blonde poker forum

I don't play many rebuys, but have a few tournaments coming up - and wanted some general advice really.

What sort of strategy should I consider using in your opinion?  I was thinking of playing fairly loose early, hoping to double-up if possible, or rebuy when it goes wrong.  But I guess this turns it into a bit of a lottery. 

Playing tight early isn't going to help much as others double up and then have much larger stacks after the rebuy period is over and I'm playing catch-up.  For me it looks like the right strategy during the rebuy is to accumulate chips, to put you in a good position afterwards - when the play settles down again?

But really I'm guessing... :dontask:

your general thoughts are right

look to get chips early and therefore you can then go tighter and play sensibly

however...STICK TO YOUR BUDGET...set this before you start and only adjust it slightly according to table conditions

eg there may come a point near the end of the rebuys where it isn't worth you rebuying for the nth time as in doing so you won't have enough chips to damage the big stacks.

If this happens to me, I get up.

Don't play any two though, play hands that can bust big hands, connectors etc...keep a meaure of self respect and discipline!!

I regulary play the $35k guranteed $10 rebuy on Pokerstars and I tend to be super tight for the rebuy period.  I find people chuck the chips in with any old rubbish in these events, so I only enter a pot if I am prepared to still the lot in.  I hope to double up with a premium hand and if this does not happen then reload with a buy in & add on after an hour.  I find there is still time and the structure is good so nothing silly is required.  Alot of players go out very quickly after the end of the rebuys and poker can then be played.  I find these events good value and have had 2 four figure cashes this year (they take a long time though, 6hrs+).  I can see that playing loose during the rebuy period to get chips is also a viable strategy, however you will need to decide how much you are willing to spend on rebuys and get used to be up against 3 or 4 players when you are all in.

Anyway, I am sure the English Amateur Poker Champ has the game to adapt to rebuy comps!!!  Hope you are well Dan, hope to see you at APAT live event 2, wherever & whenever it may be.

For what its worth….

The ones that I have attended have been £5.00 rebuys for the first two hours then a add on after this.

The first two hours are manic, all ins left right and centre trying to double up etc

What I do is sit tight and just play premium starting hands and raise to the max and hopefully get a large enough stack to add to after the two hours. If things go wrong you can rebuy, I limit myself to five although I have never actually rebought five, four being the most, and hope to hit again. Keep an eye on the clock towards the end of the rebuy period just in case your very short stacked you can throw in Ace x and hope to double up but you still have time to rebuy if that fails. That scenario would be like, say, all in AJ you fail, rebuy, the clock stops and you add on or double up (potentially more) the rebuys stop and you add on.

After the rebuy period you will notice players dropping like flys (or fish!!!) when the real  tournament begins and I would suggest playing your normal game and if you have played tight and only a few hands, thus managing to progress, your image will be very strong against the players who have seen your showdowns and this will help has the tables diminish.

From there on your on your own. Good luck!!!

Of course i am talking about live play. I havent actually played a rebuy on the net.

OK - I get it now. 

I should play loose early.  I should play tight early.

Just like any other poker then really - do what works!

 :D

Looks like some sound advice amongst that lot.  Always appreciated.

These are live events - so much appreciated.

its a function of the maiac quotient on your table

If you have a load of fish then you can sit back a bit but your big hand might get paid or might get cracked!

If not, make the action


Either way, you've got to hit flops because you can't bully or bluff in the cheap live rebuys

Thats the one. Play the game the way that best suits your style. Telling someone like Jac Arama to sit there like a rock for the first hour of a rebuy would be pointless advice as playing a style which is isnt used to would probably lead to more mistakes which as a poker player is what costs the most money.

Find a style that best suits your game and go with that - ok so it may take a few tourneys to get used to it but you'll get there in the end :)up

 ;goodluck;

Cheers - not bad thanks.  Looking forward to the UK APAT event.  Thankfully not a rebuy...

Thanks again guys.  Always people willing to give useful advice on here.   :)up

Going on a combination of what everyone's said, I guess it's a case of the monster hands play themselves, otherwise look for a cheap flop and hope I hit it hard.  Otherwise, get out cheap.

Was going to set my limit at 5 rebuys, and hope to be under that if possible.

