Slightly different buy in question... 100BB vs. 200BB

[noob_sauce]

Tried search function, but came up with nothing...

So I just signed up with Absolute a few months ago. After a fairly nasty downswing at Short handed LL, I decided to take a break and freshen up on some NL ring...

I'm traditionally used to buying in for 100BB's in an online game... however Absolute caps the initial buy in at 200BB's.

I'm really trying to weigh the cost/benefits of buying in for 200BB's vs. 100... For the most part thus far, it seems as if the true donks tend to be somewhat shortstacked in the 70 BB range, where the people who typically buy in for 200 BB's are somewhat solid (in general)

Is a 100 BB Buy-in a good idea unless there is a proven donk there who is big stacked?

Also, how drastically would playing deep stacked affect my variance? Should I make sure I have a few more buy-ins at the level I play before I begin buying in this large?

[wulfpacker21]

you should always buy in the maximum that they will allow you

[DawnToDusk]

I have played on Absolute and have also noticed that the buyin is capped at 200BBs. I personally wish they made 100BB tables and 200BB tables at AP or any other site. There is definately a difference in how people play deepstacked poker as opposed to starting with just 100BBs. I don't think we will notice the differences really at the limits we are playing due to skill level. In general I don't think people buying in with deepstacks are any better at these limits than the people buying in with 40-100BB. Maybe some of my bias towards the 100BB and 200BB is that I always see people buy in really short. Maybe splitting the tables up and having the min buy in higher on the 200BB table would help things a little as far as games with lots of shorties being spread.

If I were you I would buy in a full 200BB if there is someone else there with 200BB. You can buy in whatever range you want between 100BB-200BB, but I would suggest at least enough to cover the largest stack at the table. If you feel that there are "better" deepstack players at that table than you happen to be, then don't even bother playing at that table. Getting your money in with the best hand and getting called by a big stack when you don't have a lot of money is an opportunity lost to make money.

The variance in your BR will also be amplified. I don't know if you are talking about specific things happening such as getting your money in with the best of it X times in a row and losing or whatever, but you can expect to see the same kind of stuff at the limits we are playing.

[noob_sauce]

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The variance in your BR will also be amplified. I don't know if you are talking about specific things happening such as getting your money in with the best of it X times in a row and losing or whatever, but you can expect to see the same kind of stuff at the limits we are playing.

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I guess what I was saying was that, lets say I feel comfortable playing with 40 buy ins for a roll, when I buy in for 100 BB's... (I've always been very careful bankroll wise) playing for 200 BB's, should I have 40 buy ins of 200 BB's???

basically since I'm carrying twice as much money at the table will I need to have twice the bankroll if i wish to keep playing the same limit?

[cb4mvp]

If you have 40 buyins for 100BB games at your level, 200BB games will give you 20 buyins at that level, which is still well within a safe amount. Basically, if you can get comfortable having more on the table, the more money you can put on the table the better off you'll be. Seems like you're passing up an edge if you buy in for 100BB.

That said, I had no idea that AP allowed 200BB on the table. Gonna have to put some money on AP /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[DawnToDusk]

If having 40 buyins is a psychological thing for you and is determental to your play (maybe you play scared not having 40 buyins at your limit or something along those lines) then you probably ought to have 40 buyins.

I don't see the people who buy in for 200BBs being any better than those that usually buy in for 100BBs. Their deepstack play for sure isn't better and some will stack off with very marginal hands. I think will be fine for buying in with 200BBs and essentially having half the BR at the level as opposed to if they capped it at 100BBs at that level. If you find out otherwise that it is affecting your play either drop down a level or just stick to 100BBs.