Have you ever wanted to take a shot in an online poker tournament that sits at the higher end of the buy-in range, but couldn't justify the expense?
It can be a daunting prospect to commit a sizable portion of your hard-earned dollars on a single tournament – thankfully, you can mitigate that risk by earning your seat through satellite tournaments.
If you're working with a limited bankroll, satellite tournaments are a viable route of entry for higher buy-ins. It's a simple concept, you play a satellite tournament to earn a ticket to a bigger event.
With a certain number of tickets up for grabs – a varying figure that typically depends on the number of players who enter the satellite – there are no pay jumps to concern yourself with. It's all about making the 'money', allthough in this case the prizes are entry tickets.
For PokerStars on FanDuel, satellites like the $10 Sunday Dynasty Hyper Qualifier events on Mondays or the $10 Sunday Dynasty Mega Qualifier and $50 Sunday Storm Mega Qualifier on Sundays provide ample opportunities for players to take a small buy-in and turn it into an opportunity for serious money in a high buy-in event.
For those who haven't yet played within the satellite format – or those who simply want a strategy refresher – here's a quick rundown of the optimal approach.
Early stage
The early stages of a satellite play somewhat similar to most multi-table tournaments.
With a ways to go before any tickets are handed out, your goal is to amass chips – but in a relatively conservative manner. Now's not the time to take a flip in the hopes of doubling up.
You want to earn chips, but not by putting your entire stack at risk.
Middle stage
As the blinds increase, the pressure mounts and protecting the chips that you have becomes key. At the same time, you have to maintain your stack to keep pace with the rising blinds.
If you find yourself in need of chips, target the smaller stacks at your table. If things go wrong, you still have chips to work with.
And, if you do decide to take action, always aim to be the aggressor – the added fold equity you gain from being the player who moves all-in is invaluable.
The bubble
Here's where the pressure is at its greatest: the bubble. When you're just a few eliminations away from earning your ticket, extreme caution takes precedence.
If you have the chips to endure the bubble and outlast your opponents, do just that – get comfortable clicking the fold button.
When you can, exert pressure onto opponents with less chips, but avoid clashes with players who cover you at all costs.
Surviving the bubble is where the job ends; the tournament ends as soon as the ticket prize places are reached. With all survivors typically receiving identical prizes, there is no need to play the tourney through to its regular conclusion.
Just remember that your ticket prize may be tied to a specific tournament and as such you may be auto-registered to play it.
Head to PokerStars on FanDuel now to give it a try.
