So I've started playing a number of satellites of varying types. Some are xx seats to next round and some are 'Ends level xx'

Now at some point people lock up and the VPIP's of most go through the floor to a point that nearly everyone on every table is slow and very tight. In many cases nearly everyone is under 15 BB or so. I am sure you know the position.

So is there any thinking around when to slow down or how to play these optimally? I am sure it depends on many factors but is there any general points I should be looking for. Things like..

Number of people to go out
Average BB
My stack/BB
Levels before end of satellite etc.

Anyone got any thoughts. I am assuming someone will say play as normal and make the most of the nitty play or don't slow down but as nearly everyone on the tables do there must be something in it...

EDIT : I am talking online here for the moment.
Cheers.

Satellite strat is quite peculiar and specific. Are you playing events with a large field size and a fairly high number of tickets/seats being paid?
Generally speaking in those, you can reach a "safe" stacksize/position where it no longer benefits you to play any hands. If the field is smaller, with only a small number of tickets/seats, then you can't "fold to the money", and you often have to take a few risks. Usually, the players with medium stacks have the least incentive to get involved. They should be the most risk-averse, which means you can steal their blinds. Big stacks can do a lot of strealing, but also need to be careful about playing against other big stacks that could cripple them. The shorties that can't safely fold every hand have to look for spots where they can open jam to try and steal the blinds/antes.

FWIW, in big field satties I used to do what I called "bubble math". It goes like this:
If 50 people will get paid, and there are 60 people still alive, then you're normally safe if you're 60-50 = 10 places above the bubble position. i.e. if you're in 40th or higher, you're basically safe and can fold every hand, as you only need 10 people to go broke, and it's highly unlikely that all 10 that are currently outside the money will double up and put you in danger. If you're sitting outside the bubble position, you need to make a move, because you won't be able to ladder up 10 places. If you're right on the bubble position, it's gonna be really tense and you just have to keep your wits about you, not going crazy, but you should also look for spots to chip up and get "safer".

In microstakes satties, there are often many people that have no ****ing clue about correct satty strategy (they treat it like a normal tourney), so sometimes you can ladder up by folding while they make ICM suicide attempts, so it pays to pay attention to who are the crazy players. Don't jam on the guys with huge stacks if you want to stay alive.

These articles by satty guru Dara O' Kearney should help you too:
http://www.bluffeurope.com/PokerMaga...attle_238.aspx
http://www.pokerplayer365.com/poker-...of-satellites/

It varies as I'm playing a few but initially its about 600 people for 200 tickets then about 180 for 50 and 150 or so for 20. The first is kind of a free roll so just a crap shoot.
Yep that's pretty much how it works out. The HUD also makes it pretty clear who is and isn't playing. I tend to play pretty tight in these tourneys so am regularly mid to low stacked hence the end game being more of an issue to me than wilder guys.

I'll bear that in mind. As I am in 2 different tourneys, each with about 5 levels and each changing format it's very complicated. First three levels are for tickets, last few are to end of level 18 and one is for chipstack to go through to the final day so the strategy towards the end of the game is different in almost every one. I've taken to writing notes in a book about certain situations. What chipstack and level a certain player locks up, how did he fare at the end. What placing lock up more than others, mainly mid stacks as you say and so on to try see if there is pattern or repeatable technique evolving. Problem is my position on the leaderboard is also different so one strat to try when mid stacked may not work when I'm shorter etc. I'm not looking for a by the book pattern, just an idea of think about when I'm in top 10, mid table or towards the bottom in each.

This could not be more true. Some of the play is just jaw dropping. Just after posting this the other night I bust out of a game giving an $1100 seat to a 500K GTD. Went out 8 mins before the end. Just had to make a move and got unlucky. Watching the rest of the game people were shoving when there was absolutely no need to. 5 went out in a 6 minute span before the end. Incredibly 1 minute 45 before the end and these guys won a ticket there was a three way all in. JJ shoved, QQ called and the monster stack finished the action with AA. The two guys were absolutely guaranteed a seat so WTF are they doing? I was dumbfounded. With dumb play like this and too many more to mention it's difficult to get a clear strategy.

I'll most certainly try your sums as a note when I am playing. A friend of mine had a rule that he multiplied the number of players left by starting stack at a certain point, or something like that, which he says gives him a stack he than stop playing with and be safe of getting blinded out. This is also on my list of things to check. I've seen guys get through with less than an ante left so not sure it's a solid strat.

Many thanks for these. I'll certainly have a read. I guess the best thing is just keep playing, gain experience and take something away from each game to be able to think objectively at the time rather than a fixed strat.

Thanks for the response.