Omaha Tournaments - Freezeout or Rebuy?

[I, Zimbra]

Just reading a bit of tikay's blog (http://www.blondepoker.com/index.php?q=node/1888), in which he talks about an Omaha rebuy tournament he played recently...

...I also played the Laddies 85 runner $200 Omaha, but that one needs a health - or even wealth - warning, early on, nobody passes, it's 8 way family pots & rebuys galore. A mistake to play it, I surmise, as I pretty much sit out, and barely win a hand in 2 hours, while all the nutters go rebuy crazy. But post-freeze, the game suddenly changes, raises are respected, and now we play properly.

Short-stacked all comp, I end up in the final, get two double-ups, steal plenty of pots, and I'm in good shape with 9 left. But, typically with Omaha, I clash with the chip leader, I have a big hand, he has nothing really, and somehow his two 'danglers' river the wheel, and I'm gone, 9th and $750 for my troubles.

Omaha Rebuys are just not fair - the deep-pocketed maniacs definitely have an unfair advantage, and in my view, all Omaha Tourneys should be Freezeouts.

So, who agrees/disagrees?

I ask because, I have always been of the opinion that the rebuy format suits Omaha better than freezeouts (which I usually prefer for Hold'Em).

Here's my reasoning: in Omaha there are so many ways to lose chips, usually with huge draws over made hands like sets, where one is not a huge favourite over the other, yet there is no chance of anyone passing. I remember from my Sklansky that in tournaments chips you win are less valuable than chips you lose (if you see what I mean - e.g. with 2000 chips on the first level of a tourney, losing 1000 chips hurts you far more than winning 1000 chips helps you), so you put the two together and you see that a rebuy format punctures the inevitable early Omaha clashes.

Of course, you need to budget more for buy-ins - so on my bankroll I don't play much Omaha above $5 rebuy! But everyone else is making more rebuys as well, so the prize pool goes up accordingly.

Plus, (as in all rebuy tournaments), some eejits will rebuy far more often than their chance of winning warrants.

What do all the other Omahampsters on the forum think... rebuy or freezeout? 

[Jim-D]

Well after just playin the $20 omaha freeze out on ladbrokes id say re-buy coz im bloody out now after 20 mins

[Royal Flush]

It depends......

If its a deepstack comp then freezeout is fine, otherwise REEEEEBUY!

[GlasgowBandit]

Personally I'd like a deep stack pot limit freezeout.

I don't play a lot of Omaha, but I have been play quite a bit on Blonde in the 50/1 1/2 and 2/4 games.  mostly playing the 50/1 and there are some dodgy characters who are involved in every pot, but I played this afternoon for about 4 hrs never won much but it was a really good game if that makes sense.

It was proper omaha and none of that I'll raise for the sake of raising and stealing your blind.

[stallyon]

i used to play a lot of Omaha Pot Limit. It was a $3 rebuy and found that more and more  started to play - probably due to the fact that it doesnt matter if they're playing with a really bad hand as it quite often wins. The amount of hands I've lost because someone has got a runner runner flush after flopping just 1 pair is terrible. Most of the time they just call to see if the next hand improves them. It does mean that the pots are excessively large. If the tournie was a freezeout then you'd end up with 25% of the field out in the first 5 hands leaving me to run home and take 1st. I've stopped playing as I'd either have to play like them and rebuy every 4th hand or play extremely tight, only play nut hands and finish on the bubble leaving me to drown in a pool of sweat and tears

[mex]

The lower end of buyinsie $25 or less i d say rebuy, At this level you'll get people play such rubbish 4h4sKd6s for example, then they will catch  and KO your AsKsKhQh, you need the rebuys just to balance out so the stronger players get through. The higher end i'd say FO, saying that you always get a few Satelite qualifiers that will through you off kilter.

My self all my omaha success has been at rebuys, and James'my rebuy button is stuck down with tape' always pushes the pool up, and always finishes 1 place above me grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Royal Flush]

The lower end of buyinsie $25 or less i d say rebuy, At this level you'll get people play such rubbish 4h4sKd6s for example, then they will catch  and KO your AsKsKhQh, you need the rebuys just to balance out so the stronger players get through. The higher end i'd say FO, saying that you always get a few Satelite qualifiers that will through you off kilter.

My self all my omaha success has been at rebuys, and James'my rebuy button is stuck down with tape' always pushes the pool up, and always finishes 1 place above me grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

lol good fun that once a week blue square jobbie

[NoflopsHomer]

Personally I'd like a deep stack pot limit freezeout.

I think they have one of them on Stars

[Ironside]

i prefer freezeout for omaha as i cant afford to play in £200 rebuys but i can afford a £300 or even a £500 freezeout i have played 2 live omaha events both at the end of last year both freezeouts and i can say its a much more enjoyable game than HE and without the rebuy frenzy i felt the play was of a good standard

where possible this year and next i will only be play Omaha live and only in freezeouts