When you’re just beginning to dip your toes into the DFS world, there are an overwhelming amount of contests on the homepage that really could throw you into a tailspin on what you should be entering. That won’t change when your site hopping either as each interface is eerily similar to each other. Understanding all the different options we have at the buffet is key and which we should eat as a starter, which we should eat as the main course and which we should eat as dessert is all very key as you take the plunge into NBA DFS.
Living Dangerously in GPP’s (Guaranteed Prize Pool)
We all want to hit it big. That’s why we play the game (mostly). Playing in tournaments is a thrill that you don’t get in cash games because we’re not capped at doubling our money, we can potentially walk away with thousands upon thousands depending on how successful we are. But when we start playing DFS, you shouldn’t just go head first into the water, you should use the ladder and lower yourself into the water slowly. Learning about roster construction is a key component that most new players learn over time, which is what really helps you take down the big one.
Depending on your bankroll or how much money you have to put into DFS on that day/week will determine what you’re going to enter. We have different stages of entries as you could enter a tournament that allows just one roster and some that you could enter with 150 unique lineups. There are also three, four, five and 20-max tournaments, so really something for everyone. On nights where the research isn’t where you want it to be and you’re uncomfortable with a slate, don’t throw money away just for the off chance you hit the nuts.
When talking about which tournaments to enter, know what you’re up against in each setting. When you’re playing in a single entry, it’s that cut and dry; one lineup per person. You’re on an equal playing field with everyone else. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum we have the GPP’s in which there are players entering 150 unique lineups. Those players have a leg up on the little guys just getting started, so the best way to build your bankroll while at the same time winning a bunch of money is to avoid them and play single entries along with three or four max tournaments.
Understanding Cash Games
There are a ton of different routes you can go in terms of cash games and it’s all based on preference.
50/50’s - As straightforward as it can get. If you enter a cash game setting that has 100 people and it is a 50/50, 50-percent of the field wins a set prize. If you enter $5 in that 50/50, the top 50 will win $10.
Double-Up’s - Essentially the exact same thing, except it’s not 50-percent of the field winning. It’s as straightforward as a 50/50, however, in that entering $5 would net you $10 if you won.
Multipliers - This is the hardest cash game setting to win in, but the one that nets you the most money. It’s not your run of the mill cash game because it’s a much smaller pool of winners, but each victor takes home the same prize. You’ll see 2x multiplies all the way up to 10x multipliers. Once you get the hang of the 50/50’s and double-up’s, multipliers are the next step to really start winning money in cash games.
When talking about both cash games and tournaments and selecting which you should play in, think about a few things first. One, and this is circling back to an earlier point made, make sure you have a grasp of your bankroll and what you’re putting into that specific slate. Secondly, allocate your funds to both cash and tournaments in order to cover your back. The standard is entering 80-percent into cash games and 20% into tournaments. We do this because cash *should* be the more sure thing while tournaments are where we take shots and a stand on guys that we THINK could do well, but are much more risky. By shipping off 80-percent into cash, we could always push even if our tournament lineups suck.
Tips to Selecting the Right Contest
By now you’ve seen the types of contests that are offered on a typical slate and so you should have a plan heading into each night on whether you want to be playing Cash games, GPP tournaments or a mixture of both however, that’s not where the decision making process ends, in fact, it’s really just where it begins.
There are specific things to look for when selecting the correct contests and those things are contest size, minimum number of payouts and the minimum amount paid out. Typically, you should attempt to find a contest that either A) pays out 2x minimum cash, this means the entry fee for example is $5 and it pays out a minimum of $10 if cash or B) more than 20-percent of the field. To find out the percentage of the field that gets paid you take the minimum number of people that get paid divided by the max number of people who can enter x 100. Oftentimes you will find something closer to a contest that pays 1.6-1.8x of your buy-in and 22-to-24-percent of the field. That’s where you should be looking
Another key component to contest selection and this may seem like common sense, but the fewer people in a contest, the fewer lineups you have to compete with and a better shot you have to cash. Oftentimes contests that have only 500 people in them have a smaller cash line than those with 5,000 people due to the limited number of lineup combinations in your contest.
Now, in GPP’s there is obviously a difference in the overall prize pools when comparing contests with 5,000 people and contests with 500 people but don’t let that shy you away from playing in those tournaments. The idea here is to build your bankroll in these smaller contests so that you can play in some of the more expensive GPP contests that offer higher first place payouts.
Now, there is no perfect science to all of this and ultimately the best way to play NBA DFS is doing so in a way that you are most comfortable in the contests that you most enjoy playing. After all, you have to enjoy what you are doing since you are the one investing your time, money and effort into playing.