So, where can you find value?
A guaranteed prize pool can represent excellent value. For example, if the guarantee is $10,000 and the buy-in is $40 (ignoring tournament fees for a moment) for the guarantee to be met, 250 players must buy-in (250 x $40). If only 200 players buy-in, that leaves a $2000 overlay for the poker room to pick up and leaves the player with excellent value for money as a $40 buy-in is now essentially a $50 buy-in.
How about freerolls? Alright, if you're an experienced player, you're probably thinking 'Urgh, couple of hundred bucks and thousands of players, no thank you' Well, things are not always that way. Some freerolls now run into thousands of dollars and player numbers are comparatively low in many of these events. Think about it. You're paying $0 to enter a $2,000 tournament. If only 100 players join this tournament and the top ten are paid, what superb value for money you're getting. First place prizes are usually 25% - 35% of the prize pool. In this example, that would be a minimum of $500. Most players, no matter how experienced, will not ignore that kind of money.