Players in a rebuy tournament have the option to purchase additional chips according to a set of rules. Let’s use the $1,000 WSOP No Limit Hold’em rebuy tournament as an example.
For the $1,000 entry fee, players receive 2,000 chips. Anytime within the first two hours of play, a player having 2,000 or fewer chips on the felt has the option to rebuy. In fact, players can even rebuy before the first hand is dealt.
At the conclusion of the rebuy period, there’s another opportunity to purchase chips. Players have the option to buy one or two add-ons (or none at all) at the end of level two, regardless of their chip stack size. So, if you bought chips at every time permitted, you’d be in for $4,000: the initial buy-in, the immediate rebuy, and a double add-on.
Now, some players simply aren’t prepared to risk that much money in a poker tournament. Fortunately, playing in this type of event with the intention of not rebuying can actually be a very profitable strategy.
You see, during the rebuy period, there will always be players who gamble wildly in the hopes of building a big stack. It’s not uncommon for some crazy players to move all-in without even looking at their cards.
While it’s certainly more difficult to win a rebuy tournament without rebuying, it is possible to get a nice pay day if you choose to limit your buy-in amount. That’s because all of the maniacs who repeatedly rebuy can easily invest more than $10,000 in an event where a budget-minded player is in for just $1,000. That substantially increases the payout pool and creates a great opportunity to cash in.
If you plan to use the single buy-in strategy, you’ll likely be a decent favorite when you play against one of those loose, serial rebuyers who constantly moves all-in. The best strategy is to wait patiently for a strong hand, like A-K or even pocket nines. Then, get your chips in the middle. Just hope your pocket pair holds up against his J-3, A-4, or whatever trash hand he may have.
Now, if you aren’t budget constrained and your goal is to increase the odds of winning the tournament, you might choose to become a rebuy maniac yourself. Perhaps you’ll try to break my own WSOP record of 49 rebuys in a single tournament!
Okay, so putting up $50,000 in a $1,000 rebuy tournament may seem a bit extreme. Instead, say you’re willing to invest $12,000. Here’s how to do it.
Immediately rebuy for a 4,000 chip stack right off the bat. Then, over bet the pot and gamble wildly. With the blinds starting at 25-50, bet 500 with any hand. If you’re raised, reraise all-in and hope to get a lucky draw. If you outdraw your opponent, you’ll be up to more than 8,000 chips. If not, it’s time to rebuy.
While it’s perfectly acceptable to gamble wildly with that 4,000 chip stack, be a bit more selective when you reach 8,000 chips – but not much. With 8,000 chips, be prepared to move all-in with a flush draw or straight draw. A win in this situation will bring you nearer to your goal of amassing 20,000 chips.
But don’t stop there. You can still buy a double add-on to increase your chip stack even further.
The important element of this strategy is stop the wild and crazy gambling once you get over about 12,000 chips. With that kind of chip stack, it’s time to tighten up your play considerably. Now it’s time to shift gears and play fundamentally sound poker.
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