It is extremely popular for people to register to tournaments very late. I really don’t see any advantage to doing this.
I suppose that the reasoning is that by joining late, a few people have already busted out and you’re ahead. I believe that this is pure folly. Joining late will guarantee that you finish ahead of a handful of bust outs sure, but it will get you no closer to the money.
Tournament A:
starting stacks: 2500
8 min levels
lvl 1: 10/20
lvl 2: 15/30
If you start on time, you start with 125bb.
If you start 14 mins in, you start with 83bb. Furthermore, there will be big stacks at your table who (whether through skill or blind luck) busted someone out early. You will be playing with 83bb against players with 150bb and up.
Also, you are 2 minutes away from 20/40 which will drop your stack to 62.5bb.
If you start on time, even if you plan to fold a ton and be tight, you give yourself a chance to play a prime hand or two and build a stack before the blinds come up.
Daniel Negreanu said, always start on time and give yourself a chance to win some pots before the blinds come up. You’re not outsmarting anyone by reg’ing late.
There are 65 peeps in the tourney. Top 15 is money. If you start late you won’t finish 65th (you probably won’t finish 55th), but you set yourself up for a wonderful 32nd place finish. Who cares?
Tournament B
starting stacks: 2000
6 min levels
lvl 1: 15/30
lvl 2: 20/40
lvl 3: 30/60
You start with just 66bb. By lvl 2 it is 50bb and if you start 14 mins in at lvl 3 it is just 33bb! With shorter starting stacks play will be looser and more aggressive before you sit down so there will be many big stacks well over 100bb (whether through skill or luck does not matter, they WILL be there) that you will sit down next to with just 33bb. Your chances of cashing are terrible.
Show up on time. Win a hand or two and try to build a stack before the blinds come up. Early levels the poker is still quite ‘normal’. If you show up late with a small stack you are already close to ICM. It’s not winning poker.
