as they are. We all know that there is a huge advantage in having a lot of chips in tournaments and I make sure I start out with the maximum amount. I normally allow myself at least one "loose" call during the first couple rounds. If two players move all of their chips into the pot, I will consider calling with a sub par hand. I have made calls with weaker Aces (AQ, AJ, or AT), pocket pairs, and I have even been known to call with hands as weak as QJ. My reason for making such calls is I have already given myself permission to make a couple more buy-ins and if I happen to lose with my hand (often times the underdog), then I do a rebuy. If I happen to win the hand, I usually have enough chips to be one of the chip leaders by the end of the break (if playing the $10 rebuy tournaments, you usually have to do this a few times). Note: Don't forget to do the add on at the break.

Another reason why there is a lot of value in calling with marginal hands in the early stages of a rebuy tournament is because players think you are out of your mind. If you want to get paid off down the road when you are holding a monster hand, let the players at the table think you are the biggest fish they have ever seen. Granted, the tables are condensed as the tournament progresses, but they will remember you. I am sure there are plenty of players that have player's notes on me that read, "Live one". If they are ever on a table with me during the later stages of a tournament (when I am not willing to make loose calls), they will be in for a surprise. I remember one player making a weak call with second pair, jack kicker (the board was KQx) and I typed in the chat box, "Pretty bold call" and she responded: "No, not really, I remember yesterday that you moved all of your chips in with pocket fives." As a matter of fact, I did, but she didn't take into consideration that I moved all of my chips in during the first few rounds of a rebuy tournament. This is not something I would do in under normal circumstances and it earned me a lot of money on this particular hand.

In online tournaments (buy-ins of $100 or below), it is common to start out with $1500 in chips. If there are 100 people in a regular tournament, the total amount of chips in play is $150,000. In rebuy tournaments, the total amount of chips in play is typically triple the amount. Imagine $450,000 in play and only 100 players. With that many chips in play, you need to make serious adjustments to your game during all stages of the tournament (not just the early stages). During the early stages, you must do what you can to get as many chips as possible. Immediately after the early stages, I suggest you tighten up because if you have followed my advice and played at least one "loose" hand during the rebuy tournament, you are more likely to get called (at least for awhile). If you are more likely to get called, you want to make sure that you go in with the favorite and extract as many chips as possible. After my standard waiting period, I start to loosen up again. Remember there are $450,000 chips in play and hopefully you have your fair share of them. If you have an average stack size with 80 players left, you should have approximately 40 blinds in front of you. You have enough chips to raise in position and dump your hand if someone goes over the top of you. This makes it easier to raise with marginal hands or hands you might not normally raise with. During all stages of the tournament, you must keep track of how many big blinds you have. Like I said, in rebuy tournaments you will most likely have a lot more bets than in a regular tournament. So adjust your play accordingly.

In most tournaments, you will be in a situation where you might ask yourself if it is the correct move to play for all of your chips when drawing to a straight or a flush. In rebuy tournaments, the answer will more likely be a "yes". I have already stated that there are more chips in play in rebuy tournaments than in standard tournaments. It is important to have a larger stack, so getting your chips in on a draw will often be correct.

Make sure you recognize the major difference between rebuy tournaments and standard tournaments. In rebuys, play a little looser in the early stages of the tournament. Pay attention to the amount of bets you have and push those pots whenever possible. And don't be afraid to go broke on drawing hands. And remember that many players use a similar strategy (although they very often don't seem to change up later). Make sure you get in there and build a decent stack and hopefully if all goes well, you will win the damn thing!

[GETT1NLOTS]

Similar to Beanie I hate rebuys.

Most people are a lot looser during rebuy stages but I generally resist playing this way. I tend to sit and wait for all the normal hands and try and call just to see the flop. The reason I don't raise with an AQ, AK or such like is that you will generally get called by one or two muppets anyway during this loose rebuy period. I would rather raise after I have made a decent hand - then they can be as loose and call all they like.

This approach has served me well when all that has been available are these kind of tourneys.

[GETT1NLOTS]

Note - the article above talks about looser play too but he is saying calling with hands like A 10 as being weak. I think he plays some pretty high value tourneys by the look of it because when I'm talking loose I'm saying that I see people all in with QJ suited.

[aliensyndm]

Re-buys can be a pain in the arse. Often the first stages of tournaments is just roulette with cards. Noone even attempts to play poker. If it's a 20 quid no limit re-buy they just play 20 quid turnovers, all in every hand trying to get chips regardless of cards. It's quite frustrating. As already said chips in poker are important hence you have to be able to afford a few re-buys, especially if everyone else is just playing turnovers.
I much prefer freeze-outs ( no rebuys).

