The Official WSOP ME Satellite Challenge Thread

OK. So it seems a lot of us out there are vying for that seat in the WSOP Main Event. Whether it's you old timers or those online gamers who are turning 21 in July, I would like to issue a challenge (NOTE: This is a friendly challenge, as opposed to an "I [cencored] your girlfriend" challenge. It's intention is to provide some friendly competition around trying to qualify for the 2006 WSOP ME).

So I'd like to keep this thread live with updates if possible. For anyone seriously persuing a ME seat, post a little blurb about your plan (your alotted satellite bankroll, which site you plan to try at, etc.). Then, once the satellites swing into high gear, we can all post updates on progress (success and failures welcome).

I'll start us off...

I'm 22 and decided that this would the first year that I seriously persue a WSOP ME seat (though I am more interested in winning some smaller WSOP tournament buy-ins, but those satellites seem tough to find). Right now, I've only really seen some good satellites at Full Tilt (I believe they just started a couple of weekly ones). I know Absolute has also been running a weekly $100 one, but 1/110 doesn't seem like such great odds to me, so I've passed on those.

Success: None, so far
Plan: Full Tilt, until Stars unleashes their Double Shootouts and Party unleashes their WSOP Steps Challenge
Budget: Willing to spend about $2K or so, but that will go awful quick if I don't discipline myself to buy-in to some smaller qualifiers.

Good luck!

[DVaut1]

[ QUOTE ]
(though I am more interested in winning some smaller WSOP tournament buy-ins, but those satellites seem tough to find).

[/ QUOTE ]

FYI, Royal Vegas Poker is running a bunch of satellites to the preliminary events, along with a very-cool sounding promotion where you can win buy-ins to all the events (except the $50k HORSE), plus travel, room & board, and expenses:

http://www.royalvegaspoker.com/wsop2006.asp#multi

Also, Absolute is running bi-weekly "$5k WSOP Choice" tournaments, where Absolute will buy the satellite winner(s) into $5k worth of events (players choice). I don't see it listed on their website, but if you go to their tournament lobby and browse, you should see some details about it. I'm not sure if the $5k all goes to buy-ins, or if your travel expenses comes out of the prize. Either way, that could buy you into two prelim. events with buy-ins between $1.5k-$2k.

I'm not sure of other sites running sats to preliminary events but I think there may be others -- Absolute and RVP were the two I'm aware of.

FWIW, I would just wait for Stars to start running theirs. There's lots of different ways (i.e. juicy satellites) to build a T$/W$ bankroll (which you can start doing now). I saw FullTilt's promos and they looked interesting enough. The $1k weekly they're running has a nice player/seat ratio.

[ QUOTE ]
FYI, Royal Vegas Poker is running a bunch of satellites to the preliminary events, along with a very-cool sounding promotion where you can win buy-ins to all the events (except the $50k HORSE), plus travel, room & board, and expenses:

http://www.royalvegaspoker.com/wsop2006.asp#multi

[/ QUOTE ]

I know PokerHost is also running similar satellites to smaller buy-in events. Problem is, since PokerHost is not the most popular poker site, these satellites barely draw anybody. I wonder if this is the same scenario with Royal Vegas Poker?

[ QUOTE ]
Also, Absolute is running bi-weekly "$5k WSOP Choice" tournaments, where Absolute will buy the satellite winner(s) into $5k worth of events (players choice). I don't see it listed on their website, but if you go to their tournament lobby and browse, you should see some details about it. I'm not sure if the $5k all goes to buy-ins, or if your travel expenses comes out of the prize. Either way, that could buy you into two prelim. events with buy-ins between $1.5k-$2k.

[/ QUOTE ]

Now that sounds cool, especially since I'd be most interested in qualifying for the 1K or 1.5K events that happen during or near the ME. Sounds like it's time to setup an Absolute account.

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure of other sites running sats to preliminary events but I think there may be others -- Absolute and RVP were the two I'm aware of.

[/ QUOTE ]

Does Stars eventually run these? Since their name is now automatically associated with WSOP Satellites, you would think they would. I sure hope so, because at least on a mainstream site, the draw to these satellites (which would award somewhere between 1/20 and 1/5) would be juicy.

