Add-on Theory

[YBravo 0]

So I'm going to Atlantic City on Tuesday, and we're probably going to go to the Borgata, because it's my friend's birthday and he wants to play LHE all day. I of course really want to play a tourney because it's pretty much all I've been playing lately, but the Borgata's daily tourneys all have optional add-ons, and I always avoid these tourneys. So I was just wondering if you guys had some general advice for add-ons. Here's the link to the structure:http://www.theborgata.com/Main.cfm?Categor...8753FC9DD2B33A0 Now I'm imagining that people in general will probably play tighter knowing that they can automatically add chips at a certain point, and they won't want to get knocked out before then. Should I play more aggressively to take advantage? Also, should I automatically take the add-on no matter what? Can I expect all or close to all of my opponents to take the add-on? Maybe I'll just convince my friend to go to the Taj and play the tourneys at Showboat....

[tskillz187 0]

I would certainly add on no question about it. The structure isn't great with such short levels but thats about what you get at casinos with small buyins.

[SlackerInc 0]

I would certainly add on no question about it. The structure isn't great with such short levels but thats about what you get at casinos with small buyins.

It's a way better structure than the SNGs I was playing at Canterbury (300 chips to start, blinds 10-15, increased every 15 min.).I actually have never played a tournament with rebuys or add-ons. The book we are discussing in another thread, though (Arnold Snyder's Poker Tournament Formula) has an extensive treatment of them that I found interesting. He does a lot of math, but the bottom line is in bold, and in full agreement with tskillz: "Always buy the extra chips, as many as you can, as soon as you can." He writes that there are a very few exceptions: "if you are down to the felt, and the add-on is full price" (which yours is), he says ixnay. You'll still be at a serious chip disadvantage compared to your opponents, and will be throwing good money after bad. OTOH he says it is a mistaken belief to forgo the add-on if you have already amassed a big chip stack. Only skip it if you are pretty much toast already and even the add-on won't give you much of a chance to get back in it.ETA: according to Snyder, most everyone takes the add-on. He did not describe any structures that had add-ons but no rebuys, though (and with rebuys people play loose as hell apparently); so I can't answer your question about how people will play. You might have a point though.

[copernicus 0]

Absolutely, beat up on the short stacks that are trying to survive to the add-on. also its very unlikely that you'll have such a strong stack that you can afford not to add on when everyone else is.

[YBravo 0]

Thanks for the advice guys, but plans have changed a little bit and I won't be able to make the 11am Borgata tourney, and the night tourney is $100+20 with a full price add-on, which I can't afford. I'm definitely going to try to fit a tourney in, but we'll see what happens. I'll be sure to take a notebook so I can write down some hands.