Given the massive variance involved in playing tournaments, if you are healthily bankrolled to play $1.10 - $7.50, is it really worth playing satellites in the same range? The guarantee usually being no more than two or three seats.
It's a part of tournaments I just never touch.
Anyone else?
I used to feel the same way, but after
888 Poker updated their software, its no longer possible to hide satellites from the tournament lobby. And being forced to see them I have actually started to play some - which I guess is also, what they were hoping for
The way, I have incorporated satellites into my game, is by playing satellites, which are for tournaments just outside my normal buyin span, and where the satellites price is then in the lower end of my normal buyin span. For me that means mostly playing satellites to 33-55$ tournaments with a price of 3,3-7,5$. What I gain from this is mainly:
* More variation in my game since a satellite bubble is something completely special
* More
hands per hour by firing up a satellite rather than waiting for the next regular MTT
* Some satellites are rather soft
* Some satellites might offer an overlay
* Shot taking at mid level buyins in a more gradual way than by buying in directly
* Playing the target tournament feels a bit like a freeroll or reward to myself
Satellites dont make up a huge portion of my schedule though. Maybe somewhere between 5-10% at most. What I would not recommend is to play satellites for tournaments, that are either well within your bankroll or way outside your bankroll. If for instance you have a 1.000$ bankroll, there is no point in playing satellites for 5$ tournament, since you can easily just buy in directly. If on the other hand you play satellites for 109$ tournaments with a 1.000$ bankroll, then you are just
gambling your money away. It might work sometimes, but so will buying a lottery ticket