Rebuy Tourney Strategy

Young Grimmm

Playing in my first rebuy tourney next week (unlimited rebuys for the first 4 blind levels)
starting stack $25, with blinds:
$0.25-0.50
$0.5-1.00
$1.50-3.00
$2.00-4.00
Probably about 25-30 guys playing with a wide range of abilities. Suggested strategies anyone?

STR82ACE

REBUYS ARE FROM HELL!!!

When I do play them, though, I tend to play very tight up front, only because I'm poor and don't want to spend the extra buyin. If I do need to rebuy, I will most likely do so, but only once. I do my best to avoid having to rebuy though.

But I always take the addon.

adammc

Never play a rebuy tournament without full intentions of gambling during the rebuy period. The idea is to gamble early and get chips, or if not, there is chips at your table to go after. This is the strategy I like to employ because regardless of whether I win every all in I make, the chips will be in play at my table, and my ability is so much better than that of my opponents, I am technically "loaning" these chips out so they will come back to me after the rebuy period when skill can take over. This would be especially smart in a live tournament where the tables arent going to break as fast as they do online, as there is nothing more frustrating than getting a tonne of money in play then the table breaking, thus you losing your image and all the chips. Of course you could employ the otherside of this strategy as I like to in higher buy in rebuys, and just pick off the people doing what I do with big hands, but then you are being completely dependant on the hands dealt to you.

The rebuy period isn't poker, it is straight gambling to build a stack. Either pick off the people jamming every hand, or if nobody is doing it then be that guy.

If you can't afford to rebuy at least 3 times, and thats to the full amount, then you should probably not be playing, or if you are, employ the pick off the gamblers strategy. And leaving a rebuy tournament before the rebuy period is just leaving equity on the table, that is why I say you shouldbe very prepared to rebuy.

moose

I think Adam makes some really good points, especially for live vs online, as long as it is unlimited rebuys. I go with the same plan on a min 3 rebuys but it can be higher depending on the table. If I think I can win my chips back after the rebuy period ends, I don't mind going higher on the number of rebuys. One caveat, keep an eye on how much time is left before the rebuy period ends. If you get busted with a few minutes left and everyone else is sitting with 5-6 buyins, it may not be a good idea to rebuy as once the rebuy period ends they will be able to bully you off every hand.

QueenNine

Adam makes excellent points.

I play alot of rebuy tourny's, $3R, $5R and $10R. You HAVE to be prepared to play alot more marginal hands during the rebuy period. Chances are high that it will be a multi way all in, I have been involved in quite a few full table all ins.  Most of the time it's isolated between 2-4 players, at which point any 2 cards can win the pot. More often than not AA, KK, QQ etc will get cracked by 92o or some other such crap hand it leaves you cursing Lee's mothers ability to reproduce.

Once the rebuy period is over you have to change your approach and play normally again, stealing blinds with 4-6x BB usually works well.

You shouldn't be playing in rebuys if your strategy is to play tight. You can't accumulate chips if you are tight in the rebuy. And you have to be prepared to rebuy alll the way to the end, as well as do the add on.

beanie42

MDSGuy wrote:

You shouldn't be playing in rebuys if your strategy is to play tight. You can't accumulate chips if you are tight in the rebuy. And you have to be prepared to rebuy alll the way to the end, as well as do the add on.

I totally disagree. Playing slightly looser and/or flooding the table with chips is a valid strategy, but so is playing tight. If you look at the recent WSOP rebuy, many of the players who flooded the table busted well before the money, but some tight players (Leibert, for example) continued on. Personally, I prefer to play tight. Get in with a big edge (which may be smaller with more players playing marginal hands), but be prepared for those hands to be cracked (and then rebuy). Right now I'm in the PS $10R, and at first break I'm 200 out of 1000 (1400 started) and I only rebought right at the start (double starting chips).

You can play loose, but you don't have to!

QueenNine

beanie42 wrote:

Right now I'm in the PS $10R, and at first break I'm 200 out of 1000 (1400 started) and I only rebought right at the start (double starting chips). 

Me too. I was 82nd at break with 18K and am now sitting in 66th with 21K. I rebought 4 times.

You are in 412 with 9K, not bad either.

That was ugly.

Lost 13K with set Q's to an AK straight. Then pissed away the other 10K with KQ soooted to AQ soooted.

beanie42

MDSGuy wrote:

You are in 412 with 9K, not bad either.

Yeah, a nice return from break.  My KK vs 88, and somebody folded A8, so he only had 1 out.  You know the rest.  At least it's not about the journey, they only keep score at the end

beanie42

I guess you're out - I was railbirding you, and literally got moved into your empty seat.  Never had that happen before! Any table reads?

QueenNine

Thats funny.

No Hold and 4 of a cline have my chips.

pkrfce9

Based on the structure mentioned in the OP, I wouldn't bother re-buying after the 2nd level. It doesn't give you enough ammo to do any damage.

Big E

Ask folded about rebuys.....after rebuying 13 times in 13 straight hands he went on to win the torney...and he had to to more then break even lol!

For me it all depends on the amount of the rebuy relative to my bank roll and the players I'm playing with. If I feel the rebuy is stiff I will play tight....if it's Wolffhounds or my $2 rebuy-fest I'm pretty much all-in blind the first 5 hands

I agree with Trevor tho, both strategies can work.

I also agree with Greg...and those blinds don't look like they leave room for much play unless they are a few hours long each level...what is that thing ending after round 4?