Thoughts on unlimited re-entry tournaments? (1 Viewer)

MrBo

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I got into poker during the online boom when it seemed the tournament standard was freezeout, no late entry, no add-ons, etc. Obviously there have been a lot of changes since then, and the vast majority of casino-run daily/weekly tournaments have unlimited re-entries allowed up through a certain level.

Just curious what factors folks take into consideration when deciding:
(1) How many bullets to fire.
(2) Up to what point are you willing to re-enter? (i.e. re-entering with 30 BB's, 20 BB's, 10 BB's?)
 
I wouldn't reload at all playing a turbo speed event, one where the event takes just few hours.

Same thing for events where the regulars get extra chips based on their weekly hours.

Ditto if I feel that I am average vs the field.

The only time I fire is where I think I am better than the average + member of the field (say I am in the top 20% in skill level) and the event is still deeper stacked with many hours left to run. Likely not past the second blind level.

At a social event with small buy-ins - - there I have been known to rebuy so short that I am already in shove or fold mode.

DrStrange
 
I hate the re-entry format, I'm a freezeout fan and my casino tournament play has dropped significantly because of this change. I feel the unlimited re-entries for 6-8 levels just gives an even greater edge to the deep-pocketed pro's in the field. They can take a lot more risks and coin flips early to try and stack up than those who can only fire one bullet.
 
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I don't mind the unlimited re-buys before a chip up.


The people reloading frequently tend to play terrible, and so I can pick my spots and win some really big pots to take me to the final table.

I also would rather play cash any day of the week anyways and the atmosphere in those types of tournaments feels more like a cash game in the early levels.


Another reason I really enjoy these types of tournaments is the action they provide for the side games. I tend to make more at the cash tables after one of these than had there not been one.
 
My league used to have one, unlimited rebuy tourney until this year. I had won two of them.

On the first one, I had a total of 5 buy ins. My profit margin was shitty, and I got less points than the second place finisher (negative points for rebuys). I treated the event like a drunken cash game. I had a blast, and won a little bit of money.
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The following year I won it again. This time on only my initial buy in.

I enjoy playing in these on occasion. It isn't anything I would want to participate in on a regular basis. Both games I was buying in past the 4th level.
 
Life's too short to play rebuy tournaments. I just don't do it. Ymmv, etc....

I used to just prefer freeze outs. For some reason, I don't much care anymore. As long as there will be a cash game to follow I'll play in about any tourney :)
 
Online I used to play solely freezeouts with no late entry, as well as 90-man SNG's. I liked knowing beforehand how big the field would be and the payout structure.

For home tournaments I like the re-entry option for early coolers and/or to let folks continue playing if it'll be a while before a cash table is available.

At casinos, I don't mind the unlimited re-entry, but (1) will generally only fire a 2nd bullet if I feel I have a significant edge over the field, the prize pool is juicy, the structure is decent, and (2) I'd be re-entering early enough to still have a decent stack in terms of BB's/M and average stack size.

I can't say for sure where I'd draw the line, but I just never understood people re-entering at a level where they would only have 10-15 BB's. Especially if there are plenty of cash games available I'd much rather take my money there to play against the other tournament bust-outs.
 
Online I used to play solely freezeouts with no late entry, as well as 90-man SNG's. I liked knowing beforehand how big the field would be and the payout structure.

For home tournaments I like the re-entry option for early coolers and/or to let folks continue playing if it'll be a while before a cash table is available.

At casinos, I don't mind the unlimited re-entry, but (1) will generally only fire a 2nd bullet if I feel I have a significant edge over the field, the prize pool is juicy, the structure is decent, and (2) I'd be re-entering early enough to still have a decent stack in terms of BB's/M and average stack size.

I can't say for sure where I'd draw the line, but I just never understood people re-entering at a level where they would only have 10-15 BB's. Especially if there are plenty of cash games available I'd much rather take my money there to play against the other tournament bust-outs.
Exactly this

At the home games i like that weaker players who get knocked out can get their times worth. People new to poker want to play.
 
I can't say for sure where I'd draw the line, but I just never understood people re-entering at a level where they would only have 10-15 BB's.

A meetup group I joined that hosts local home games does a $20 buyin for 4K chips, then a $5 add-on for 1K chips and you can rebuy once for $20 for 4K. And you get to do that when blinds are 200/400, which makes zero sense, but players do it because they are recreational and don't get it like we would.

They made me an event organizer and I structured the game I host much better/deeper with no rebuys or add-ons, but a good 4-hour deepstack structure.
 
A meetup group I joined that hosts local home games does a $20 buyin for 4K chips, then a $5 add-on for 1K chips and you can rebuy once for $20 for 4K. And you get to do that when blinds are 200/400, which makes zero sense, but players do it because they are recreational and don't get it like we would.

They made me an event organizer and I structured the game I host much better/deeper with no rebuys or add-ons, but a good 4-hour deepstack structure.

Dislike, especially when casinos run this type of structure and don't really advertise it until after the tourney has started. Also, I think it's important to clarify the terms that I used to think were synonymous - most casinos use "re-buy" as "add-on" and "re-entry" for what most casually refer to as a "re-buy". For example, played a $80 tournament once that had a $10 dealer add-on for an extra 2k in chips, and then after the first hour or two they offered a $20 re-buy for an extra 5k in chips. Can't remember if any of these numbers are exact, but made me wonder why they couldn't just put together a $110 tourney with the same chip total, give the $10 to the dealers, no silliness, etc. Almost every person takes advantage of the add-ons so why make it optional? Just simplify things and be up front about the total $$$ players should expect to spend to play the damn tourney.
 

I didn't like it either, but wound up winning the tourney anyway (it helped that when I shoved JJ pre I got four callers with all sorts of garbage hands and I held up to quadruple up). Plus, this group gave me players for my game that do things like this:

- Just call a preflop raise with AA after it's been called in two spots because AA is "only one pair" and they need to see the flop first
- Call pre-flop shoves of 10-12BB's with K3 s00ted, J2 s00ted and other such suited rubbish, when they have no chips already invested in the pot.
 
I enjoy and rather like playing freeze outs. I enjoy higher quality play (to an extent, making money off suckers sure is nice.)


If you have a good player base, and you can organize and sustain the players for a freeze out then great.

I just feel most home game communities cannot sustain them unless there is awesome side games going on at the same time.

Most rec players want to be in the action, and freeze outs can send them home too fast.

Casinos do the rebuys/addons for profit. They would never dream of tying up so many dealers without there being an incentive.
 
I much prefer freezeouts. Most of the home games I attend, you usually don't have to wait long to get the cash game going. I think the rebuy format creates incentives to play bad, knowing that you can always just rebuy. I think, that often players call in certain situations in a rebuy tourney, that they would probably fold if it was a freezeout.
 
For a big casino tourney, I do not like them, but I totally understand why casinos need to have them. If Foxwoods and Mohegan had more regular 100-300$ freezeouts, i would play them on a much more frequent basis

For home games, if its under 30$ or so I have no problem with unlimited rebuys up until a certain blind level
 
I prefer freezeout in tourneys or limited re-entry. I have only played home game and online tourneys until last weekend.

This past weekend I played a 1 time re-entry until the first break (4 levels). This was ok for me, but the limitless re-entry I have played in online and home game tourneys are ridiculous.
 

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