Poker Satellite Tournaments

Satellites can provide good value opportunities for intermediate and advanced players to gain entry into big money Online Poker Tournaments and also high profile events such as the World Series of Poker and the World Poker Tour, they also provide online cardrooms with an excellent chance of increased revenue because the house takes two lots of rake instead of one.

There are varying structures for satellitle tournaments depending on which online cardroom you frequent; some sites favour the stronger players while others make it easier for less accomplished players to qualify. A typical satellite structure gives one seat through to the bigger tournament for every 10 registered players, which is a format that favours the top 10% of players on the site, whereas many online cardrooms now offer satellites that give one seat for every 2, 3, 4 or 5 registered players which means the weaker players have a more realistic chance of progressing through. It's very much worthwhile shopping around to find a satellite structure that's suitable to your current skill level.



For those who barely have the spare time to be able to play satellite qualifiers, playing multiple satellites that lead to the same tournament is advisable; many online cardrooms offer simultaneous or overlapping satellites meaning you can achieve your goal and manage your time more easily. If you do qualify via both satellites, the cardroom normally credits your bankroll with the cash equivalent for the second win. Assuming you manage to qualify for a smaller outlay than you would have spent by buying into the bigger Online Poker Tournaments directly, you are also saving money, effectively your opponents are paying towards your entry fee; this makes it easier to turn a profit by playing multi table tournaments.