Satellite advice please

[MattW]

i"ve a quick quetion that nmay not have a quick answer - I"ve been playing $80 satellites for the aussie millions on paddy power, there"s generally about 8 or 9 players, 1st gets a seat to the $500 satellite, 2nd and 3rd ususally get their money back - I keep getting second/third and don"t seem to be able to get to the next stage - any ideas?  Structure seems good and their"s no rush to put in chips....  i play my normal steady game and either get unlucky AK v KK or am heavily outchipped when down to 2/3 players...
Should I be doing something differently or keep plugging away hoping to win one?  I"m ok with getting my money back but it does seem a waste of a couple of hours...

[AMRN]

I"m not a satellite expert and don"t play that many, however the situation you describe seems relatively akin to a standard STT.

Personally, I think that consistently making the last two/three, and getting your money back is not a bad thing. Reaching the cash bubble with a shortstack is a pain, but better than being the wrong side of an early gamble, and not cashing at all.  That early gamble might bring you to the bubble with a monster stack, but even then that is no guarantee that you will win.

If this were a winner takes all tourney, then I would advocate the early gamble and playing for the win from the start..... but when a third of the field is getting a prize, ICM comes into play a lot more as it would in a conventional STT, and making the money becomes imperative.

Keep plugging away, you"ll get there Matt.... don"t see cashing as a bad thing though.



I"m sure someone will respond now and tell me this is crap..........

[pokerpops]

I"m assuming the standard is decent? $80 bi as a feeder suggests it should be or is that optimistic?

3 handed with relatively even stacks is a game of patience. Generally, shove at least once an orbit (button and every time the button folds and you are sb) and only call a shove with AA or maybe KK.
If you run into someone else holding AA (or maybe KK or less) when you shove, get lucky.

Once you get HU it"s more stack and opponent dependent and most of my satellite success at the higher buyins has come in games with more than one seat where the need to win the lot is taken out of the equation.

[WYoung83]

Is it a 9 handed sng? If you keep coming 2nd and 3rd and getting some money back then keep plugging away as Steve said before, your probably not doing much wrong, volume is the key in sngs because the variance is high and they become shooty quickly.
Maybe loosen up 5 handed and look for spots when people are playing tighter and exploit them, this is easier said than done though, another thing with sngs is knowing correct calling and shoving ranges.

[VBlue]

Not much immediate help, but I am going ot be taking some coaching in sats in Jan 2013 for my asault on the UK tour online sats next year.

I"ll try and remember to come back with some pearls of wisdom.