What is Rebuy?

A rebuy is an option in certain poker tournaments that lets you purchase additional chips after busting out or dropping below a set stack, keeping you in the event as long as the rebuy period is still open. It converts an early elimination into a fresh start rather than a walk to the exit, and it is a defining feature of "rebuy tournaments" as opposed to standard freezeout events, where one bullet is all you get. Rebuy periods are time-limited, typically covering the first hour or first few levels, and each rebuy delivers the same starting stack for the same price as the original buy-in (plus, usually, no additional fee since the rake is taken once). Many formats also allow an "add-on" at the end of the rebuy period, a one-time extra chip purchase available whether or not you have busted. Some rooms cap the number of rebuys; others allow unlimited rebuys during the window. Worked example: you enter a $100 rebuy event that gives 10,000 chips. You bust twice in the first hour and rebuy each time, spending $100 per bullet, then take a $50 add-on for 5,000 more chips at the break. Your total investment is $100 + $100 + $100 + $50 = $350, and you carry 15,000 chips into the freezeout phase. Practically, rebuy events reward a deep bankroll and an aggressive early style, so budget for two or three bullets before you sit down and never chase a stack you cannot afford. Compare with buy-in, freeroll, satellite and freezeout-style events.