Of course we all know about the moon and Jupiter and Sputnik. (Do you remember that? In 1957-fifty years ago-the Russians launched their first sputnik satellite into orbit).
I love etymology, the origin of words-where they come from, how they evolve and how we use them. But who would have ever guessed that the word satellite would become the name of a preliminary event that preceded a major poker tournament? A poker satellite is one or more table poker tournament that lets players who win these games enter big tournaments at a fraction of the entry price.
I have played in many satellites and have won a few. I would like to tell you about how this process works and how you may win a satellite, and gain an entry into the $10,000 WSOP championship game.
One format that I liked really well was the two-legged championship satellite that used to be held at Binion's before the event moved out to the Rio. It was set up like this: In the first leg, 10 players paid $125 each to enter the No Limit Hold'em satellite. Each player would receive $4,000 in satellite tournament chips to begin with. The small and big blinds began with $10 and $15. Each 20 minutes, the blinds increased. The player who won all the chips would be the winner of the first leg.
This process would be repeated nine more times-until there were 10 different winners of a first leg. The 10 winners of the first leg were not required to pay any more money to play. These winners went on to play the final leg at a later date.
This same format would be repeated at a second leg, or final leg, of the two legged satellite. So you really only have to put up $125 and beat nine players to win the first leg, and then just beat nine other players who have also won their first leg to win the final leg! Then, you've won a $10,000 seat!
I have several times won this two legged satellite arrangement by doing just that. I would have a $10,000 seat in the World Series of Poker Championship.
I plan to be the oldest man to ever win the World Series of Poker Championship. I have some other firsts in the WSOP and am the only player to ever receive a WSOP gold bracelet for being the best all around player of the WSOP (Over 25 years ago in 1980). I created "The Seniors" WCOP/@ the WSOP and this year I was named the Grand Marshall of "The Seniors" @ the Series-when I hosted 1148 Senior players.
To win the BIG one all I must do is get lucky and remember to STAY LUCKY!
So, you see why I recommend the two-legged satellites. For three years in a row I got lucky and won a seat for $125 each year. With all that being said, here's my satellite tip: If you make a deal in a satellite, hope you are wrong. I made a deal with "The Chip Burner Robert Turner" (a member of The Seniors World Championship of Poker Players Hall of Fame). The deal with Robert was-when it got down to two of us-if I won, I was to give Robert 25 percent of my action in the tournament, and if he won, he was to give 33.3 percent of his action in the tournament.
I made a mistake and lost the satellite to Robert. But I got 33.3 percent of Robert's action in the big tournament. And Robert won the tournament.
I was wrong to make the deal because I had a big chip lead and the percentages were not correct. But I was right to make the deal because Robert won and I took a lot of money to the bank. So try out the satellites-online and at the tournaments-there all types and varieties of satellites now. Then get lucky and win your way into a tournament-for a little money, you can win $$$Millions!
Until next time, remember to Stay Lucky!
