Are "rebuys" fair?

[TomJQKA]

I was playing in a $50 online tournament with rebuys, and one player just kept going all in on almost every hand. He'd either fold or go all in. He stole a bunch of blinds this way until he lost everything and just did a rebuy back into the game. This went on for a while with a couple more rebuys until finally he scored big against two or three callers, tripling his stack. After that he started to play more conservatively.

This seems like an unfair advantage for players with bigger bankrolls. It gives them a free ticket to play ultra aggressively since if they lose everything, oh well I'll just buy in again. How does this make for a fair tournament? Not everyone can keep shelling out rebuys like that. I wasn't there to see it, but I'm sure he did an add-on later, further bloating his stack.

I guess I should realize that this is gambling, and it's all about risking an investment, and the bigger the risk, the better the reward. He could have just as easily lost over and over again, and I don't know how far he actually got in the tournament. But if money is no object, it seems eventually the tactic will work and he'll get the early inflated stack he's after without ever really having to use an ounce of poker skill.

[Thomadeus]

Who was it that said "The tournament starts when the rebuys end."?

[KennyMcCormick]

Seems fair enough to me, even if only for the fact that they're fattening up the pot for everyone else.

If you know someone's playing recklessly because they can afford to (or are just irresponsible gamblers), use it to your advantage. Take calculated risks against them and they're paying $50 a pop to increase your stack.

[ORGrinder]

if all players are made aware, BEFORE the trny begins, that rebuys are allowed... then of course they're fair. at least i think so.

i personally don't like rebuy trnys... but each host can do what they want.

i think, really, the only useful reason for rebuys is to milk more money our of your players (not you... another player milk more money... i mean the HOST milking more money out of the players).

[racquet000]

Yeah i like them when i need them and dont like them when i dont.

[Always_Bored]

I usually find that the players who rebuy the most are the ones who think they are good but arent. I am fine with them buying in as much as they like. Their money is just going to end up spread amongst the table anyways. Plus there is the odd time you need them yourself too. I like them.

[PuckJunkieNY]

They are fair.
Everyone knows it's a possibility b4 the tourney starts so....

Never personally never have used one. I'm not there to play frigging Bingo and rebuy till something hits big, who knows how much it will cost you in the end to do that. I'd rather play "smart" with my original buy-in and wait (hope sometimes) descent playable cards come my way. I'll take my risks later in the tourney. Now even if you do triple your chips on that 2-3rd rebuy it doesn't mean you will neccessarily finish in the money So what's the point. I just don't get it. But what the hay it does build up the $ pool.

I have done add-ons however, but that's a different thing completly.

[racquet000]

On another note i was in a home game tourney with some friends. And we kept letting this one kid rebuy who is pretty good and he bought in like 5 times and won it. It wasnt my normal home game crew so i just sat back and said f*ck it.