In a resent post we disscussed re-buys for the Global tournaments. Everybody wants the re-buy option, but which type (instant unlimited or scheduled). Why not both? If you bust out early you can turn right around and play again (as soon as the table gets five players), draw back is instant re-buys cost the same as the original entry fee. Scheduled re-buys will assure that everyone playing will get at least one re-buy (if wanted), also they will cost half the price of the original entry fee. The beauty of the re-buys is they give the players another chance and more important they build up the prize pool. This is very nice when the tournament is not a complete sellout. Example: based on 15 hands per round. Round 1: 2:00 PM Instant re-buys anytime between 2:01 - 2:45 Scheduled re-buys: 3:00 Round 2: 3:30 Round 3: 4:00 Round 4: 4:30 (if needed) How does this look to everyone, I think it is the fairest way to handle the unlimited type of re-buys. Please post your opinions and any (helpful)suggestions.
My two cents. Re-buys are a great way to enhance the prize pool and both your proposed formats would be a good improvement for Global-Player and the participants. Keep at it and make it happen, in my opinion.
TX, the rebuys can cost whatever you want them to, even the instant rebuys can be half the entry price (why not?), but I assume that most players will prefer to have them for full price so that the prize pool grows neatly. With entry < $50 this should be no problem anyway. The number of players who proceed to the second round will be fixed in advance, so that it might not be sure that a rebuy round could be made - if all free places are taken during the instant rebuys, there would be none left for the rebuy round and that's why I prefer to have just a longer 1st round (it's also simpler to implement .
The last Wed. tourney moved along quite well. First round, semis, and final were over in about 2 hours. No delays and no hiccups so to speak. I don't object to rebuys. Everyone would like to have another chance. I just don't like extending the tourney another 1-3 hours. If the preliminary rounds were to extend 2-2.5 hours, followed by the semis and finals that's a lot of time to devote to an online tourney. I prefer to play and get on with other things. It's one thing to play in a land based tournament for an evening,a day,or a weekend. It's quite another thing to shoot a half day every Wednesday for an online BJ tourney. Also, as long as the tourney is not sold out, there are probably not enough rebuys to make a significant monetary difference in prize money and the delay is not cost effective for the participants.
I understand that rebuys helps build the prize fund, but I don't even like them in poker tourneys and most of the people I know prefer freezeouts, it is very upsetting to knock some one out just to have them rebuy and then beat you. And as far as wild cards I would prefer to see the top money people from the non-advancers get in than someone just picked. Of course, casinos use wild cards as a carrot on a stick and to reward their vip's.
Majority rules The majority has spoken and they want re-buys. I perfer a schedule re-buys, but if they want instant re-buys so be it. As far as the cost I do believe the penalty for early re-buy sould be the same as the original entry fee, plus any late players are having to pay full price and shouldn't have to play against others at their table only paying half price. Schedule re-buy's will only increase the tournament by an hour at most (depending on the number of players). If we are going to offer re-buys then everyone in the tournament should be given the chance for at least one. As far as the Wed. afternoon tournaments I understand wanting to run a fast tournament. The tournaments I want for the cruise satellite events will be in the evening and weekends. We will try different days and times trying to accomadate everyone (and find the best turn out day and time). There is an old saying that you can't please all the people and this is very true, but we are trying to make as many players happy as possible and just for the record how many of you have played in one of global's tournaments?
Rebuys I think re-buys should be the same as the original buy in. Why should the be any less? A re-buy still has a shot at what ever the winnings are!
Put me down in PokerNut's column. I like the fast tourney. I also like the time. I like everything about it. The tournament is every week, so why worry about rebuys? The only thing I would like to see at Global is more tourneys just like this one, say one in the evening, and maybe another on Sunday. I'd use the same format in terms of entry fees graduating as the month progresses (maybe a bigger entry fee for the last tourney of the month). I think that gives everyone who wants to play in a tourney a chance to play at their own comfort level. Jimmy
Another idea is to have rebuys, but you only play for the rebuy money not the main prize fund, in other words a second tourney for those who did not advance. This allows the people in the losers section to still play for some money, but does not penalize the winners of the main event, and there would be more winners overall.
Majority Rick: I'm not sure that you have a mandate for rebuys. But,I'd be in favor of one scheduled rebuy IF it only added 30 minutes to the tourney duration. My fear is that this sucker will get longer and longer until only those with out a life- participate. I've entered all their tournaments. None have come close to full capacity. I think that Global would be more interested in attracting players rather than building the pot via recycled players. A shorter tournament is better. While we're on the subject of Global's format, What are the players views on wild cards. My POV is delete this feature.
Good points Like I said I perfer a scheduled re-buy like what your talking about. I agree that some of the non structured re-buys tournaments can drag on and favor those with deep pockets. But if they want to try the unlimited (only within the first hour) I am willing to give it a try. Example: Start time 2:00 PM, early re-buys will start at 2:01 PM (should anyone bust out that early). Once four other players get to the table play will begin (to speed things up). No early re-buy will be allowed to start after 2:40 PM assuring a scheduled re-buy at 3:00 PM Then the second round will begin by 3:30. This won't really cost us that much time differents (30 minutes to 1 hour tops) and will help build the prize pool up. As far as wild cards I HATE THEM! But they are needed to even out the tables sometimes. Without them you'll hear someone bitching about playing four other players when someone else only had four total at their table. My cruise ship satellite tournaments should start around the first of Febuary. I am going to post a poll to when the majority would like to play these events. And note: that the more players that start playing the lower the entry fees will be of course the more rounds that we have play as well, (you have to take the bad with the good).
The format we have proposed is actually suitable even for players that don't like to have a longer tourney. The whole first round would take say 45 minutes more, but you don't have to be there from the beginning on. The time when the last table(s) will start are going to be published, so if you don't want to hang around and wait for rebought players, you just come right at that time and play your 30 mins round. You may even decide quite spontaneously to register just 5 minutes before you join, 40 minutes after the first round has started. In every tournament we have some people that still want to register after the registration is closed and some other people that have registered but come too late and cannot play. With the proposed longer first round all of these could be served - you may register and join any time before the last table starts playing. A scheduled rebuy round has none of these advantages, it makes the whole tournament longer for everyone and it does not allow for late entries. If you prefer limited rebuys, we can limit the number of rebuys to 1 or 2, hardly anyone could make more anyway. It's true that we'd prefer more players straight on, but if the tourney is configured for say 120 players, it makes no difference for you if these are 120 distinct players or just 60 with rebuys - there will be 48 players in the second round either way and the prize pool just as big.