[ QUOTE ]
FWIW, I would just wait for Stars to start running theirs. There's lots of different ways (i.e. juicy satellites) to build a T$/W$ bankroll (which you can start doing now).

[/ QUOTE ]

Stupid Beginner Question Alert: Could you perhaps give a brief explanation of what T$/W$ is? I've seen it mentioned a lot, but never bothered to ask.

Thanks! And good luck if you're also looking to qualify.

[DVaut1]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
FYI, Royal Vegas Poker is running a bunch of satellites to the preliminary events, along with a very-cool sounding promotion where you can win buy-ins to all the events (except the $50k HORSE), plus travel, room & board, and expenses:

http://www.royalvegaspoker.com/wsop2006.asp#multi

[/ QUOTE ]

I know PokerHost is also running similar satellites to smaller buy-in events. Problem is, since PokerHost is not the most popular poker site, these satellites barely draw anybody. I wonder if this is the same scenario with Royal Vegas Poker?

[/ QUOTE ]

Royal Vegas has a decent sized player population. I'm not sure how well the satellites draw, though.

[ QUOTE ]
Does Stars eventually run these?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd expect they'd begin sometime soon -- probably in March. But I don't know exactly when they begin.

[ QUOTE ]
Since their name is now automatically associated with WSOP Satellites, you would think they would. I sure hope so, because at least on a mainstream site, the draw to these satellites (which would award somewhere between 1/20 and 1/5) would be juicy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Stars largest satellite last year (that is, the one with the higest buy-in, awarding the most amount of seats to the smallest number of satellite entrants) were the weekly $615+35, where they awared 1 seat for every $11k in the prizepool. I assume Stars will offer the same sats. this year, but again, I don't know.

[ QUOTE ]
Stupid Beginner Question Alert: Could you perhaps give a brief explanation of what T$/W$ is? I've seen it mentioned a lot, but never bothered to ask.

[/ QUOTE ]

http://www.pokerstars.com/tournaments.html


"Poker Tournament Dollars (T$) - PokerStars Exclusive
As the world's largest online poker tournament site, PokerStars is proud to offer a unique Tournament Dollar system. When you qualify to any event through a satellite (excluding the W Dollars events discussed below), you have the option to unregister from the target event and receive Tournament Dollars. These Tournament Dollars can be used to register in any other PokerStars tournament, including Sit & Gos, and satellites. If you win multiple seats to the same target event, the value of these seats will be automatically credited to your Tournament Dollar account. Tournament Dollars differ from real money, because they cannot be used in real money games - only for buying into poker tournaments.

Many events will not allow you to unregister until one hour prior to the event. In that case, you may email PokerStars support at support@pokerstars.com to have us unregister you immediately. Please include your User ID, and the tournament number you wish to be unregistered from.

To check your Tournament Dollar balance at anytime, please visit the cashier window through the lobby.

W Dollars (W$)
In addition to our Tournament Dollars, we also offer special W$. W$ can be used to register into any qualifying special PokerStars event.

Special poker events currently include:

PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA)
European Poker Tour (EPT)
PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP)
World Series of Poker (WSOP)
World Poker Tour Championship (WPT)
When you win a seat in one of the W$ special events, for example a seat in the 2005 PCA-WPT event in the Bahamas, you must play the event and will not be allowed to unregister. If you win multiple seats in the same event, the value of these seats will be automatically credited to your W$ account. If you win a seat to a satellite for a W$ special event, you have the option to unregister from the satellite and receive W$. W$ can be used to register in any W$ special event.

Many events will not allow you to unregister until one hour prior to the event. In that case, you may email PokerStars support to have us unregister you immediately. Please include your User ID, and the tournament number you wish to be unregistered from. The email for the poker tournament support team is: support@pokerstars.com.

To check your W$ balance at anytime, please visit the cashier window through the lobby.

** Tournament Dollars can be used to register into regular and special events; W$ can only be used for special events."

[bsheck]

I'm a 21 year old gambling addict who craves the action. This will be my first year pursuing a WSOP seat. I have about $300 to spend and my main site is Party. I am willing to spend a couple hundred more if necessary. I don't really care about the main event so much (though I would certainly take a seat/enter a qualifer should right opportunity come along). I'm probably looking to play in a the $1500 limit hold'em event though, maybe a NL or PL event up to $2k. I figured since there are some posts in this thread about satellites to lesser events, maybe this could be a satellite challenge for the whole World Series, and not just the Main Event.

