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Rebuy Poker Tournament Strategy – Part #1 - The First Hour

Poker Rebuy Tournaments Are A Fun And Profitable Online Poker Game.
Here We Consider Rebuy Tournament Strategy For Hour Number 1.

 

“You Are Broke – You Are Done” … “They Are Broke – They Are Done” Two quotes from David Sklansky and pillars of the excellent Poker Tournament Strategy book ‘Tournament Poker for Advanced Players’.

But what about rebuy tournaments?? These cornerstones of tournament strategy no longer apply (for the first hour at least!). Is there a ‘correct’ strategy for these games, mathematically or strategically speaking? Should you gamble early in an effort to get a big stack or play a semi-conservative game to avoid spending too much money on rebuys?

This article is part #1 of a series that will examine rebuy tournament strategy in detail. Here we look at the first hour – while the rebuy option is still available. The second and third will look at moving into the second hour compare some of the best rebuy tournaments available online to suit different budgets and experience levels.

Rebuy Poker Tournament Strategy - Not All Rebuy Rules Are The Same

The first thing to mention is that not all rebuy rules are the same. Many sites such as Pokerstars allow you to rebuy right from the start, and again each time you have your starting stack or less. Other games (often called '2nd chance' or some variation of this) only allow you to rebuy when you are down to zero. Some tournaments specify the number of rebuys available in advance, for example the increasingly popular '1 rebuy, 1 add-on' games - and yet others have extended rebuy periods, for example the Pokerstars 2x and 3x turbo games.

All sites also have an ‘Add-On’ option, which allows you to add between 1500 and 3000 chips for an additional entry fee at the end of the rebuy hour.

rebuy tournament strategyPlanet Mark's Rebuy Rec: Pokerstars stand out when it comes to rebuy tournaments. With a huge variety and some massive guaranteed prize pools, it is common for the winners of $3 to $5 rebuy games to take home five-figure paydays. The buy-ins grow to accomodate bigger bankrolls too. Check out the rebuy's at the world's most popular site today - you will not be disappointed. Visit Pokerstars.com now. Marketing Code = PSP3108

Rebuy Poker Tournament Strategy - Planning Your Rebuy Strategy In Advance

Before the first hand is even dealt you need to decide whether to take the initial rebuy and begin the poker tournament with a double sized stack. If other players at your table have done this then there is a very good case for following suit. If you get a big hand early then the chance of doubling up your stack to 4 (or more) times the initial buy in will give you a huge advantage – if you did not take the initial rebuy then this double may only get you to the same level as your opponents. As long as you can afford it the consensus is that you should always take this initial rebuy, you'll be kicking yourself if you double-up without it!

Rebuy Poker Tournament Strategy - Gamble Early Or Wait For An Opportunity?

The main strategy question for rebuy poker tournaments concerns whether to ‘gamble’ early in an effort to build a big stack or to play a little more conservatively to prevent yourself from spending too much money rebuying. To a large extent this will depend on the tendencies of the other players at the table.

If every hand results in all in confrontations between multiple players – who are showing down medium pairs or weak aces (A-10, A-J etc) then adjusting your game slightly can result in getting the big stack without too much risk. Your strategy should be to wait for a high ace or high pair and get your money into the middle with the best of it. At a tight table you are going to have to play some poker, building pots with your quality hands in position and hoping that you get paid off with a monster. Tight tables can be difficult in rebuys, for the sake of your wallet you need to resist the temptation to push junk hands to liven up the table… you’ll only be called by the strongest hands of your opponents and the blinds you steal will not adequately compensate for this.

You need to balance waiting for a big hand with ensuring that someone pays you off when you are dealt one. Folding everything and then suddenly pushing those aces or kings after 40 minutes may make even the least experienced opponents suspicious! In the bigger games the need to build is more urgent, you will see from the chip counts in your site's lobby that there are often several 'gamblers' going for big stacks - it will be hard work to catch these players later in the game if you do not accumulate at least some additional chips early on.

rebuy tournament strategy primer
Marketing Code = PSP3108

The balance in a rebuy tournament rests between loosening up enough (being prepared to rebuy) to have a good chance of making a big stack, and not being so wild that you end up spending 8, 10 or even more buy-ins. There is a diminishing return in terms of each buy-in spent – your chances of a big cash are largely determined by the hours following the rebuy period. ‘Buying a big stack’ will help, but not in proportion to the amount of dollars spent.

Rebuy Poker Tournament Strategy - Budgeting For Bankroll Purposes

A good balance is to budget for 4 or 5 times the original buy-in for each tournament. This will allow you to play with the confidence that losing a single showdown will not bust you, get provide a balance within your poker bankroll compared to the chances of reaching the final table or higher paying positions.

At the end of the first hour you will have the opportunity to add-on, many newer players ask the question of when should I add-on. The question actually needs to be asked the opposite way around – what are the circumstances in which one should not add on!

There are really only 2 reasons not to add-on. The first is if your stack is so small that you have basically ‘given up’ on the tournament and intend simply to gamble with your remaining chips after the break. The second is that you have such a large chip stack that adding on will provide little benefit compared to the additional cost. The exact line is the subject of ongoing debate but as a rule of thumb if the add on is less than 10% of your stack and you have more than twice the average chip stack then you can consider saving the add-on money – even then if the cost is a small proportion of your online bankroll you should consider it!

Part #2 of this series looks at the 2nd Hour Of Rebuy Tournaments.

Best Heads-Up Poker Sites – Biggest Traffic / Game Selection - Pokerstars Planet Mark's Strong Rec: the rebuy tournaments available at Pokerstars – the worlds biggest online poker site has rebuys starting at just $3 and going up to $200 for the high-rollers. Many of their prize pools are guaranteed too, ensuring that the winners of small games will often take home 5-figures ($10,000+!!). You can claim up to 3 welcome bonuses while you check out this cool site to a max total of $600 - simply use PokerStars Marketing Code PSP3108 when you register. Check out the fantastic rebuy selection at Pokerstars.com now!

 

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