Rebuy Tournaments

Online poker tournaments are a past time that are rapidly growing in popularity and gaining a wide audience of both spectators and players.  There are many different types of poker tournaments available most based on the version of poker that is being played and how many tables are involved in the spread.  Within each tournament there are also various options that can be worked into the play in order to add to the total possible pot or to give lagging players a chance to get back into the game.  We will talk about two of these options, the rebuy and the add-on.

Tournament Rebuys
Most tournaments save for free roll games; require the payment of an entry fee to be made at the beginning of the game.  In most rooms this requires that the players all have real money accounts set up and the entry fee is taken from this account.  Upon rare occasion players are allowed to join a game that does not have an entry fee, like the free roll game, but the account will still be required in order to have a place to deposit winnings, or in case the player desires, and the tournament allows, a rebuy.

In most tournaments the rebuy is a one-time option to purchase the same number of chips as you did at the first of the game.  Very rarely are amounts of greater or lesser value allowed to be purchased on a rebuy.  In the case of a one time rebuy the rebuy is allowed only after a player is below a certain number of chips, which means that rebuys can occur a few times during the game as various players reach the cut off point.  Some tables put further conditions on a rebuy and allow it only within a specific number of hands of each game, or before the passing of a certain amount of time.  Alternately a table may allow unlimited rebuys but only within a certain time period.  For example rebuys are allowed for the first hour of a game, as often as the players need or want, but after that they may not rebuy again.

The pro of the rebuy is that it extends the tournament, allowing players who get a poor start early on to get a second chance at getting back into the game.  Rebuys also increase the pot that is available for the eventual winner, unto double if all players were to use the rebuy option within the space of the game.  In some ways the cons of rebuys are the same as the pros, with the game lasting much longer than anticipated, and sometimes having several people rebuy creates a sense of pressure on other players to also rebuy.

Tournament Add-Ons
An add-on is another option for players to buy additional chips after game play has begun.  Unlike the rebuy the add-on does not generally require that the player drop below a certain number of chips before becoming eligible for using the option.  Even a player that is ahead in the game can use the add-on option to further increase his or her lead.  The number of chips that can be purchased through the add-on is restricted as is the price that is charged for these additional chips.  Most rooms will not allow add-ons to take the pot any higher than double the starting pot.

If you intend to join a tournament it’s a good idea to find out at the start whether rebuys or add-ons will be allowed.  As well, check to see if there are minimums and maximums that you will need to abide by within these options.