Hi guys,

I am currently setting my new MTT schedule and I was wondering if any of you have a late registration strategy ?

I think it's interesting to register tournaments in which you can have around 30bb for the volume first but also because it can help to improve the short stack play a lot (steal, resteal...). Of course I am giving up some postflop edge but there are still a lof of preflop mistakes.

Patrick Leonard even recommended to late registrate everything and don't play more than 30bb until you are mastering the game under 30bb.

What do you think ?

We watched the same video, I guess



Well, I think it depends on which site you play. He is talking about MTT where you can join just a few levels before the bubble, which he defines himself almost as "cheating". So in this specific case why not take a shot and so make a lot of volume. He is also talking about being a master of handling 0 to 30 BB stack.
As you have a smaller stack and will be gambling at some point, the skill factor is somewhat lowered.
So here is my conclusion : It is worth it IF

1- You have the time and bankroll to do it
2- if the site you play on offers late reg near the bubble
3- you have the correct mindset and have the specific skills to do it.

So like anytime when choosing a poker game : be honest with yourself

Cheers !

The video is not working but it's one with Bencb !

Thanks for your feedback ! I think I will try and see what happens

Hi guys, i'm a coach myself, and specialise in helping with Late reg. I have a YT and will post a video on there in the next days about what the best strategy is and why:

In a nutshell, Late Reg 12 bbs and lower, as close to end of Late Reg. 20-30bbs should not be considered late reg, and loses a lot of money, mathematically and strategically for many reasons, one being $ ICM you steal from other stacks is lower (players reging closer to the bubble can steal from you), another being that you are exploitable strategically at that depth:

Imagine a CO strategy at 12bbs vs 30 bbs late reg:

At 12bbs, CO jams 32% Nash Eqm, BTN counter to that is roughly 10-12% calling (in mid stage/ early stage, low ICM)

At 30bbs, CO RFI 32%, BTN steals EV by flatcalling or 3 betting, and does it profitably with hands that he can't play vs 12bb CO range (KTs, QJs any plenty more)


There's loads of other things to fully understand Late Reg - it's complex, so look out for the video >> Here's my YT (vid will be uploaded in the next days) <3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee2A9jRUh7Q

I would also add @Joey Fiuza, that short stack play is not gambling or Lower EV imo when done properly. Take an 8bb stack that Late Registers propely (in the right tourneys), If he jams and weak opponents overfold, he gains often 25% + of his stack, and because of late reg, his stack is alredy worth way more in $ICM value.

At 30bbs, this same 25% + increase is a 7.5bb pot - very difficult to get from 1 opponent mistake/ tendancy, with a stack that has an already lower ICM $ value.


BUT, nobody teaches this stuff for some reason - even poker stable players don't often understand the half of their own strategy 😅

I don't late register because the bad players are typically no longer there. Or if they are, they typically have less than average stacks. I much prefer building a big stack early so all post flop options remain available.

However if I bounce out of a tournament I will almost always re-register no matter how late it is. This is because I am typically 2 hours or more travel time from the casino and want to play as many tournaments as possible. When I am in Las Vegas for long periods of time though I will sometimes not buy back in late.

My opinion is that late registration, if you are good at it, will definitely earn you more money per hour. As was noted in earlier posts, it is a good ICM position. But going deep is a much bigger longshot.

I was playing in Prague for a year at Rebuy Stars Luka, the only casino that had tournaments over $90 regularly (at least once a week on Tuesdays at 6pm and sometimes Fridays as well). The playing field there was better than anywhere I have ever played and there were players who had won millions. One player who had won $2,900,000 in a tournament (not there of course) showed up late to play in a 6,000 crown tournament (roughly $270). He entered 6 or 7 times in the last half hour of the tournament. Partly because the guarantee hadn't been hit (it did ultimately get hit). And mostly I'm guessing because it was the best way for him to earn money and not waste time. He didn't end up making it into the money in part because the other players there were not going to let him take advantage with his jams. And partly because he just didn't get lucky when he needed to.

In fairness to reality though, at Rebuy Stars in the last tournament I played it was a 12,500 Crown tournament ($550 more or less) and I bought in 4 times. Not because I was far away (I was like 20 to 30 minutes away using public transit). But because it was the biggest tournament at the casino and I had done well there. I like to play as many tournaments as I can.

Sadly Rebuy Stars Luka had to close (at the end of 2023) and never reopened just outside of Prague like I was told it would.

Also covered in Dara O’Kearney’s books - End Game Poker Strategy & Poker Satellite Strategy

@MrRick I understand your comments well and also prefer to play deep stacked at a pure enjoyment level, but the math around late registration can’t be ignored.

Sure, and that math is correct. But playing against bad players is also correct...

Good beat story as an example. I reggd on time for the Seniors Venetian this past Sunday. I usually skip a few levels, but a friend was in town and wanted to maximize his poker...On to the hand:

UTG limps, I raise KK next to act. UTG+2 cold 3!s. Back to the limper who calls. I bet 4! and they both call. SPR is about 1.3 for all of us. Flop is T94r. UTG jams. I call, +2 folds. UTG turns over A2s (he did have a back door flush draw...)

You just won't see stuff that egregious late in a tournament, partly because those players go broke, and partly because the stacks are deep enough to make these massive errors.

I late reg online except for the biggest events - I really dont wanna sitting at my computer for like 8 hours so if I can cut that time in half late regging is worth it. Live I show up on time always for the reasons Rick said. Daras books are dope. I purchased road to victory and Darren Elias really pushes the philosophy of showing up on time to maximize equity against poor players.