To facilitate more players getting into events, poker tournaments run satellites. Most one-table satellites are 10 handed with each player putting up 10 percent of the cost of the entry into the main event (from $100 to $10,000) plus an extra $10-20 for the casino. The 10 players then play a 1 to 2 hour mini-tournament until one player is left. That player gets the entry fee for the main event. Note: When only 2 or 3 players remain in the satellite, deals are often made to split up the entry among the remaining players.
Super-satellites are similar to one-table satellites except they are multi-tabled (usually 4-10 tables). They are conducted for the tournaments that have larger entry fees. These events usually allow optional re-buys (another entry for another entry fee) by players losing all their chips the first hour of the super-satellite. These events also usually generate enough to pay entry fees in the main event for several players.
Since satellites for tournament play were first started, thousands of players have won their way into tournaments. Along the way I have seen some strange things.
Less than an hour remained before the start of the main seven-card stud event in the World Series of Poker.
My friend Rex got into the last one-table satellite before the tournament. As play started, one player who had paid for the satellite was missing. In this situation, an ante is taken for each hand from the missing player’s chips until the player returns or his chips are gone.
Over the next 45 minutes Rex played well and eliminated all the players from the satellite except the missing player (who had never returned, but still had some chips). Rex claimed the win, but the dealer said he would have to continue dealing until the missing player was out of chips. This seemed unnecessary but Rex agreed. They continued over the next few minutes- just the dealer, an empty seat, and Rex. Numerous strange looks came from the players arriving for the main event.
Finally, the missing player’s last chips went into the pot. However, he got 3 jacks dealt to him in his four up cards. The dealer said he won the hand since Rex could not beat the 3 jacks. This was ridiculous. There was no he; there was no player.
Amazingly, the satellite director was uncertain and wanted to get a ruling from the tournament director. As he went looking for the tournament director, a guy showed up claiming to be the missing player. He wanted to play.
Finally, Rex got a ruling that he had won the satellite, as they were about to start the main event. He took it as a bad omen that he had struggled for 30-40 minutes to beat an “empty seat.” He decided to skip the main event and use the entry another day.
Strange but true.
