Dara O'Kearney (Satellite Specialist) - Ask Me Anything about satellites/knockouts

[mariussica88]

Hello Dara,

Do you think that it is better to play large field satellites with more players but more tickets awarded and smaller buy ins, or for example 6 max hyper turbo with prize 2 tickets but usually 1/3 of the direct buy-in?

 

[Gdefender]

Hi Dara O'Kearney

My question is, what is the certain thing that makes someone a satellite specialist? More specifically, I would like to know why you didn't become a Sit & Go or MTT Specialist? So is there something specific that caused this to happen?

 

[Andyreas]

Hi Dara,

I'm applying late registration strategy in my regular MTTs, which is to register at the very end of late registration where you usually get 10 BBs only and then try to find 60/40 spots (or better) to put all my chips in. Usually I'm close to ITM with a double up already.

I'm still fine tuning but am able to get good results overall.

I gave satties a few attempts with the same strategy but it's not working as smooth as with regular MTTs. Usually at the end of late reg, you need much more than 1 double up to get into the ticket ranks and I think calling ranges in satties are quite different than for regular MTTs, right?

Do you think a late registration strategy can also work for satties? Which are the points, I should adapt it compared to regular MTTs? 🤔

 

[G0930]

Hi Dara,

First of all congratulations on getting that wsop package !

My question is concerning satellites with multiple rounds.
I won tickets for round 2 many times but rarely managed to go further than that.

Do you have a different strategy for the next step which has way fewer participants or do you play only direct satellites?

 

[bermejoga]

Hello Dara!

Do you have any kind of strategy when you're short stack at the bubble of a tournament? What to do in these situations? Just go all in to try to double your stack until you get a good stack? Wouldn't it be too risky?

 

[nasty bent gorilla]

Hi Dara,

When facing a big stack who frequently re-raises or four-bets in a poker tournament satellite, what factors should a player consider in deciding whether to level the big stack with a four-bet of their own, and how can they use information about the big stack's tendencies to inform their decision-making?

 

[Gdefender]

Hi dara!

1. What are the "Main Competitions" that you want to enter through satellites?
2. What is the maximum rebuy you sacrifice for 1 specific satellite? (If everything goes wrong)

 

[kley126]

Based on your experience as a professional that has been the most to control within the tables when you make a good game but still go on a negative streak

 

[chaviiiis]

Hi Dara,

regarding microstakes sats....

I use to playstrong hands all time, with no option to make a reentree... like freeze out in case i cant afford a reentree...
So this just let me an option to play always strong hands.... but in case I can rentree... How many reentrees shold I pay before quiting a sat?

Should Satts has to be played dif than MTT? - ive played same both...

Thank you for reading!

 

[Dara OKearney]

Hi Dara,

one question about the satellite strategie book. I have the German edition. Can you please give me the correct translation for

COC and COD

Translation in book is overall not very good and you can find a lot of misspelling.

Cheers Wolfgang

Hi Wolfgang,

COC is "chance of cashing": an estimate of what your chances of cashing (winning a seat in a satellite) are at any given time.

COD I'm guessing is COB in English (chance of bubbling). This is your chance of not winning a seat (bubbling) on the bubble of a satellite. On the bubble, it is easier to calculate this first and then use it to calculate your COC. For example, 3 players left, 2 seats, chipleader has 45 bbs, you and the other player 10 bbs each. Logic suggests that if the chippy has a 1x COB, us and the other player must have 4.5x (4.5 times higher since chippy has 4.5x our stack). The three COB's must sum to 1 (or 100 expressed as a percentage), so
1x +4.5x +4,5x =100
10x = 100
x = 10

So our COB is 45% and our COC 55%.

Hope this helps!

Best Regards,

Dara

 

[Paya_31]

Hello Dara, how are you? I have two doubts, the first is what would be the correct way to play the intermediate phases of a satellite. The second is, what do you think of satellites in turbo mode? The blinds go up every 3 minutes. How to play this type of satellites? .
Greetings.

 

[Dara OKearney]

How do you play a Freeroll satellite with 1500 players, 10 places paid, 1000 starting stack (hyper speed, blind lev 2min), unlimited rebuy for 5000 chips for $0.11 for the first 30 min then opportunity to buy an add on for the same price for 50000 chips.
The ticket have a value of $11.
I try it with one rebuy and try to late register to make it to the end of the late registration period to have the chance to make the add on, at this time there is only 300 players remaining and a lot of them doesn't take the add on option. I am like 150 over 300 after the add on and now I try to transform $0.22 into $11 ticket.

Hi,

Optimal would either be to never rebuy or add on (infinite ROI but low hourly) or do what you do (large positive ROI and better hourly).

Thanks for your question!

