A satellite tournament, also knows as a qualifier, is a very popular form of a poker tournament. But even though you play the same game as you would in regular tournament or a freeroll, the difference in situation requires slight adjustments in strategy, since the object of a satellite tournament is somewhat different than that of another poker tournament.
Satellites are tournaments where the object of the games is to win entry tickets to larger tournaments. These could be either seats in a main event like a guaranteed tournament that are run by the poker room itself and offer very big prize pools, or a seats in a main event of a famous poker championship.
Many online poker rooms run large events to reward their players with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollar in the guaranteed prize pool. Most often, the online poker rooms create gradual satellite structures where the players who win in a small satellite get a ticket to the next stage. The purpose of these structures, as can be seen in pokereon.com periodic guaranteed events, is to enable players the opportunity to enter at any buy-in level they feel comfortable in, since the direct buy-in fee to the main event is fairly high. In fact, in many cases the lowest satellite offered is a freeroll, so players can make their way up without paying any buy-in at all.
International poker championships like the WSOP, EPT and others usually have high entry fees and on top of that require traveling and accommodation budget. Therefore, satellites that offer a seat in such events as the first prize, usually cover flights and hotels. Considering that thousands (and sometimes over 10,000) of players participate in these main events, including pros and big shots, this sort of prize offers more of an experience to remember rather than a financially rewarding prize.
The difference between a regular tournament and a satellite comes from the difference in the purpose of the tournament. Of course, there are more similarities than differences between the two types of tournaments: the whole idea of a tournament is to stick it while the other players are running out on their poker chips.
Therefore, in both cases players need to be cautious and somewhat prudent as to not waste too much chips on hopeless bets. But this is poker! It’s your prerogative to get a little creative and bluff your way occasionally to make the pot swell, steal the blinds or go all-in just to make other fold!
A ring game is played for the pot, and you can always get up leave whenever you want, so the most aggressive play goes down in these tables. Regular tournaments are also played for the pot, and although you do need to be more careful with your stack, you still want to seize opportunities and cut a good profit.
Yet when it comes to satellites, you’re not in it for the money, you just want to outlast the others to get your free ticket. This is something to keep in mind – being prudent is not fun, but it’s worthwhile. In order to keep your money you need to keep yourself from being carried away and chase lost bets.
The best way to handle the chips conservatively in a tournament is to know what kind of starting hands should be folded right at the start. Even cards that look slightly promising like suited (but not straight) cards, a single ace, or straight cards that are off suite. Odds show that for the long run, chasing such hole cards will make you lose your money faster, when the whole idea is to outlast others.
It’s may not be as fun as playing aggressively, but the fold’em method serves your object. Just keep in mind that a satellite is a part a greater purpose, and that you could always cut loose on a ring game or two.
Disclaimer: The information presented and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of ArticlePros.com and/or its partners.
