There are a few questions you need to ask yourself with regard to poker rebuys, the main question being should you rebuy? If the answer to this is yes, then the next question should be how often? 

Let’s first explain what this is, you have probably come across the term if you are reading this article and are a poker player, but starting from the beginning. What is a poker rebuy? 

This is actually a stage which takes place in a poker tournament, and not all tournaments allow them – it essentially means rebuying chips. If you know anything about playing poker tournaments, you will know that you go into the tournament with a specific stack of chips, if you run out of chips, you generally run out of tournament and are not allowed to continue playing. 

In a poker rebuy tournament there comes a stage where you are allowed to buy more chips to add to your stack and in some circumstances this might be necessary if the player stack is low. It might also not be necessary, and some players consider that it allows pros, or well funded players an additional advantage over their less well-funded but just as good opponents. 

The good thing about a poker rebuy is that it allows more action into the game as the prize pots increase to tremendous size. However it is deemed to be part of poker strategy to be able to manage bankrolls to endure a tournament to the end without any rebuys. 

In essence the out-players are buying their way back into the game! 

If you were a good enough player to be ahead of the be-buying players in the first place, this should not worry you too much, as it probably means you will be good enough to stay ahead.  

In most instances poker rebuys are single and take place at one stage of the tournament, but they can also be limited to a certain amount or even unlimited. It all depends on the tournament rules. Players who have dropped out through lack of bankroll, bad or good beats or have low stacks can all take up this option.  

The deciding factor is obviously the questions we asked in the beginning of the article; should you rebuy? 

Personally I wouldn’t if you are out, then you are out of your league even if this is only because of money management skills. However, you should be considering the quality of your opponents and the quality of your own game. Were you playing good enough poker to warrant a rebuy and will you play better if you do? If you think your opponents should have gone out early and not you, make sure this is not ego deciding for you. If the opposition is better than you, why throw good money after bad?   On the other hand if you went out of the poker tournament because of a bad beat and your play has been good on the whole, perhaps a rebuy would be an opportunity to show your mettle. You never know, it might be just the lucky break you need to win.