Re-buy tournies(1000th post)

$3.30+R($20,000gtd) is what I enjoy playing.

Most will say in order to be successful in a re-buy you have to be somewhat LAG, I beg to differ, I've learned in order to be a success at any table that you should play the opposite the tables style, So during the re-buy period I adopt a TAG style of play as I find that it minimizes the risk to my BR, and I only use the re-buy for badbeats and suckouts.

During the re-buy period I find alot of players going all-in with A-x, K-x, Q-x, J-x, 10-10 and all PP, I find myself thinking at times that if I play like these donks maybe I'll get somewhere, but then I think that more than half of these donks just luck out and when the re-buy period is over they have no idea what to do with the chips they have amassed and continue playing LAG during the second hour, at this time I still play TAG because I put it in my mind that it's still the very early stages of an MTT and the fish and donks are still there, just with more chips, but not to worry, I'll be taking some of those chips.

In the past, I've found that I spent up to 8 times the original buy-in when trying to play LAG and for this reason alone is why I play TAG for the first 2 hours.
TAG during 2nd hour? you may be asking yourself and I say yes, because as I've stated above, the fish and donks are still there so don't stray away from your TAG style just yet, wait until the 3rd hour to loosen up.

Sure you want to gain as many chips as possible during the first hour, but does that mean having to spend 4,6 or even 8x the original buy-in? It doesn't have to if you know how to play a solid game.

Play a re-buy as you would any other MTT with the only difference being that the suckouts can't knock you out during the first hour and more than half of these players are generally bad players that lose half if not all their chips during the second hour.

I may not have gone into odds or hand examples but (IMO) if you apply a solid TAG strategy during the first 2 hours of a re-buy, the most you should pay into a re-buy should be no more than 3-4x the original buy-in including the add-on(which you should always take).

The reason I play this way is that I find it doesn't make sense to me to buy-in multiple times if you know what your doing.

I may have left alot out, but if you have any Question, I'll answer them to the best of my abilities, I'm still learning so forgive me if this seems flawed, this is my first lengthy thread and my 1000th post(the reason for the thread)

congrats shinedown and an excellent post it is

That's good advice Shinedown, I like the 3.00 re-buys as well. The re-buy period can be rough, for those of us who do have limited bankrolls TAG in late position is the way to go.

When the chipbuilders spend re-buys building a mass of chips at the table, I often get a great chip lead going into the main event after add-on. I've seen them spend up to 100 bucks in re-buy and in the 10 dollar tourneys I've seen them spend over 400 bucks.

My only warning is that chipbuilders can frustrate you if your new to the re-buy game. They will go all-in with any 2 cards not caring if they win or lose. Their goal is to mass a lot of chips at the table then just before the period is over either get lucky with a huge stack or tighten up and collect as many as they can. Even after break there are so many chips at the table that one can build a nice advantageous stack playing TAG.

But during the re-buy many unsuspecting player will go tilt as their A/K, A/A, K/K and Q/Q get snapped and spend way more than they wanted too trying to catch up. Play tight, roll with the bad beats and set your limit. Shines 3 to 4x is about right for me too.

I have actually at times bought in, re-buy to double my stack and go watch TV until re-buy is over then rebuy and add-on to participate in the main event. Especially if I don't feel the cards running well or the chip builders are too frantic, I'll just sit out until the main starts it usually settles down a bit.

But again like Shine says there are still a lot of donks chasing flushes and straights and getting lucky the first 2 hrs, gotta watch for that closely.

Nice post Shine, just thought I'd add my 2 cents.

First, congtats on the 1000 post. Woo Hoo.

Just to add, in a rebuy MTT, even if you want to play a TAG game and not go all-in with anything, you should still be willing to put all your chips in with a situation where you have a close decision and may otherwise fold. Say after the flop you have the nut flush draw and someone pushes all-in or if you have TPTK on a scary board. You really shouldn't fold in 50/50 or 60/40 situations. Even preflop. Suppose you are in late position with QQ and 3 players go all-in before you. Now normally this would most likely be a fold but in a rebuy it's an instant call since most likely you are ahead here with a great chance to quadruble up.

