Former Champ ElkY Helps You Win Your Way to 2014 PCA

This Friday PokerStars is holding a massive mega-qualifier with at least 50 packages to the 2014 PCA main event up for grabs. And in case you haven't heard, next year's PCA main event has a guaranteed prize pool of $10 million.

Direct buy-in to the qualifier is $700 but players can win their way in for as little as $1 in satellites running now.

Keep reading for tips from ElkY, Barry Greenstein, Chris Moneymaker, Vanessa Rousso and Marcin Horecki.

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Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier

Satellite strategy is very different from regular tournaments as there is no prize difference as long as you get the package.

Barry would love to see you at the 2014 PCA.

 

So survival is of prime importance and you want to take only the spots where you know you have a much bigger edge, especially if there are shorter stacks than you and the bubble is looming.

Keep that in mind and best of luck to you guys, hope our paths will cross at the upcoming PCA 2014! It will be an amazing event!

Barry Greenstein

Most players play very tight and try to eke into the money since they know that they only need to survive until the end, even if they have a short stack.

To exploit this strategy in your opponents I suggest that you gamble early and push people around to try to build up a big stack so that you can coast into the money.

You will be able to force the survivalists to fold a lot of hands they would normally call with in a real tournament.

Moneymaker knows a thing or two about winning satellites.

 

Chris Moneymaker

Satellites are a great way to get into a tournament for cheap. Take it from me.

Satellites obviously differ from a regular MTT in that last place pays as much as first so the goal isn't to win the tournament, just survive. Early on I play my normal MTT game and proceed to do so into the middle stages.

If I get to later part with a big stack it's usually easy to hold on for the seat. If I am a middle-stack focus on the big stacks being too aggressive and look for good re-steal opportunities.

The larger stack will look to preserve his stack more in a satellite than an MTT where the goal is to win. If you found yourself short late, target the blinds of the medium stacks to accumulate free chips.

Satellites are always about stack sizes late. Be aware of your stack size in relation to the remaining field. When playing a normal MTT I never worry about other tables’ stack-sizes but that is a big mistake not to monitor it late in a satellite.

Vanessa Rousso

When you have qualified for an event at just a fraction of the cost of the buy-in, it can be very exciting. Indeed, something you would normally be excited to talk about and share with others.

However, that is one of the most dangerous things you can do at the poker table because the other players at your table will now put extra pressure on you as the bubble approaches, armed with the information that even a min-cash would mean an enormous ROI for you!

Marcin Horecki

At the beginning play like in any other tournament but adjust your strategy later. Remember that you don't need to get all the chips to win the PCA Package.

Play a smart strategy balancing your risk with the amount of chips needed to survive the bubble.

Folding AA or KK when facing an all-in on the bubble when you would get a seat by folding is 100% the right play.