Playing a WSOP Satellite for the $3000 Limit Hold’em Event:
I decided to play the $3000 limit hold’em event at the WSOP. I really don’t like paying to get into the tournaments. I normally will play up to 3 satelites to get into a tournament. My philosophy is that if you don’t play well enough to win one of three satellites you probably are not going to win the tournament either.
I have generally faired pretty well using this method. more often than not I win my seat in the first or second satellite. After getting off to a slow start in this $325 satellite, watching the monkeys blow off their chips with overaggressive play, I finally got a few hands to hold up and started to pick up some pots and develop a decent table image then this hand transpired. Middle position player raised the pot, another fairly predictable player 3 bet, I put him on two 10’s or two jacks, I look down to find kk on the button and come into the pot for 4 bets cold. Flop comes down Q 9 3 rainbow, the queen worries me a little, but not enough to keep me from betting:), I bet, early positon player calls, and the pre-flop 3 better folds. Turn card pairs the board with a 9, I didn’t think this card hurt my hand, so I came out firing, and got raised. I was a little surprised at the raise, I really couldn’t put someone on a 9 with the preflop action, and would think that if the player flopped a set they probably would have raised the flop, the pot was already big, why mess around? Needless to say, I was a little confused as to what my opponent had, I still had a lot of chips and decided to call. Off peel’s one of the worst cards in the deck for my hand, another Queen. Now the board is double paired queen’s and nine’s (puke). I check and against my better judgement call ( In retrospect, I should have folded). Opponent shows me 4 nines. Oops! Luckily I still had a lot of chips. At one point I had over 9000 of the 15000 chips in Play, but after blinding off a couple hands found myself hovering around 8000 with 3 players left. Finally, the 3rd wheel was eliminated and we were headsup in the satellite, almost dead even in chips. I had 7700, my oponet 7300 and the blinds were 400-800. One hand could change everything. It is extremely common in satellites to “chop em up”, technically they are winner take all in this case 3000 in tournament chips & $120 in cash. My opponent offered to take $1500 & I would get $1620 & take care of the dealer tip. Seemed fair, so I took it. $1275 profit for slightly over an hours worth of play. In retrospect, I think I should have locked up $500 for second and played for the balance. I think I was a favorite against this particular guy heads-up, but who knows anything can happen short handed and the blinds are huge compared to the chips in play. I’ll take the guaranteed money most anytime.
It’s now 12:00 and the $3000 Limit Hold’em event is starting. Decision time? Pony up the balance of $1700 to play? or pocket the cash? I decided to play, I like my chances in limit hold’em and this particualar tournament will be a big payday. I’m off to play!
Today’s Poker Lesson: If you want to play in a big buyin tournament, don’t just buy in. Play up to 3 one table satellites. If you can’t win or at least chop some money in 1 out of 3 one table satellites you probably don’t have the skills it takes to win the tournament anyhow.
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