Nothing wrong with playing TAG in a rebuy but you still should be a little looser in certain situations. In most rebuys the blinds go up quickly, if you go into the second hour with only 2-4 times your starting chips you are going to find yourself way behind. Not insurmountable certainly but harder.

I agree MsSnake, you still have to push the premium hands and not be afraid, but know that often there is more than one chipbuilder at your table and a lot of people willing to go all-in gambling others on tilt calling anything.

During re-buy when everyone is all-in A/A and K/K allthough still very good and you have to play them will get hammered a lot. If you are aware that the chipbuilders are actually running a strategy it's easier not to tilt when they are snapped. I can't tell you how many times and how much money I've lost learning that lesson.

If you have been running good and have a huge stack and there's 2 minutes left in re-buy, you're in late position with A/A , 4 all-ins in front of you one or 2 have you covered ......what do you do?

LOL I haven't folded that yet but man I've been sorely tested, won a few and lost a few. Hard to keep a level head after that, now that I know it's easier. That's why I passed it on .... if you play re-buys a lot it's going to happen to you.

I play rebuys kinda the same but i take a lot more risks during the first hour than it seems you do. If i am getting a good enuff price i will call with any 2 cards which takes your buy in up a bit but turned out ok for me so far. My ideal situation at the first break is to have 2x average stack because i dont want to have to take risks when i can no longer rebuy id rather play tight as a knats backside and get paid when i get monsters which will aid in getting deep. Once i get to the 3rd 4th hour is when i start to motor as i can usually bully any table i sit at and once this far in the tourny it starts to get a lot more profitable. When it gets to the last 6-7 tables i will usually be chip leader or out which means i dont get a lot of low payout itm i either win big or not at all which is how i think they have to be played. To sit around and aim to make the money is crazy to me yet i see so many peiple doing it. The real money is deep and to not play with everything aiming towards tht goal is crazy.

omg first time new paragraph lol

In short the only people who get deep unless you get slapped in the face by the deck are the maniacs and aggressive players not the tag rocks who wait on hnds because the blinds will eventually catch up with any tag player and it is much more difficult to go from tag to lag thn lag to tag.

omg i rambled bs there but oh well

you are right here, I may be ahead with QQ and I would call this depending on my gut feeling which sometimes is the right feeling wheather to call or not, just the other day I was playing the rebuy and it was just after the first hour, starting hand was KK, one player ahead of me put out a big bet, I re-raised, two other callers behind me went all-in and the first player who put out the big bet pushed me all-in, donks I thought, so I called, one player had Q-10os the initial raiser had J-J and the other player had the same hand as I did, 2 Jacks on the flop and I was out.

I'll find the HH later when I have the patience.
But I totally understand where your coming from.

LMAO

Very nice 1000th post. Congrats

stupid and LAG are 2 different things. by LAG we mean shoving with any top pair or any combo draw. we hope for situations where we are only marginally a favorite (or behind with dead money in the pot to make up for it) instead of situations where we trap with a set vs tptk.

playing TAG might double/triple you up, but that only takes you to 6k-9k depending on whom you double up from. playing more LAG gives you a chance to get 20-30k. and then to double again postbreak vs another LAG and be at 50-60k when blinds are still 100-200. i would much rather have 60k 2/5 times than 13-15k every time. you may spend more, but 60k within the first 8 levels is so much relieving.

I was just reading a tidbid from Gordons little green book. Negreuannu rebuyed 27 times before the break. lol. He still came out ahead.

Some great advise in here. I had never played a rebuy before online. And I suppose that word alone "online", shouldve shot red lights flashing to me.

It was donk-tastic!!!

And even though I consider myself a better tourney player than a cash game player, I didnt even bother to rebuy back in when some one hit thier inside straight to my 2 pair and knocked me out. I know I should of. But watching so much bad play made me realize I didnt even want to bother. Cut my losses. On to the next game for me.

But if/when I play another rebuy, Ill keep in mind the TAG.

Cheers