Remember playing MTT's you can go a LONG time with no prizes.
I've used this example before.......if you are in an MTT with 300 people and everyone has an equal chance of winning(0.33%) you are gonna win once every 300 tournaments. But say you are three times as good as anyone, your chances of winning are now 1%, yer still only gonna win once every 100 tournaments and in that......there can be huge swings of no wins for hundreds of games. I like to play MTTs every now and then for "fun" in a sense, it's great winning them as the prize money is beefcake but you can go a long time playing them with no prize cash.

[christianu]

I agree Alien, I usually play MTT's for fun and when I do enter them I enter at very low stakes. I won a re buy tournament once after only re buying once as was in the bragging thread but I benefited from everyone else re buying. One guy at the final table said he re buyed 27 times, which is ridiculous. So you can actually benefit if you make a good start without the need to re buy.

[christianu]

Re-Buy. Re-Buy, Re-buy.

[mrmuzeman]

I agree with Alien, I find re-buys a pain in the arse! Although I spend infinite amounts of time playing poker and betting I still dont have much money at my disposal as of yet to dedicate to any one 'event' or tournament. When entering a rebuy tourny you pretty much have to come prepared with money to buy in at least a couple of times, its likely youll need it.

You will rarely find a single person making a final table without having rebought in a rebuy tournament.

I was in £10 rebuy at a casino a few months back, didnt pick up any hands in the first 30min and thus became short stack. Due to the crapshoot element in the blind structure I was pretty much forced to go all in as soon as I picked up something decent. Twice I was all in with AQ only to be called by two others with shite (one time it was Q6 and J3 - the J3 called for 'value' ) and low and behold a Jack on the flop and there you go into your pcoket again. Freezouts are more my bag.

Gett1ns thoughts are worth baring in mind, that could be a good tactic, waiting until youve got a made hand on the flop before moving in.

But if you like playing poker lottery then re-buys can be a lot of fun! :loon

However it has to be said after the rebuys have ended it calms down a fair bit and if you pick up some big pairs early you could well be laughing as you will get paid off

[aliensyndm]

Oh yeah after the rebuys it does calm down a bit but still. For instance in the 10 quid re-buy tournaments in dundee some of the people with money are prepared to buy-in as many times as it takes to get chips. 10,15,20 rebuys.
If've you've only got £20 that's major disadvantage. I've been dealt amazing cards before and still ended up buying in like 10 times cos every time I've had my amazing cards there's 6 other people in the pot and odds are one of them will win it. To use an example, had AA, raised tastic preflop, I ended up being beaten by someone who was calling me without even looking, he had 8-2 off suit and made a full house.
Basically people will give any excuse going to make utter awful plays and justify it. Calling for "value", raising to get it heads up for "value", these people don't have a clue, they are just trying to get chips.

[mrmuzeman]

I see weve both encountered the "value" thing then

The ones youve been at sound more crazy then the ones Ive been at Alien. There was regularly people calling all ins and stuff but I didnt seen any more than 4 in at one time. That is pretty rough if so many go in with you like that.

[aliensyndm]

It's mental man. I remember the first time I played in the dundee casino thursday night 10 quid pot-limit rebuy. Very first hand I am dealt AA.
I get all my chips in pre-flop, as do 6 other people. Amazing my aces held up and I took down a big pot. But I was up against all sorts of utter garbage.
Some people have stopped playing in it cos it's jsut too stupid like that. You need 10 buyins to get any chips etc, waste of time. Freeze-outs any day of the week please.

[mrmuzeman]

I remember Jezza saying about that ages ago, you went with him to that one maybe?

Im probly gonna go and play once or twice before the cruise in january, dont really think they do any cheap freezeout tournies other than these in brighton tho

[Burt Saddo]

I never do a re-buy as I think it encourages slack play, just my opinion. However I must admit that if I do enter a re-buy tourney I will more often than not go for the add-on if I am still in after the first hour.

[aliensyndm]

Yeah Jezza was down in dundee for that one.
Yeah burt I'm not a re-buy fan either. It's not "real" poker if you know what I mean. People bet the flop no matter what they have and people call no matter what they have. But yeah you should top-up at the end, especially if you are low on chips, as stack size in no-limit hold 'em is a very important thing. Freeze-outs all the way for me anyway.

[christianu]

Without Doubt, ive always wanted to play more live poker games but im not sure where they are held and how frequent, checked a few casions out but no poker