The largest buy-in I've ever paid for a live casino poker tournament is just $65. In fact, the buy-in for that tourney was just $35, but there was a $30 rebuy which I was forced to take advantage of.
In general, I haven't felt comfortable enough with the tournament structures to put down a more significant amount of money. Often times, the starting stack is too small or the blinds start too high. My style of play does not lend itself to the shoot-out style tournament.
Saturday, I plan on playing in a $200+20 tournament at the Coushatta Casino in Kinder, LA.
Here's how it will work:
This is just the kind of tournament I think I can take advantage of. My style tends to be tight/aggressive. I generally limit my starting hands and then press the pot when I hit a hand. In a shoot-out, I often don't have the time to wait for good hands and that's when I start giving chips away. With time on my side, I think my patient play will give me an advantage.
I'll have a tourney recap Saturday night or Sunday. Wish me luck!