If you’ve played poker for a while, we bet you already have heard about rebuy tournaments.
Maybe you’ve played one before, maybe you’ve been thrown off by the unfamiliar lingo. Either way, we think you’ll get a lot out of this article.
We’re going to tell you exactly when you can expect next time you buy into a rebuy. We’ll also give you a no crap outline of both the advantages and disadvantages of these types of games, so you can figure out if this is a tournament type you want to f with or not.
What are rebuy tournaments?
Okay, let’s start at the very beginning, shall we? Rebuy tournaments are poker games where you can buy back into the game after losing all your chips. So it’s a second chance type of thing, really. And sometimes there’s even the opportunity to buy back in more than once.
In a regular freezeout tournament, once you’re out, you’re out. So rebuys can make your tournament experience that bit more dynamic and unpredictable. And there’s pluses and minuses to this, of course.
How do rebuy tournaments work?
Just like in a regular tournament, each player buys in at the start and gets a set number of chips. But with rebuys, there’s an allotted time period (usually called the rebuy period) where you can purchase more chips if you’re knocked out. Usually this lasts for around an hour, but always worth checking the rules of your tournament to check this out. And in some rebuy tournaments, you’ll also get the chance to top up your chips in that same period if you fall below a certain amount.
But when the rebuy period ends, that’s not necessarily the last of your opportunity to buy more chips. There’s also sometimes an additional add-on period, where you can top up your stack regardless of how many chips you have.
Once those periods are over, the tournament plays out as a traditional freezeout, with no more opportunities to buy chips and/or buy yourself back into the game if you go bust.
Why we like rebuy tournaments
Rebuy tournaments are attractive for lots of reasons. Of course, the main benefit is that you can get a second chance. This makes a bad beat that little bit easier to stomach.
They also often result in more action. Because there are several chances to buy back in and top up your stack, there can be looser and more aggressive play at the table. And that makes things quite exciting.
And the last reason we think they’re winners? Definitely the amped up prize pool. With all those rebuys and add-ons, the prize pool can get a whole lot bigger than in a regular freezeout tournament.
What’s not so great about them
Alright, so we talked about the good stuff, but what about the bad stuff? Many players aren’t so keen on rebuy tournaments and there are lots of reasons for that. The first is that they just simply cost quite a lot. If your budget stretches to your initial buy-in but not the subsequent rebuys and add-ons, you could be putting yourself at a disadvantage.
We’ve already chatted about how they can result in more action and more aggressive play. But of course, there are downsides to that. More play and more risk taking leads to more unpredictable outcomes. If you’re the sort of player who likes a controlled, strategic approach to the game, it might get your back up.
Plus they can go on for a lot longer than a regular tournament, as effectively no one really gets knocked out in the early stages. So if you don’t like to take your time when you’re playing tournaments (maybe you’re a Twister sorta gal), rebuy tournaments aren’t for you.
And where can I play them?
Rebuy tournaments are available in lots of different places, both online and in bricks and mortar online poker rooms. But one of our favourite spots to play them is at bet365. Plus you can benefit from a really great welcome offer as a new player with our bet365 bonus code.