[Spaceman Spiff]

Just trying to think of some different ideas that were sparked in another thread. I don't know how well this would work or if it's just plain dumb.

Here's the idea, instead of a limited time for rebuys, everyone would get 1 rebuy (could be indicated with a chip) that they can use at any time. It would basically make things like a double elimination game.

The catch would be, at some point in the blind schedule, the rebuy would pretty much not be worth it. If you're getting the starting stack amount (5k in my case), but the blinds are at 500-1000, that's probably not a real good investment. Unless you're on the bubble maybe and someone else is real short stacked also.

I don't know, what are your thoughts? Anyone done anything like this?

[Jambine]

Sounds interesting. Would they still have to go bust before the re-buy, or could you do it when you still have chips?

[ink_junkie]

That's pretty much what I do in my tournaments. Mine breaks down like this:
1. Everyone is allowed one rebuy.
2. Player must bust out before rebuying (we'll sometimes make a $500 threshold if we're playing a T10,000)
3. All rebuys have to be completed before the third hour of play begins (a rebuy after that point is pretty much worthless due to the blind structure).
4. No add-ons.

Everyone in my tournament is pretty happy with this standard.

[hachkc]

Just out of curiousity, do you folks that allow rebuys when someone busts out also allows add-ons of any sort?

[Spaceman Spiff]

Originally Posted by Jambine

Sounds interesting. Would they still have to go bust before the re-buy, or could you do it when you still have chips?

Good question. Typically I allow my rebuys at 2,000 or below (out of a 5,000 starting stack). With this format, I think I would make it where you have to be busted.

hach- For the most part, I don't do add-ons. I just don't like them. They essentially end up being mandatory (although on occasion I do have 1 or 2 holdouts) and if that's the way it's going to go, I'd rather just up the buy-in from the start. That said, I have done a format that I kind of call my wild format. It's designed to build a big pot and get lots of chips in play. For that, I allow a half-rebuy if you fall to 2,500 or less and if you bust, you're allowed to full rebuy up to the starting stack. At the hour mark, an add-on is offered for a half-rebuy amount. It's fun and it does get wild, but the $20 buy-in essentially becomes $30-40 or even more because of all the partial rebuys and add-ons. It's OK for me every once in awhile, but not a format I'd want to play all the time.

[OnTheButton]

We almost always have a re-buy.

But I've often just "asked" if anyone wants to add-on, just to fatten up the pool. I've even offered games with unlimited add-ons, and rarely get more than one, and when it IS more than one, that player is just tanking chips left and right, so no one really minds.

The T3,000 structure will usually use is set-up like this:

Buy-in - $25.00 gets you 3,000 in chips.

Rebuy (must bust out) - $20.00 gets you 2,500 in chips.

Add-on (any time, but is silly if it's too late in the game) $20.00 gets you 2,000 in chips.

It seems to work very well.

But just as a personal observation, I've won several tournaments (both home and in casinos) and EVERY TIME that I've won, I only played my initial buy-in.

[Jambine]

Originally Posted by OnTheButton

....... But just as a personal observation, I've won several tournaments (both home and in casinos) and EVERY TIME that I've won, I only played my initial buy-in.

Thanks for pointing that out, my experience has been the same. It seems like every tourney I’ve won, I had a couple of good hands early and didn’t need to re-buy.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Originally Posted by Jambine

Thanks for pointing that out, my experience has been the same. It seems like every tourney I’ve won, I had a couple of good hands early and didn’t need to re-buy.

Very similar here. If I can double or triple up in that first hour, I'm usually in real good shape. Although, I have had 3 or 4 of my wins come from being on the felt, surviving 3 or 4 all-ins and all of sudden being chip leader. What's frustrating is, both of these cases seem to have a lot to do with being lucky and catching cards. All too often, I spend my tournament time in the middle ground and being forced into short stack, yellow and orange zone poker by around level 5 or so. That gets very tiresome. Even more reason why I've been liking cash games a lot more lately. Being under blind pressure all the time gets very old.

[Jambine]

Originally Posted by Spaceman Spiff

... What's frustrating is, both of these cases seem to have a lot to do with being lucky and catching cards.

Wish I could say I win on skill alone, but I don’t know any way to win a tourney without some luck.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Originally Posted by Jambine

Wish I could say I win on skill alone, but I don’t know any way to win a tourney without some luck.

No, you're right. Especially in the quick 3-4 hour games most of us play. I guess my point is, in the 8 of 10 or so times where I either take a beat, or are card dead, or somehow just can't accumulate chips in the first hour, I get tired of having to go into super-tight or all-in or nothing poker in the 2nd and 3rd hour.