[bav]

The $15 fee looks outrageous on AVP when you see the 66%, but once you count in the addon, which 95% of people do, it's not bad at all and is a smaller fraction than the Caesars 11pm event.

Sure I've seen good players bust and buy back. Lots of 'em. There's really no reason not to if you are playing well and either got cold-decked or some donkey 5-outted you on the river. If I bust in the first 30 minutes I usually buy back in. After that, often not. Fortunately it's not a decision I have to make all that often.

'Bout the only thing I don't like about the tourney is the very top-heavy payout. >40% goes to first (seems they basically aim for 40% but round up). 20% to second. 10% to third. The rest scattered out to the next 8 spots. They do usually pay 10 or 11 long as they have at least 10 or 12 tables, but 11th through 8th generally get back like $80, $100, $120, $140--you barely get your entry fee back if you just squeek into the money, and if you've bought back in you have to get to about 8th to break even. VERY top heavy.

I once asked "why so top heavy" and got a lecture about how 40/20/10 is THE standard tournament payout structure and anything else is wrong. ooookay. Basically I don't like it much because the variance is so large almost everybody wants to do deals (and I do, too). With a flatter structure, I like to play 'em out.