BGonline.org Forums

The Case Against Rebuys

Posted By: Steve Mellen
Date: Monday, 12 April 2010, at 10:06 p.m.

In Response To: The Case Against Rebuys (Phil Simborg)

Rebuys may favor the stronger player, but lots of things favor the stronger player. If you make the matches 13 points instead of 11 it favors the stronger player. I don't see this as a very persuasive point.

The argument that low-cost rebuys become automatic and "make the tournament a more expensive proposition than it already is" strikes me as similarly unpersuasive, because there is nothing magical about the level of the original entry fee. For all I know, someone was planning to offer a $400 tournament and then said, "Nah, let's make it $300 + rebuys." I have no idea if it ends up being more expensive but in my experience, people who hate to spend money don't come to many backgammon tournaments.

Finally, I don't think rebuys distort the ranking system any more than the existence of more tournaments than most people can afford distorts the system. Right now, someone who can afford to go to every single ABT tournament has a huge advantage over people who can't afford as many events. But what are we supposed to do about that? In this context, rebuys are actually an equalizer, as they allow the occasional tournament player to pump more money into entries without having to incur the travel expense that would ordinarily be associated.

I would think the typical player would consider rebuys a positive aspect for a tournament, whether it ultimately benefits their equity or not. The typical mediocre player does not think, "I want the field to be as small as possible to increase my chances of lucking my way through." He is more likely to think, "Hey, at least I won't spend all that money to travel to the tournament only to be eliminated in the first hour." Ultimately, if people don't like rebuys they will vote with their feet, the rebuy events will have worse attendance than the other events, and directors will get the message and stop offering rebuys.

Messages In This Thread

• The Case Against Rebuys
  Phil Simborg -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 5:20 a.m.
  • The Case Against Rebuys
    Stick -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 6:05 a.m.
    • The Case Against Rebuys
      dc-ohio -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 12:02 p.m.
      • The Case Against Rebuys
        Bob Koca -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 1:09 p.m.
        • The Case Against Rebuys
          Stick -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 1:42 p.m.
          • The Case Against Rebuys
            Bob Koca -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 2:21 p.m.
            • The Case Against Rebuys
              joe freedman -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 5:36 p.m.
              • The Case Against Rebuys
                Stick -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 5:37 p.m.
        • The Case Against Rebuys
          Eric Guedj -- Tuesday, 13 April 2010, at 2:25 p.m.
          • The Case Against Rebuys
            Daniel Murphy -- Tuesday, 13 April 2010, at 6:36 p.m.
  • The Case Against Rebuys
    Jason Lee -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 6:48 a.m.
    • The Case Against Rebuys
      Rich Munitz -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 12:54 p.m.
  • The Case Against Rebuys
    Daniel Murphy -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 8:38 a.m.
  • The Case Against Rebuys
    garyo -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 12:35 p.m.
  • The Case Against Rebuys
    Tomawaky -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 5:43 p.m.
    • The Case Against Rebuys
      Jason Lee -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 7:19 p.m.
      • The Case Against Rebuys
        Tomawaky -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 9:28 p.m.
  • The Case Against Rebuys
    joe freedman -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 6:59 p.m.
  • The Case Against Rebuys
    Steve Mellen -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 10:06 p.m.
    • The Case Against Rebuys
      Jason Lee -- Monday, 12 April 2010, at 10:42 p.m.
  • The Case Against Rebuys
    Eric Guedj -- Tuesday, 13 April 2010, at 10:57 a.m.