And how you can profit from these extraordinary poker events!
SATELLITES GO INTO ORBIT! The Messiahs of poker satellite tournaments, Greg Raymer and Chris Moneymaker, have laid down the blueprint for the ordinary Joe to make it all the way through from “Nomoneysville” Cantaffordabuy-in Street to Box No.WSOP, Megamillion Avenue, Nevada. The online poker community is awash with satellite tournaments offering ordinary poker players the chance to win an entry to a premier event with prizes in the millions of dollars. For those newcomers among you, satellite eliminators are used by the big poker sites to attract first time players. Obviously, $10,000 buy-ins to huge Vegas events are not something the average online player can afford. The key to their amazing success is the fact that every few weeks poker news sites are full of bulletins reporting the latest fairy tale story of a multi-million dollar winner who came all the way through to stardom by simply winning his or her major tourney entry at a satellite.
ANT & DEC-HIGH PAIR! The news a few weeks back that Ant and Dec’s next million pound TV venture will be a poker themed show is bound to raise the game’s profile to even greater heights. As a result, those newbies who are tempted to hit the net in search of Texas Hold’em will find satellites are sure to be first thing to grab their attention. What does this mean? It means MORE of everything! More competition to win seats to huge events balanced by more money to purchase more buy-ins for more prizes. One major advantage inexperienced players gain from this swarm of new blood into the online satellite environment is that it dilutes the professionals who are increasingly disillusioned about having to battle their way through hundreds of raw recruits and are drifting away from these bargain buy-in events for that reason.
“In less than one week, you'll be playing heads-up and taking 1st or 2nd place. I GUARANTEE IT!”
SATELLITE TIPS Satellite strategy is all about survival. These days most satellites are multi-level affairs but you don’t have to actually win each section to make it through to the next level. Play tight and cautious. Don’t automatically get caught up in the big pots. Try to steal the small pots and stay out of trouble. The psychos tend to destroy one another around you which thins the field nicely. Wait until you get to the final level and then put on your terminator mask and go for it. Choose the time of day for your entry carefully when the least number of players are likely to be joining the satellite event. 7.45 am GMT (2.45 am New York time) is a good time-frame to have in mind. Catch the East Coast yanks while they’re knackered. This is poker not cricket, you have to steal your advantages.
ALL THE ACES poker column: Wednesday, April 12, 2006: The Surge in Poker Satellite Tournaments
