Satellite Tournaments

Anyone who has ever taken in one of the large televised Holdem Poker tournaments will be sure to notice among the professionals and poker superstars a "mere mortal" who the commentator will tell you that they made it to the final table through a poker satellite. This doesn't mean that they just flown in from outer space but instead have earned their seat at the tournament from winning a satellite tournament. Winning a satellite tournament means that they don't have to pay an entry fee, which at some of the really high value tournaments can reach as high as five figures, putting them well out of the financial reach of the average player.

Obviously the organisers of these major tournaments need to cover their costs so there is not that many satellite prizes available, and those that are, are always hard fought for. There are also different levels of satellite tournaments going on all the time, with prizes equaling entry into minor online tournaments and entry into larger satellites which might eventually lead to a major online or televised tournament.

Entry into satellite tournaments for a player is like taking part in a kind of progressive jackpot competition. There are still cash prizes to be won, but they are generally lower than a normal Holdem Poker tournament. The reason that most players enter a satellite tournament is to hopefully find their way into a major tournament and at low cost. For those players whose stack is a little higher and who want to try and take a short cut into a major tournament, there are "mini satellite tournaments". These satellites have a limited entry of say twenty players who each pay $500 plus a ten percent premium, with the single prize being a $10,000 entry ticket to a major tournament.