Buying in for more than one rack live

[that_pope]

Hello Everyone,

I haven’t made a post yet in the SSH forum, but I think this is more applicable here than say in Medium Stakes. A little background, I started at 3/6 2.5 years ago, and have worked up through 4/8, 6/12, and have now logged about 400 hours at 8/16 with a winrate of about 2.2 BBs/hour. I play solely at Casino AZ except for Vegas whenever I get around to it.

Now here is my question. I always buy in for a rack at whatever game I am playing, assuming it is a 3-6 or 4-8 chip game. Granted, at the 4-8 chip game, this only gives you 12.5 BB, but I always rebuy if I am down half my stack at any point, or anytime there is a (full) kill pot. In two years, I can only remember one time when I ran out of money in the middle of a hand, so my success has been good.

People on here advise buying in for 20-40 BBs, and I think that is a mistake, especially the higher end where you are bringing 3 racks to the table. Buying in for that much makes others at the table feel uncomfortable. Also, if they never see you rebuy, they may think you are too good and stay away from you. I probably have to rebuy chips from the cage or chip runner about 30-60% of my winning sessions (and probably 50-70% of my losing sessions), so this is good for my image if they also see me having to buy more chips.

I just think buying in for so much is –EV to your image, especially if you try to come off as friendly, happy-go-lucky, and loose as I do very well, even though the regulars know I am a big winner.

Yes, you will lose value on those big hands where some guy wants to put the 10th bet in on the river with the 2nd nuts, but that has never happened to me yet, and as stated above, I only lost value on a hand once, and it was a kill pot that kind of snuck up on me before I could pull out more money…

Thoughts?

[StrictlyStrategy]

Not really. Do you ever see people leave the game because some good player sits? I never have, ever in any game lower than 50-100; I don't even think online.

Do you really think some 5 - 15 player is going to rack up or weaken his game because you have a lot of chips?

I buy in for 3 or 4 racks which is 100BB in 10-20.

I sell chips to other players because it speeds the game up, I'll sell of a rack to the dealer if he/she has black to avoid a fill, and I've never seen anyone play a hand weakly because I "have a lot of chips."

Even if I buy in to 3-6 for $400.

I think a lot of people strongly overvalue table image for things that aren't related to betting patterns.

Players aren't going to fold or transfer because you don't tip, or because you wear headphones at the table, or don't keep the fish happy.

The fish are degen gamblers 2/3s of the time, everyone seems to think they're sensitive women.

My two cents anyways.

[NormandySD]

More money is better. People may think you are a cash cow and start lowering their standards to play / show down. when you appear weak people play a little better against you and are more prone to go to the river with something like 1 overcard and a gut shot.

[Dan87]

If anything people who sit down after you have and see a giant stack will think you are in the "hot seat" because they are degens, whether that is good or bad is your decision.

[HollywoodDB]

These are the same people who watch you fold for an hour, then CC your UTG raise with QTo. I don't think they care how many chips you have. Just keep your stack over 12 bets.

[thesecondnuts]

I usually buy-in for at least a rack and 1/2 at whatever limit I play. I just do whatever I feel is necessary for that game. If I'm playing a $6/$12, and 5 players have stacks of $400 or more, I'll buy-in for $400-$500. If everyone has between $200-$300, I'll buy-in accordingly. I think table selection is important when factoring how much to buy in.

[StrictlyStrategy]

What difference does it make how much everyone else has?

Do you anticipate 40 betting the river that often?

[ProfessorBen]

[ QUOTE ]

I only lost value on a hand once, and it was a kill pot that kind of snuck up on me before I could pull out more money…

[/ QUOTE ]

Why pass up on free money, even once?

Also, image is almost non-existent at these levels. If anything, offer to move you seat so you can isolate a fish and have other people want to take it and stay. Or, it's just as likely that they will read your large buy-in as being cocky and want to take your stack from you setting them on tilt.

My point is that the situation you have named is so particular and random that there's no point to try to pinpoint it's value. You are no more likely to scare off the fish with a big stack as you are to draw them in. Mine as well make sure your edge is always paid off instead of regretting the time you missed 2-4BB.

[thesecondnuts]

[ QUOTE ]
What difference does it make how much everyone else has? Do you anticipate 40 betting the river that often?

[/ QUOTE ]

Technically, there should be no difference. However, I still want to be able to back myself up in a game if the opportunity arrives. I too also do not like to have to re-buy in a game.

I also like to feel, especially in the beginning of a session, as not being the "short stack". Even though my play doesn't change, table image is very important. I know how much short stacks are attacked, especially at the yellow chip tables at Canterbury.

Not meaning to argue or anything. I know plenty of people who can buy in for 20BB and be ok with that. I am just not one of those people. (If my thinking is way off, just let me know...lol)

Can someone explain to me how table image is not a factor?

[invictus33]

I buy in all live games with 20BB and all online games with 30BB. Everytime. That is the amount that I'm comfortable with while playing. I don't care what other people at the table think about my buy in amount because I don't really think they are going to pay attention to anything I do anyway.