Some of poker’s greatest success stories have come about thanks to the invention of satellites.
Just ask Chris Moneymaker.
The one-time ‘accountant from Tennessee’ famously spun his way up from a cheap online satellite all the way to the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event. Then he did what his surname suggested he should, and took it down along with the $2.5 million first prize.
But more than 20 years later, is it still possible to make it all the way to the biggest live poker events in the world without paying the ticket price?
Or, better yet, is there a way you can compete for the truly big bucks without it costing you a cent?
The answer, as you’ve probably figured out by now, is yes.
GGPoker’s WSOP Express tournaments provide a straightforward way to turn time playing our favorite game into real, honest-to-goodness tournament packages worth up to $30,000.
You’ll need a GGPoker account (get one here), get verified for real-money play, and obviously to be able to play legally at GGPoker.
From zero to hero with WSOP Express: The step-by-step guide
These are the steps to follow to turn a World Series dream into reality.
The early steps favor luck over skill, but as you progress you’ll see the balance start to shift.
Step 0: Avatar Race
Getting a ticket for Step 0 is the easiest thing you can do: simply log in to GGPoker and head to the ‘Promotion’ section of the ‘WSOP Express’ tab.
You’ll get a new ticket every day, and while you can’t stockpile them they’re very quick and easy to use. You won’t need to set time aside to focus or even play a hand, but you’ll have a 1 in 3 chance of advancing to the next step.
Step 0 tickets are used to play an ‘Avatar Race’. Use your ticket to register, pick from three cartoon avatars, each of which shows an Omaha hand of four cards, and you’ll be put into a contest against two other players.
Each player’s Omaha hand then combines with five community cards, revealed one by one. There are no decisions to be made, no strategies to bear in mind or tactics to consider: you just have to hope that luck is on your side.
Win the game and you’ll receive a Step 1 ticket. Lose, and you can play again the next day.
Step 1: All-in or Fold
With your newly acquired ticket you can move on to Step 1. And don’t worry if you lost the Avatar Race — you can buy into Step 1 tourneys for $0.50, or get more tickets by completing challenges (such as being dealt pocket aces in a cash game).
Step 1 tournaments once again involve a lot of luck, but this time you have a little more control over your fate. You’ll join three other players in a winner-takes-all all-in or fold tournament.
With a stack of just 80, and blinds starting at 10/20, you’ll get the chance to shove or fold until only one player remains. However, each player gets 3 stacks, so it’s possible to mount a comeback even if you get unlucky a few times. You can even combine your stacks if you wish, adding another element of strategy to the game.
Outlast your fellow players to receive a Step 2 ticket.
Step 2: Spin & Gold
Again, it’s possible to buy into a Step 2 tourney directly, this time for $2, or to win an entry thanks to a challenge (such as being dealt pocket aces three times in a cash game).
And once more, the balance between luck and skill tilts a little further towards the latter, as Step 2 takes the form of six-handed Spin & Gold tournaments.
Most of the time — around 94%, to be exact — the prize will be a Step 3 ticket. But part of the appeal of Spin & Gold tourneys is the huge multipliers you can hit, and that’s the case here too.
Get lucky and you could win a $5K Ring Pass, a $10K Bracelet Pass or even a $30K Super Pass.
Step 3: Target Stack Sit & Go
Most of the time the top prize in Step 2 will be a Step 3 ticket, and once again it’s possible to buy these directly for $10, if you wish.
Whether you pay for entry or have won your ticket, you’ll be playing a Step 3 on-demand sit & go tournament. These start when a certain number of players have registered — in this case, eight — but registration remains open for 10 minutes after the first hand is dealt.
Starting stacks are 3,000 chips and level one begins with blinds of 25/50, giving you 60bb to play with. Levels are just 5 minutes long, so the tourneys are quick to play.
These sit & go tourneys are what GGPoker calls 'Target Stacks' — also called milestone satellites or sometimes target satellites — meaning that as soon as your stack reaches the target number you automatically win your ticket and leave the game. The number you want to aim for is 50,000 chips.
Hit that target and you’ll win a Step 4 ticket worth $150.
Step 4: MTTs
If you haven’t won a Step 4 ticket you can still skip the earlier steps and buy in at this stage, but it will cost you $150.
Unlike the previous steps, at this point you have some options for how you want to use your ticket: a Step 4 Stage 1 MTT, or a Step 4 to Bracelet Pass MTT.
Step 4 Stage 1/Final MTT
Each day there are five Step 4 Stage 1 tournaments running at GGPoker. These are traditional multi-table tournaments (MTTs), with starting stacks of 12.5K. Blinds at level one are 50/100, and levels are a little longer at 8 minutes, allowing for deeper stacked play.
Reach the end of level 31, or the final 12% of the field after registration closes, and you’ll advance to the WSOP Express Final. It’s possible to play multiple Stage 1 tournaments, and you’ll be able to carry forward all the chips you win, combined, to the Final.
The WSOP Express Final is played weekly and can also be joined directly for $1,200, and features unlimited re-entries. The starting stack when buying in directly is 100K, and blinds at level 1 are 500/1K, at 8 minutes per level. 100 x $10K Bracelet Passes are guaranteed.
Step 4 to Bracelet Pass
There’s a quicker way to turn your Step 4 ticket into a prize package, but it offers fewer prizes so you’ll need a higher finish to bag a Bracelet Pass.
Step 4 to Bracelet Pass tournaments run daily, with one $10K Bracelet Pass guaranteed plus Step 4 tickets for the runners-up. You’ll start with a 10K stack and blinds of 50/100, with 8 minute levels.
These are the steps you need to complete to turn $0 into a $10K package to the world’s biggest live poker events.
But there’s one more step you need to take first, and that’s to get a GGPoker account. Click here to sign up now.
