Add-on Tournament Question

BigChrisEl

I was watching a Re-buy/Add-on Tournament on Saturday I had a question that I thought would be good to post here:

Do you always take the add-on or do you need a certain amount of chips to pass on the add-on if you do not take it?

AK*1

Hey Chris

This always comes into play on the Monday night game at Bill's. I've seen guys pass on the add-on when they have a ton of chips, but I disagree with that move. I think if the majority of the players are taking it, you should also. If you don't, you are giving away a large edge to each player in the field that took the add on. I would rather spend the extra money and maintain the edge that I was fortunate enough to gain, then save money, and see my advantage dwindle against each player that did.

I also look at it this way - if the add-on is 1,300 chips on a starting stack of 2,500, taking the add-on will allow you to use an additional 1,300 chips in any manner that you please. Like a steal at a crucial time, or a re-raise, or even a few really loose calls to see if you hit a flop. It's just more ammo to go to war with, and gives you even more options on how you want to play.

88Fingers

Ironically myself and SocietyRed had this debate not too long ago.

I am of the opinion that I will always take the addon.  Whether I am in first place at addon time or last place.  The reason for that is if I am still trying to win the tourney (which I had better be or I am dead money) then every chip I have counts and has value.  If I have a 13k chip lead before addon and I do not add on, the people who just added on now closed the gap between myself and them by (example) 2000 chips.  If I am not chip leader then I want to take the addon to ensure that I can remain as close to the leader/top leaders as I can.

My second thought is that those chips could potentially multiply themselves exponentially through future play.  If I am all in later in the tourney and am covered and win, that 2000 chips has now made another 2000 (minimum).  If I did not have them, I would have 4000 chips less than if I did.

I always expect to addon when registering for a rebuy tourney.  I add it to the cost of the buyin and determine whether or not I play based on that number.

BigChrisEl

The situation I saw was when I was watching STR82ACE play, he had around 16,000 in chip was around in the top 5 and the add-on was 2,500. I think the blinds were 100/200 at them time. Would you still go for it?

(I suggested to STR82ACE to take it just to keep his chip advantage as everyone else was taking the add-on and he did.)

SocietyRed

There's been situations where I didnt take the addon. If I feel the extra chips wont make that much of a difference I dont rebuy.
If I have a healthy stack going into hour #2 I wont take the addon.

Red

88Fingers

If i was in his situation yes - these are my thoughts:

1) I'm in the top 5 I want to stay there and not have anyone chip up against me without earning it by playing, as you said to keep his advantage

2) 2500 chips right now is about 8 orbits so if I per chance get a cold run of cards worst case scenario is I'm even after 80 hands to what I was before addon

3) The more chips I have the more I can punish ppl

I mean sure you do have to take into account the buy in and prize pool but this situation almost 100% imo

STR82ACE

Although I was in decent position at the time, I felt I almost had to take the addon, just to keep the chip advantage square. My plan all along during the game was to avoid rebuys if possible, but if I made it to the addon, to take the addon regardless of chipstack. With blinds going to 100/200, it was going to provide me with increased M if nothing else.

I'm not a big fan of rebuys and addons, but when I do play them, I almost always take the addon. If for no other reason than to keep the chip advantage I have, or to allow me more blind capital. As it turned it, that's the main reason I'm glad I had taken it. I very quickly went cold card, and after losing a good portion of the chip stack earlier, it still afforded me a little bit of action to stay in the game afterwards.

BigChrisEl

STR82ACE wrote:

Although I was in decent position at the time, I felt I almost had to take the addon, just to keep the chip advantage square.  My plan all along during the game was to avoid rebuys if possible, but if I made it to the addon, to take the addon regardless of chipstack.  With blinds going to 100/200, it was going to provide me with increased M if nothing else.

I'm not a big fan of rebuys and addons, but when I do play them, I almost always take the addon.  If for no other reason than to keep the chip advantage I have, or to allow me more blind capital.  As it turned it, that's the main reason I'm glad I had taken it.  I very quickly went cold card, and after losing a good portion of the chip stack earlier, it still afforded me a little bit of action to stay in the game afterwards.

Well I think it was a good idea, but the question was should or shouldn't you. I think you doubled up which means that add-on for 2500 was really more like an add-on of 5000.

jsteinberg

I look at it as an investment situation in most cases. (If I am not big stack, or risk losing that ranking - then I will always take it).

If I have to invest more money to get chips that will only make a small percentage difference to my initial stack, then I don't see how it was worth it.

If it cost me $50 to get 100% of my chips to start (2000), then I pay 50% ($25) to get 50% (1000) chips when I already have 10,000 in chips - that doesn't make any sense to me. I am gaining paying 50% to get 10% of my chips... If i could pay 50% to get 5000 chips, then yes I would take the addon...

To many variables to consider, but that is how I normally look at it. Thank goodness I am rarely BS and I always take the addon