I Won A Satellite Into The Poker Stars Sunday Million Tournament

It took me five years to do it, but on Sunday, July 26th around 12 noon I won a ticket to the Poker Stars Sunday Million Tournament. Woo hoo! I won the ticket in a $11 + $0.70 double shootout sitngo. I failed the first double shootout but I succeeded the second try.

The second double shootout I actually placed 1st. When it got down to just 3 players, the other two players got into a battle and I won by default. Top two places got tickets.

I was very excited!

Now, I should have probably sold the ticket for Tournament dollars or cash, since a $215 ticket represents roughly 50% of my bankroll right now. But there is just no way I could not play. I had to play at least once.

I did okay for my first Sunday Million. I made it through a couple breaks. I went out in about 3140th place of about 8300 or so players. That is in the Top 40%.

One thing I learned in these large field deep stack tournaments is high cards go down in value and suited connectors and pocket pairs go way up in value. Top Pair Top Kicker or pocket AA or KK can be your doom in the early part of the tournament. It is better to play more hands with those suited connectors and pocket pairs and try to flop a monster. You want to pay a lot of attention to implied odds.

For example, I also played in the monthly Turbo Takedown on Poker Stars an hour or so before the Sunday Million. I went out in about the 5th hand. I did not do enough research and overplayed pocket AA. Stacks started at 3000 chips, so it was considered a deep stack tournament. The guy who took me out had pocket 44 and hit the set on the turn. I only had unimproved overpair AA. I ended up all in on the turn and lost the tournament.

I did not make that mistake in the Sunday Million. But I once again overplayed over pair and did a big bluff. I had Top Pair Top Kicker - Queens. But, my opponent was calling my raises. When the river put three clubs on the board, I bluffed the flush draw and my opponent called with a K high flush. All I had was those queens. Sad Sad Sad.

I lost both tournament by over playing over pair. I should know better.

In these large field tournaments you should only play trips or better past the flop. That is not a hard fast rule, but if you don't have a read on your opponent it is a good idea.

But just playing in the Sunday Million was enough for me. Now I have accomplished that goal. Next time I win a satellite into the Sunday Million I may trade it for T$ or cash because my bankroll needs the boost.

I could have parlayed that $215 into 215 Tournament Dollars and parlayed that into even more money.

Anyways, I am now in full scale moving mode. We move in 9 days. I won't get much if any poker time until after the move, August 7th. Then there is the unpacking and getting internet installed.