Poker Tourneys

[DanWyns]

I'll be staying at the Aladdin next week, and I figure I'll play in some of the poker tourneys.
I've looked at the sites mentioned in other posts,
but what does 'freezeout' mean?
Do you recomend buying the 'add-on' chips?

Thanks,
Dan

[Buckeye Bob]

Freezeout means that you pay up front and get a set number of chips and cannot buy anymore. Once you are out of chips, you are out of the tournament. Think WPT on Wednesday nights. As for add-ons, that depends on the situation. If you are well ahead of the average chip count, you may not want to. If it looks like the majority of your competitors are adding on, then it could make sense. You have to balance the additional cost with your situation.

Hope this helps.

Bob

[bigalbr]

I agree with Buckeye Bob with one caveat. If an add-on is offered up front, it is almost a requirement to purchase it. Some tournaments have an add-on for the dealers. The add-on does not go into the prize pool, but is used to compensate the dealers. The Orleans had a tournament where the entry fee was $27 with a $3 add-on for the dealers that gave you 50% more chips. You can't start a tournament with 2/3 the chis everybody else has when it only costs you an extra $3. If there is an add-on for the dealers, make sure you're aware of it. It's customary to tip 3-5% of tournament winnings to the staff, but you would normally deduct add-on tips. In the $27+$3 example, you're paid in full.

[DanWyns]

Thanks for the info,

And I forgot to ask,
Are those tourneys usually no-limit?

Thanks,
Dan

[Buckeye Bob]

Usually no limit is my experience if you are talking about the daily tournaments.

Bigal, I was thinking more on the add on that you have to do by a certain time, not the mandatory up front. Good point.

Dan, also check closely what the house take is for the tournament. As an example, I played in Mandalay Bay's daily tournament last November. 30 entrants at $30 per person. They only paid out something like $670 and kept the other $230 for the house. Little steep.

Bob