I've played a few rebuys before, and done well enough to get to the final table, but never in a position to really challenge for first.  Can't really determine if I'm playing them OK or not as it's hardly a statistically significant sample, and I guess I'll just have to play it as it comes.

 ;scarymoment;

Thats all you can do - take a basic strategy to the table but allow yourself the flexability to change depending on how the table you are seated on plays.

I do the playing cheap approach.  I tend to wait for monsters to double up but if I'm in a good position and I think I can see a cheap flop with a half decent hand, then I'll call.  I tend not to raise with much during the rebuy period.

Play the strong starting hands hard. Do no set a limit for rebuy or u are at a massive disadvantage.

this is exactly how i play them aswell

I am with Mr End on this it reall depends on your starting table.

My preference, when I am taking it seriously is to play my big hands as aggressive as possible because more often than not I will get paid off when I have it.  I am happy to limp into as many pots as possible with suited connectors or cards that have the potential to make a hand, if I have position.  There is nothing worse than limping in only for someone to raise and you to fold.  Its even more annoying when you hit.

Really though you will play your game and you should be able to adapt to the situation. 

Best of luck with it mate.

I play the $100 re-buy on Stars/Laddies and I have a specific formula.

A lot of players mess about and "play loose" during the re-buy period, I take the first re-buy immediately,(if I get a double up I want full value.) Then I sit tight. I watch the players to see who's gambling and I look for my opportunity. I never try to bluff during the re-buy period. I just want to get it all in with a premium hand or a big draw and good pot odds.

After the re-buys are over, I take the add on.

If I get busted, I never re-buy. (except in exceptional circumstances, see link) I will in essence be paying to start again with less that average chips, why should I do that when I can enter the next one for the same price and start on a level playing field?

On the other hand, If I do double up, I have terrific value from the x10+ re-buyers.

One other point, the multiple re-buy gambler-types seem to find it hard to change gears immediately after the re-buys end, and often overplay marginal hands.

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=16057.new#new

Another 50p please Red.

I had to amend the post, it was only about the 7th hand so I re-bought "exceptional circumstances"

One 50p will have to do.

I was not negotiating.......

Good! It's non-negotiable.

If you're going to one of the £20 rebuys in the brum area then it is actually a good game from the off.
If it's one of the £5 or £10 then preper for chaos. Any hand played will involve your whole stack till/if you have quadrupled up.

live small game rebuy strategy is IMO very different to online rebuy strategy. Online where maniac tendencies are guaranteed you can sit and wait to get paid. In live small rebuys I think you need to mix it early doors and then settle back

I was refering to online.

btw, I bubbled.

I was gonna actually post a thread asking something along similar lines.  What is everyones strategy for the last few minutes of a rebuy tourney if you arent sitting with a massive stack?  For example, there's 15 minutes to go till last 3 hands of rebuy, you have slightly more than the original buy in stack.  Do you now start to push a little harder and maybe use a few rebuys in the hope of catching up with a few of the bigger stacks before the break and if it goes wrong you will have enough chips to rebuy and top up at the break or do you sit tight on the stack you have till after the break, save your money and try to outplay the bigger stacks with close to the minimum starting chips during the freezeout stage.

Generally Ive noticed that, in live casino freezeouts, the looser players that see a lot of flops are usually the players that have the monster chip stacks at the end of rebuys.  I try to see as many flops as possible for as cheap as possible unless I actually have a premium hand in which case Ill be in there raising.  Ive also been experimenting with Negreanu's philosophy of raising every pot pre flop if you are playing the hand and then trying to outplay the remaining players on the flop.

Ace2M posted a thread a while back asking if there was a mathematical formula for determining whether you should continue to rebuy near the end of a rebuy period.

There isn't but I would tend not to if by rebuying say 1000 chips I cannot damage the big stack pre flop. In essence the odds therefore suggest I am building the prize pool for others

If you haven't got chips with say 10 minutes to go then I'd sit tight if possible, grind it, TAKE THE TOP UP, and then take advantage of the fact that many big stacks will donk away thier chips with bad calls as quickly as they got them in the freezeout period.

Thursday night at Luton two players have 30% of the chips in play 15 handed and proceeded to go out 8th and 9th by overdoing it and doubling up the steadier players with better raising/calling standards. I finished 3rd and split the dosh merely by waiting for my spots and knowing I'll get paid off by the looseys.