Entering Texas Hold'em Tournaments through Online Satellites
Many top poker sites offer players the chance to enter tournaments through online satellites. The tournaments are generally high-profile land-based events which require players to buy-in for huge sums of money. Playing in online poker satellites is a good option for those who want to enter such big poker tournaments without paying the buy-in. This is one of the reasons online poker players opt to enter tournaments through satellites.
Online poker satellites are small events through which you can qualify for a tournament if you win them. The poker site will offer an entry, which is the buy-in amount the site pays on a player's behalf, to the winner. However, poker sites will not allow them to redeem the buy-in amount for other benefits like cash-backs. Along with free entries to offline tournaments, poker sites may offer winners package which include bookings to a hotel close to where the event is being held and money for spending during their stay.
Play in a satellite that offers a seat to the event you want to enter
Poker sites generally offer satellites to a number of poker tournaments. They run separate satellites for each tournament. For instance, if an online poker room is offering satellites for the WSOP and WPT, it will run them separately for each. This way, players can choose the tournaments for which they want to qualify.
Enter Mini-Satellites with Small Buy-ins
A few poker rooms run mini satellites through which you can qualify for the main satellite. At these sites, players who are at the top of the leaderboard in the mini-satellites will get to enter the main satellite. The mini-satellites can be free-rolls, for which you can opt-in. They may also be satellites which you can buy-in with player points that you accumulate in the time you have been a member at the poker site.
Check Satellite Schedule
Online satellites typically commence a few weeks before the tournaments start. So, if you are interested in entering a tournament through a satellite, you should check the event schedule at the poker site where you want to play. In case you don't win a satellite and qualify for a tournament the first time, you will have several other chances. Poker sites allow players to enter as many online satellites as they can. It is best to start playing in the satellites when the poker site launches them. This will give you the chance to play in several satellites and increase your chances of winning a seat to the poker tournament you want to enter.
Get Multiple Tickets
Find out whether the poker site you play at allows you to win more than one entry. In case the site does, you can play even after you win an entry. Sites generally give players the chance to win additional entries if the tournament event they are playing for has more than one table. This way, with multiple entries, you can play at several tables in the tournament. If the poker site does not permit players to win more than one entry, it is best to stop playing in satellites to a tournament after you get one. You can then use your bankroll to fund satellites to other tournaments.
Manage Bankroll
When you play in online satellites, it is important to manage your bankroll. This way, you will have sufficient money to fund the satellites and other Texas Hold'em games you play on the site. One of the best ways to do this is to enter a satellite which has a small buy-in, instead of one with a big entry fee. You will then get to play in several satellites with small buy-ins. This will give you more chances to win, than if you play in one satellite with a big buy-in.
Choose Poker Satellites Based on Your Preference for Stakes in Games
Poker sites understand that players have preferences for the stakes they play at. To ensure that players get entry to tournament events that are in line with the stakes they want to play at, sites run satellites accordingly. For example, poker players who want to play in high stakes poker games can enter satellites for high-rollers. This will give them the chance to play for an entry to a tournament event for high stakes players.
The player fields in the tournaments, especially those held off-line will be quite large. It will comprise of players of different skill levels. Typically, the players who enter the tournament through online poker satellites are those who are quite skilled. They would have already defeated a few players to qualify for the tournament.