 

[sumdumguy]

Welcome to the CardsChat community.
The million-dollar question! : Hand ranges, pre- and post-flop bets, continuation bets for satellites, that's what we need you to instruct us, it's almost impossible to play those, more bingo players than poker players appear there.
We need betting strategies.

 

[Andyreas]

Hi Dara,

another question regarding bankroll management for satellites:.
If I usually play MTTs up to 1/100th of my BR, can I also play satellites up to the same buy-ins?

I'm just wondering because this is what I do/did but someone explained to me that it messes up my ROI figures and I should apply the BR management to the target tournament and not the satellite?

Somehow it's not entirely clear to me. 🤔

 

[Dara OKearney]

Hi Dara, 27 left in a 4500 field $22 bounty tournament on pokerstars. Most of table short stacked ranging from 8bb -40bb .

I’m sitting with 12bb on button with a $67 bounty which is around average at this stage.

Utg 22bb makes it 2bb. Utg +1 calls, same stack. I’ve 88 on button with 12bb .

Is this always a shove as one/both should be calling with their stack sizes and size of my bounty , or can a call ever be justified and re-evaluate on a flop of probably 10 high ?

 

[Dara OKearney]

Hi Aubrey,

Shoving and calling both seem fine, although shove might be better to get the blinds out.

Thanks for your question!

 

[Dara OKearney]

Some news:

My fifth book with Barry Carter "Mystery Bounty poker strategy" is now available on Amazon.
Kindle only for now (paperback to follow shortly)
Kindle (UK): https://amzn.to/3nVjlrc
Kindle (US): https://amzn.to/41w7JZx

 

[Luvepoker]

Hi Dara,

Thinking about trying to play bigger events finally. I had bought you book to try to satellite into bigger live tournaments I have always wanted to play about 3 weeks before Covid hit. With all that I never really finished the book but now that live tournaments are come back its time to prepare to play and hopefully satellite into them. I do have a few questions before i start this part of my journey.

Q 1) I had bought the book for live play satellites. The problem is they are still rare in my area of the world. Do you think all the strategies I am going to work on to apply to live satellites will work on online ones? My concern is the few I looked at online are more likely turbo or hyper turbo types.

Q 2) Some satellites I see are trying to win their way into other satellites. Am i better off playing in the final level satellite to win my seat or is it worthwhile to buy into a satellite to play another satellite 1st? If its worth trying to win a satellite seat and not jump into the final level one is their A point where playing too many multiples of satellite to win a seat becomes to many? IE play a $0.25 to win a $2.20 entry then play a $2.20 entry to win a $11.00 one to try to win the $11.00 one to play the $50.00 and then one last one to win you ticket.

Q 3) While I would love to play an event like the WSOP main event, we all know the likeness of my winning would be slim. What would you suggest for a player like me to start with? Playing satellites into smaller events for a while or taking shots at dream vents.

Thank you for your time and help.
Ken

 

[Adan7799]

What aspect is the most important when playing poker satellites? Thank You

 

[JeffSBrito]

Hello!

I would like to ask the following:

How to identify and exploit players who play too aggressively or too passively in knockout poker tournaments?

 

[mariussica88]

Hi Dara,

What is you opinion on live events satellites? If I want to play an live event (unibet Open) but I did not qualify online, it is worth it to get to the event a little early and try to qualify there, or just buy-in directly and enjoy the Venue?

It is possible to get the land of the field, if I play some satellites or the players who mostly play the live main event do not play in the satellites ?

Thank you.

 

[nasty bent gorilla]

Hello again Dara,

As a general rule, are large, or small field online MTT satellites better for inexperienced players. Is it easier to play a tight strategy in larger fields, with more seats?

Thanks, nbg

 

[Dara OKearney]

Hi Dara,

Do you think poker will be around for many years to come? Or do you think its in decline?

Interesting question: I think live poker will be around forever (or at least my lifetime).

I do worry constantly about online poker and the existential threats to it from RTA and other forms of cheating, legislation etc.

 

[Dara OKearney]

Hello
I will like to know what is in your opinion the way to handle tournament like this one (Pokerstars Splash).

The late reg end after 1 hour (a single rebuy cost $2.20 and give you 2.5bb double rebuy give you 5bb)

The rebuy period last for another 30 min. What the strategy here ? sit-out and wait for the add-on (which is 10x the amounts of chips) or try to accumulate chip ?

At the end of the rebuy period you get 33000 chips (3.3b) but a LOT of players gived up. (see the screenshot, 9 players left, 4 players paid, 2 seats) I see Huge value in that but i'm not sure how to handle it. All the remaining plays were huge fish except me and preston300. We both had the same strategy of min buy in and wait the add-on.

Min buy in and wait for the add on is definitely optimal

 

[werty328]

If I have never played knockout, how can I play aggressively or accurately?