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Satellite tournaments are the greatest invention ever for online poker players who do not happen to have deep pockets. What we mean to say is that, despite their immense love for the game, the vast majority of poker enthusiasts can not afford to pony up thousands of dollars in the form of a buy-in to such incredibly prestigious poker competitions as the World Series of Poker (WSOP). However, thanks to satellites, the expensive buy-ins no longer stop any one from actually participating in such events.
Satellite events, which were first thought of approximately twenty years ago, are special poker tournaments that award their winners seats to highly expensive, larger tournaments which they can not afford to take part in otherwise. Instead of just plopping down as much as $10,000 to secure a seat in a WSOP-like event, ten players pay 1/10th of that amount, with the winner gaining entry into the larger event. Actually, satellites are credited as being the first notable growth spurt in tournament poker play.
Unlike in poker tournaments of other types, in single table satellites an aspiring winner's goal should be merely getting down to the final four or three players. This is because, although single table tournaments typically tend to have a 'winner-take-all' prize structure, a deal is made between the final three to four players. Although some poker players may sometimes experience a certain moral concern regarding this deal-making aspect of the game, this phenomenon is still part of what we call poker. In fact, there are many other aspects of poker that have nothing to do with card playing, such as table selection skills.
So, since being there among four final players is a goal in itself, what does that mean in terms of strategy? The answer is, that survival is crucial. Satellite tournaments are nothing like ring games where every jackpot brings equal valued chips, and they certainly have almost nothing in common with regular tournaments where multiple players are awarded prizes. When it comes satellite events, collecting the entire or a certain part of the first prize is the only thing worth fighting for. Playing strong, promising starting hands that provide you with a significant advantage and offers the opportunity to incrementally raise your chip stack, while giving you a good opportunity to be one of the final four tournament participants is the only way to go. At this point, tournament deal-making skills become among the most important factors in the game.
The bottom line, trying to get lucky at the very beginning of the tournament is not the smartest thing to do when playing in a satellite tournament. It's better to rely on skill rather than luck. And, as the tournament nears its end, try to make a deal and hope for the best. We wish you lots of success in any and all your satellite adventures!