Rebuys and Addons

Yesterday was the start of the online spring poker championships that Pokerstars is running. The series is called SCOOP. They seem to have something for everyone with the first event yesterday a $5.50 buy in NLHE event. I decided to check out the entrants and watch a few of the tables for awhile just to see the level of play. When I checked they had over 27,000 entries in this first event. That is incredible and I congratulate Pokerstars on that. That's where my congratulations stops.

This was a rebuy and add on event. You could rebuy 5000 chips anytime before the first break as long as you were below the original 5000 starting point. You could also add on if you liked. So watching a few rooms and you were getting horrible poker playing and players just going all in with nothing. When I last looked they had like over 30,000 rebuys. I mean thats a joke. That's not poker thats just playing anything and hoping to you double or triple up and if not rebuy. The only thing rebuy does is build the prize pool, I know when I looked it was over 325,000 dollars.

I have never understand the logic of poker sites and casinos to offer these events. They only help people with deep pockets who can dump as much as they want on an event especially if its unlimited rebuys as it was yesterday. A much better way to run the event is leave it at 5.50 buy in but once you are out thats it. Of course you are still going to get the players that figure hey its only 5.50 so I will go all in with my K2 off suit but there would be lot less of that.

I had heard that the WSOP is considering not having any rebuys at this years events. I heard a lot of the pros have been lobbying for this. I am not sure if has been resolved yet but lets hope so.


I played another live tournament last night with 45 entrants and managed another final table going out in 8th. Very satisfying making it but extremely disappointing also as I figured with my chip stack to go much further. I was probably 3rd or 4th best stack when the big blind came to me. I looked and had pocket 10's. The 3rd player to act went all in and having played him before I just knew I had the best hand. It folded around to the SB who asked for a chip count and then folded. He had me covered and I was pretty sure I had the best hand so I called sure enough he sighs and says I was trying to steal the blinds and antis and flips over A3. I was looking good but of course the A came on the flop and I was done. I almost folded as I hate to put my tournament life on the line on odds just better than a coin flip.

Looking forward to the start of baseball season on Sunday. I know a lot of people find watching baseball extremely boring but its a sport you can watch and do other things while doing it.