When do you play satellites?

Purely hypothetical question that I've been curious about lately and couldn't find any similar thread here:

When do you play satellite tournaments, either MTT or STT? I don't mean buying in for $1 and hoping to work your way up and get some great vacation to the PCA. I mean you are already planning on for sure playing whatever event it is you're trying to satellite into it, but you would rather pay a fraction of the entry.

For example, a $2100 SNG into the $10K wsop Main Event. You already have your plane tickets, and you're gonna play in the ME no matter what. So do you take one shot on qualifying for 20% of the BI, but if you don't make it, you're net investment in the tournie is now $12K. If you would try the satellite, how many times? What happens once you've invested $4K in satellites, etc.?

Also then, what about for smaller buy-in tournaments? I got curious about this topic when I read about some CC members playing a certain live tournament in NY (the October Fest one that they've been posting about in rail thread) but they said they would try $75 SNGs into the $550 BI event. How many times should you try the satellite before just accepting the full buy-in, if you even try the satellite at all?

Also, I know I said this wasn't my main question, but do you ever take a risk and try to satellite into the EPT or PCA just on a whim even if it's way out of your league?

Thanks in advance. Maybe someday I'll actually be considering in playing in these (relatively) big buy-in events.

think you should play sattys when you feel you have an edge

ie lets say you are good at 9man sngs and you can play a 9man satty to get into a
mtt

or another way to look at it is if you are bad at 6max super turbos dont try to satty in by playing them

Satellites are my favourite tourneys and my advice would be to start from the first step, always...For example, 888 Poker, which you can download through Cardschat.com, runs satellites from 1 cent for the first step, taking you to final step to exclusive live tournament or huge online tournaments. I know, you might think that there's no sense to play for 1 cent but that's exactly what makes your routine and it works like a safety from tilt attacks!

I'm glad to see this finally got some replies. I was worried it would never take off. Thanks for the answers, but I was thinking more hypothetically, in terms of big buy in events like the PCA or ME or even a local circuit event or the Turning Stone ME rail thread that instigated me to post this thread.

So to restate via an example: if I am 100% for sure competing in the PCA $10k ME, should I play any satellites? If so, which satellites, and how many of them. After posting this thread a few days ago, I did finally find a website sort of addressing my question, saying if you have an edge, play the satellites.

However, let's say for example again, you are playing in the PCA ME and you win 9max SNG $2100 qualifiers 1/6 of the time, so a definite edge. So I guess probability says play these events. But what if you don't win until your 6th try and now you've paid $12k+ to enter a $10k event (not counting packages)? What if you run poorly or make a few mistakes, and now you've played $20k in satellites but you still have to go pay the $10k full buy-in anyways? And do you start at step 5 to make your buy-in even less? But then why not step 4, 3, 2, 1...?

Of course, I'll be happy when I can beat microstakes HUSNG, so all hypothetical

blobman said:

However, let's say for example again, you are playing in the PCA ME and you win 9max SNG $2100 qualifiers 1/6 of the time, so a definite edge. So I guess probability says play these events. But what if you don't win until your 6th try and now you've paid $12k+ to enter a $10k event (not counting packages)? What if you run poorly or make a few mistakes, and now you've played $20k in satellites but you still have to go pay the $10k full buy-in anyways? And do you start at step 5 to make your buy-in even less? But then why not step 4, 3, 2, 1...?

Of course, I'll be happy when I can beat microstakes HUSNG, so all hypothetical

Click to expand...

If you have an edge then so what if running poorly results in a bad result on a given day. The key whether you're playing satellites or any other tournament (or cash games) is to figure out whether your results are better than, in line with or worse than what you should reasonably be expecting.

If you truly did have an edge which allowed you to win 9 person SNGs 1/6 time (a pretty stunning edge) then, sure, sometimes it would take you 6 attempts to get your sear. However, over the long term, your seat would cost you on average a fraction (2/3) of what a direct buy in would cost you.

Interesting point about having -EV at the tournament (because the players are better than you on average) - this might mean that the whole scheme is a bad idea from an expected value point of view - if your intent with the seat you win is to enter a losing gamble. However, maybe you want to take a shot at the next level and you're never going to learn and improve without taking on a new challenge - so maybe you'll be +EV in the long term.

I think satellites are like being partially bankrolled by an investor. That being said, in reply to the OP, I'd be more inclined to try to satellite into tourneys that I wouldn't be willing to just buy into.

To simplify, I'd probably just buy into a tournament that I felt I had an edge in, and try to satellite into tournaments that I felt less confident about.

I play the satellites when I'm sad...if I win ticket, then play in the tournament..

Sats it is a very big waste of time , there is a chance that will not get a ticket and you will lose money....Better to spend the time to learn ..

more profitable play deadline satellites-there are a lot of weak players

Satellites pretty difficult thing because players face different levels and you can not always make the right decision in a given situation

I usually play satellites when I have time to kill before my target event.

Example: arrive thursday night for a weekend poker series. planning to play events friday, sat, sun. Thursday night I'll play 1 or 2 STSs. Friday, if i'm unfortunate enough to bust out early then I'll play 1 or 2 STS, Saturday if I'm unfortunate enough to bust out early then I'll play 1 or 2 STS. Sunday if I bust out I drive home.

Usually I win my seat to a future event in at least one of these. beats playing blackjack, and I'm a fish at cash. Sometimes I win more than 1 seat and sell them to my friends at full face value.