Rebuys

Rebuys are a tournament feature in poker that allows players to purchase additional chips during a designated rebuy period or when their stack falls below a specified level. The intent is to keep players in the event and to increase the prize pool by encouraging continued participation and aggression early in the tournament. In most formats, a rebuy costs the same as the original buy-in, and the chips are added to the current stack rather than replacing it.

Rules and variations vary by event. Some tournaments allow unlimited rebuys, others cap the number per player or restrict rebuys to certain early levels. A common structure includes a rebuy period during the early levels, after which no further rebuys are permitted. Many events also offer an add-on option at the end of the rebuy period, allowing players to purchase a fixed amount of chips for a set price, regardless of their current stack.

In addition to terminology differences, a rebuy can be contrasted with a re-entry. Rebuys allow a player to keep playing by adding chips while remaining in the tournament, whereas a re-entry typically requires exiting the current seat and buying into a new one after busting, depending on the event’s rules.

Strategically, rebuy events often reward early, aggressive play since players can recover from short stacks. The structure of rebuys and add-ons influences payout expectations and player behavior, affecting prize pool size, average stack depth, and overall game dynamics.

Rebuys are common in online poker and some live tournaments, though many events, including major championships, use the no-rebuy format. Rules are specified by the event organizer or the platform hosting the game.