Team partypoker’s Natalia “N4talB” Breviglieri gives here tips for partypoker blog readers who want to take their satellite game to the next level.
I’m a firm believer in strict bankroll management and agree it’s good to take the occasional shot at some of the bigger buy-ins, but why use a large proportion of your bankroll to do this when there are so many satellites available?
The good thing about satellites is that they give anyone a chance to compete in a tournament they most likely could not afford to buy into directly. I always try to satellite into any of the bigger buy-ins that I play, both live and online, not just because it means getting in cheap but also because they tend to be really good value in themselves with a lot of MTT players that haven’t quite mastered the art of playing satellites.
Don’t treat them like normal tournaments
The objective is simple … last long enough to win a seat. You don’t need to win all of the chips to win the tournament and whether you finish with the most chips or the least, everyone is an equal winner
Making high variance plays can be deadly
If you find yourself with a big stack as the bubbles looms, try to avoid getting involved in too many pots. Being aggressive is good but don’t undo all of your hard work on a coinflip. Survival is key; try to realise when you have enough chips to win a seat. There may come a point where you have enough chips to not need to play another hand. Thinking of calling that big all in with aces? Remember that satellites are a game all their own. Big shoves which are +EV in normal MTTs (or +chip EV), are not always worth taking in satellites. Part of the expectation in the +EV comes when you win an all-in (whether you were ahead, flipping or behind) and “all-in” is not a spot you want to be in when you already have enough chips to win a seat.
Pay attention as the bubble nears
You will often notice that deep into a satellite there are a lot of players that are in unfamiliar territory and will be making a lot of mistakes. Keep a constant eye on how many players are left, when the blinds will increase and how the short stacks are doing. If you yourself are a short stack, slow down, use your time bank before making any decision, you don’t need to encourage the blinds to come round even quicker, plus it allows other players to potentially bust and get you closer to that seat. If you haven’t come across ICM, then I would definitely recommend spending some time doing a little bit of research as this little bit of knowledge will vastly improve your game once you understand how it works and can use it to your advantage.
Dream Big!
The sky really is the limit when it comes to satellites and you could find yourself battling for your share of hundreds of thousands of dollars from as little as $0.50.
Put Natalia’s tips to the test
Why not put Natalia’s tips to the test and see if you can satellite your way into the bigger buy-in Power Series, Monster Series, POWERFEST events and even our PP LIVE Dollars satellites?
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