I also have a question. For the sites that offer expenses, do they typically set you up with a hotel room/airline ticket or do they just give you the money and leave you on your own to do that? It's probably not the same for all sites, but if anyone knows off the top of their head for any particular site, it would be helpful to me, thanks.

[DVaut1]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm a 21 year old gambling addict who craves the action. This will be my first year pursuing a WSOP seat. I have about $300 to spend and my main site is Party. I am willing to spend a couple hundred more if necessary. I don't really care about the main event so much (though I would certainly take a seat/enter a qualifer should right opportunity come along). I'm probably looking to play in a the $1500 limit hold'em event though, maybe a NL or PL event up to $2k. I figured since there are some posts in this thread about satellites to lesser events, maybe this could be a satellite challenge for the whole World Series, and not just the Main Event.

[/ QUOTE ]

If I had to guess, I doubt Party will be offering sats. to the smaller WSOP events. It will probably be difficult to find online sats. to smaller events, although (as mentioned earlier) there are some sites offering them.

[ QUOTE ]
I also have a question. For the sites that offer expenses, do they typically set you up with a hotel room/airline ticket or do they just give you the money and leave you on your own to do that? It's probably not the same for all sites, but if anyone knows off the top of their head for any particular site, it would be helpful to me, thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you won a Stars ME satellite last year, you won $11k from the prize pool -- $10k for the WSOP ME seat, and $1k in cash to (ostensibly) cover the flight/other expenses. They put the $1k in your account immediately after you win the satellite, so you're free to do with it what you want (which is why I say it's only ostensibly to cover travel expenses).

For the 2005 Main Event, *if* you agreed to wear Stars gear during the tournament, they'll provide you with: 7 nights hotel (they put most Stars qualifiers, including myself, up at the Mirage -- although others were at TI) or they'll give you another $1k in cash. So the Stars ME Prize Packages last year were essentially worth $12k, with $11k coming from the satellite prize pools, while Stars kicked in and paid for your lodging OR gave you another $1k in cash, credited to your PS account, if you agreed to their sponsorship deal.

[ QUOTE ]
I figured since there are some posts in this thread about satellites to lesser events, maybe this could be a satellite challenge for the whole World Series, and not just the Main Event.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point, and that's actually what I had intended it to be. Consider it changed, for the purpose of this thread.

[ QUOTE ]
I also have a question. For the sites that offer expenses, do they typically set you up with a hotel room/airline ticket or do they just give you the money and leave you on your own to do that? It's probably not the same for all sites, but if anyone knows off the top of their head for any particular site, it would be helpful to me, thanks.

[/ QUOTE ]

When I won the $13.5K prize package for the PPM V Cruise, they transferred $800 into my Party account which was to be used for me to purchase my airline tickets. They paid for my lodging, but I am assuming that was because it was all tied in to the cruise itself (i.e., the lodging was related to the actual tournament).

It's a good question because I want to know if I should book my airfare/hotel now for the ME (and then just reimburse myself if I win a satellite) or wait until I potentially win a package.

Anyone?

[DVaut1]

[ QUOTE ]
It's a good question because I want to know if I should book my airfare/hotel now for the ME (and then just reimburse myself if I win a satellite) or wait until I potentially win a package.

Anyone?

[/ QUOTE ]

I would wait. I assume most packages will cover lodging, and most sites won't refund you if you choose to book a hotel on your own (again, to my knowledge -- I may be wrong, or some sites may have changed their policies).

As I said, though, (last year) Stars gave you an extra $1k if you preferred to make your own hotel arrangements (and you agreed to wear their gear). Stars pwns though, and I wouldn't expect such niceties from the other sites -- hence why I also recommended waiting for the Stars sats. since they have (in my estimation) the most player-friendly terms when and if you qualify for an event through them.

[burningyen]

So far: 2 sats on UB and 1 on Absolute, down $549.
Plan: I've decided to focus more on sub-$50 super-sats on all the sites
Budget: $3k

I won a seat last year and know that my chances of getting back in are remote.

[ QUOTE ]
I won a seat last year and know that my chances of getting back in are remote.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do tell. [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

I love hearing these stories (both about how you qualified and how you fared at the ME).