Tips for Winning Online Multitable Satellites<br>By Brad Daugherty and Tom McEvoy

Playing multitable satellites online is similar to playing supersatellites in brick-and-mortar (B&M) casinos. They usually have four or more tables and give away as many seats for the main event as the cash in the prize pool allows. There might be 100 to 150 people playing in a multitable satellite, with up to 20 seats being given away. Your goal is simply to win a seat, just as it is in supersatellites in B&M casinos. What's the best way to do that?

During the first levels, we suggest that you play solid poker and wait for other people to make mistakes. Hopefully, you can pick up a hand and double up in the first one or two rounds, or look for a speculative hand that you can play cheaply. Because more chips are in play online, you can play a few more speculative hands in the early rounds without it costing you too much. You hope to strengthen your position a lot without hurting your chip position very much. This is particularly true in no-limit hold'em satellites, where you have big implied odds. Starting with $1,500 in chips and 15-minute rounds online, you have a fair amount of play and more opportunity to trap an opponent. In other words, if you limp in with a weaker type of hand, you're likely to get paid off very well if you connect with the flop.

The blinds usually begin at $10-$20 and increase to $15-$30, $25-$50, and $50-$100. With cautious play and occasional mild speculation, you have an excellent chance of surviving through the break. You don't need to get out of line to double up. If you can pick up one hand and double up with it, you probably will have $3,000 in chips, which is about par with the average amount of chips once half the players are gone. That's a good spot to be in.

Usually, about half of the starting field is eliminated during the first hour of play. Then, you take a five-minute break, and when you return, the blinds increase to $75-$150. The blinds then increase to $100-$200 for two rounds. At the beginning of the second round of $100-$200 blinds, you must start putting in an ante at many online casinos (unlike B&M casinos, which do not require antes in satellites).

As the limits increase, you have to start opening up your hand requirements a little bit. "I've found that the key to survival is knowing when you're in trouble," Brad says. "When the limits rise to $100-$200, you're at the start of 'crunch' time. And when they rise to $200-$400, you are in the middle of crunch time." You are in trouble unless you have a par amount of chips, so you must accumulate chips. This is when you change your style of play from being very solid to being more aggressive. Of course, aggressive play can pay off in any satellite you play, whether in B&M casinos or online. If you don't have a strong right arm – if you aren't willing to push your chips in – your chances of success are greatly reduced. In our next column, Brad and I will discuss how to survive and even thrive during "crunch" time, and most importantly, how to know when you're in danger.

With so many new poker players these days, playing satellites as a way to get into tournaments cheaply has become more and more popular. One online poker site had more than 500 one-table tournaments (which are played essentially the same way as one-table satellites) running simultaneously recently. In fact, I won my entry into UltimateBet.com's nationally televised World Poker Tour event in Aruba via an online satellite. And here's a tip of the Stetson to two ladies who also won their way into UltimateBet's terrific tournament in online satellites. Sharon Goldman finished high in the championship event, as did Hermie Sniffen, who was the last lady standing in the same event, finishing 10th. Sniffen also won a supersatellite and made it into the money in a $540 no-limit hold'em event.

As for me, my pocket rockets went down in flames early on and I was forced to bask on the sunny beaches for the rest of the trip. Provided that doesn't happen again in the near future, I hope to meet you at a final table one day soon.

Author's note: Tom McEvoy and Brad Daugherty are the co-authors of Championship Satellite Strategy, where you will find these and many more winning concepts for brick-and-mortar casino and online satellite play. Their book is available through Card Player. Send your questions and comments to the authors at @pokerbooks.com.