MTT re-buy / add-on strategy

[99 problems]

My local Indian casino has a MTT tournament during the weekdays. Here are the particulars:

70 player max (usually sold out)
blinds start at 25/50 go up every 15 minutes.
25/50
50/100
75/150
100/200....and then double every 15 minutes after that....i.e. 200/400, 400/800, etc.

$40 buy-in (1,500 chips)
1- $20 re-buy (1,000 chips)
1- $20 add-on (1,000 chips)


Both the re-buy and add-on must be done in the first hour, here's were it gets interesting, both can be done at anytime in the first hour, wether you have 0 chips or 10,000 chips.

So basically they are re-buys and add-ons but not really.

Against the typical field at this casino I would consider myself in the upper 10% of players, I'm no where near being a professional but I have seen the play enough at this tourney to know how bad most of the players play.

The few times I have played this event I have instantly did the re-buy and add-on, giving myself 3,500 chips to start. Most players wait until they bust, or at the end of the first hour to do both, some players don't do either regardless if they bust out early or not. My thought behind this is that I would rather start with a well above average stack when that extra 2,000 means something, rather than wait until I bust or at the end of the first hour when the blinds after the hour break are much higher, I also feel that because I am a better than average player I want to have as many chips as possible to get into a pot against the weaker players before they bust out.


My question is am I doing the right thing here or am I better served holding the re-buy and add-on in reserve in case I make a mis-read, take a bad beat, get cold decked, etc.

Thanks for the input.

[MJBuddy]

How can it be called a rebuy and an add-on if they both act as rebuys?

[SuperUberBob]

I've been experimenting with a jam-or-fold strategy in rebuy tournaments during the rebuy period. By 2+2 standards, it likely isn't too sound. But if it works well, then I can't see changing it.

[99 problems]

yeah like I said that is what THEY call them but they aren't really.

[AceofSpades]

the larger the rebuy stack is in relation to the blinds the more value you are getting for your money. So as soon as possible is best

[MJBuddy]

[ QUOTE ]
I've been experimenting with a jam-or-fold strategy in rebuy tournaments during the rebuy period. By 2+2 standards, it likely isn't too sound. But if it works well, then I can't see changing it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not infinite rebuy.


Go discuss your jam/fold with Bond...after his last trip report it looks like he knows a bit about it :P.

[99 problems]

Ace,
That's kind of my thought, that the chips are worth more in the beginning. I get a few chuckles from the other players because I say re-buy right after the TD says shuffle up and deal

[billybeartku]

i think the correct strategy is just to rebuy and add-on once you take your seat. play w/ full stack and extract the max profit. That's what I do in Caesar's and have won their daily tourneys three times.

[MJBuddy]

That is the correct strategy. You gain much more equity by having a larger stack early on and taking advantage of the +EVness of the rebuy in general.

[99 problems]

[ QUOTE ]
i think the correct strategy is just to rebuy and add-on once you take your seat. play w/ full stack and extract the max profit. That's what I do in Caesar's and have won their daily tourneys three times.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks Billy / MJ,
you start to wonder when you are the only one doing it