that let you buy back in during the first few rounds. As long as your stack is less than or equal to the amount that your first started with, you can take the re-buy. After the re-buy period is complete, players will also have the chance to take an add-on. If you’re wondering how many times you should re-buy in these tournaments, here are some things to keep in mind.

Give Yourself a Limit

Before the tournament even begins, you need to have a general idea of how much you’ll be willing to spend on re-buys. Set limits and be honest with yourself. If you know that you can only afford one re-buy, stop after that. If you can’t even afford one re-buy, then play a freezeout tourney instead. Entering a re-buy tournament without any additional funds is dumb. If you take the re-buy option away, you’re taking away one of your strategic advantages. If you can’t afford re-buy tournaments, don’t play them.

Bankroll Factors

Your bankroll will play a big factor in determining how many re-buys you choose to take. If you have a large bankroll, you’ll be able to approach re-buys differently than you would if you have just small stash of cash set aside for playing poker. The first few round of re-buy tournaments are like cash games. If you drop out, you can buy right back in. In cash games, players with sizable bankrolls are never out. In re-buy tournaments, players with large bankrolls can afford to play crazy during the re-buy period. By playing aggressively in the beginning, players with large bankrolls take chances to grow their stacks. A player who doesn't have a large chunk of change to play with will have to be a bit more cautious. Loose play is still the order of the day early on, but you can’t keep buying back in over and over again if it’s going to put a huge dent in your small bankroll.

Double Up From the Start

A good strategy when you're playing re-buys is to double up right from the start. Take advantage of the fact that you can get twice the chips for twice the buy in. This may not seem like that great a deal, but if you can avoid early confrontation with the careless players, you’ll be in good shape to compete. Set aside this extra buy-in money before you start to play.

Be Ready to Add-On

At the conclusion of the re-buy period, players will have the chance to add-on. If you want to remain competitive you need to take advantage of the add-on. Most of the players at the table will purchase these extra chips. Don’t give these opponents an unnecessary edge. Take the add-on and increase your stack for the final run.

The number of times you re-buy will depend on a few factors. For starters, you need to establish a limit for yourself before you start playing. You also need to consider the size of your bankroll. If you can’t afford re-buys, don’t play them. If you do play, plan on making at least one or two re-buys at the minimum. Always be prepared to take the add-on.