I plan on playing in the $550 sat. on Saturday morning. Could we get a roll call on who is planning to attend any of the sats? Good luck in advance to everyone that plans to play.

I just made a post about this in the b&m forum accidentally. Have you played any HPT events before? I was just wondering what to expect out of the caliber of players there.

I'd like to try the sats next sunday but I dont want to deal with it if the HPT is some kind of sharkfest. Anyone play the HPT recently give some input on the play/players?

LOL, sharkfest... I was going to give a witty remark about how live players suck and in this particular location they suck really hard, but insted I will just say the competition in the HPT is extreamly weak.
They get a few people who travel their "circuit" (I saw anna wroblewski at the last one, WTF is she coming all the way to gary, IN to play one $2500 buyin tourney for??) but the majority of the players all get in though the satellites.

Speaking about the satellites, the play in them is really sad. Last time I played in one, there were 2 big stacks with 100K+ chips (avg is like 20K) who started going at each other around the bubble. Lets just say they ended up getting allin vs each other with about even stacs, one had like QQ the other had AJ... They were guaranteed a seat, but insted one of them ended up going out around the bubble. I also saw some guy fold his BB w/ 75% of his chips in the pot, he busted when he was allin on his small blind..

I would say even if you have the slightest idea about how to play SNG's and can beat the $10's online, you will be miles ahead of 95% of the tournament players there. If you can beat the $50NL games online, you have a solid shot at winning the tourney.

I will be going for sure, and playing in all the sats untill I have my seat. Im sure the cash games will be extra juicy too. especially if they can actually get a 5/10NL game going.

I would also like to meet up w/ any 2+2ers who will be going.

Verrry nice. I will most likely be going with a friend this sunday, I'd be happy to meet up GutPunch. Are you staying overnight there?

I played in the last event they had and the above comments are dead on. The number of people who have any concept of how to play in a satellite is probably about 20%. I saw similar things happen at my table where people that should have been sitting on their hands were getting involved in pots. That was lucky for me since I was short stacked in the BB and had 4 limpers in the pot. I caught a FH on the river and took a huge bite out of a guy with an Ace-little flush who could have folded into a seat. Of course he went on major monkey tilt and busted a few spots before the bubble.

In the actual event my table was mostly very tight players with two laggy types that thought they could win the whole tournament by the end of the second round. Needless to say tehy were gone rather quickly. I think the players were a lttle scared and played rather tight for the first few levels.

The one thing that I noticed was how quite the room was. In a typical live MTT there is a lot of noise from people shuffling their chips but here the silence was amazing.

I was wondering if anyone is familiar with the satellite situation from past tourneys. According to the schedule online, it looks like there only a small number of scheduled satellites (that's what they call them, though I'd call them super-satellites). Are there SNGs and or any satellites that aren't included in the schedule? All of the scheduled satellites appear to be of the 2 seat variety (which I'd prefer), but there are some single seat satellites described in the satellite structure description, so I am assuming that there are at least some satellites that are not part of the schedule.

Any insight would be appreciated, as I don't have the ability to play several days worth of spread out satellites, but I would like to have the option to play a couple in one trip. Thanks.

I remember that they started sngs as soon as they filled up. I would call the poker room and ask them.

at the last hpt event they seemed to be running the $65 and $125 sngs whenever they had enough people on the respective lists. so for instance, there might be a $560 mtt sat going on at 1pm, and before or during the mtt they would be running sngs. the stucture for the sngs really suck (1500 chips and 10 minute rounds) and i would only use them if i really had a limited bankroll. the sngs only buy you a seat into the next qualifier ( 560 mtt). imo, the 560 mtt's offer a better chance, as the top 20% qualify, and you at least get to play some poker.

have played several HPT's, won one...the 1 & 2 pay sats usually run continuously...level of play in the sats & quals is meh, very typical for a ME $2500-ish by-in event, or about the same as WSOP-C's sats/prelims.....this event will probably pull in a decent fair share of quality runners since the ME 1st place could pay over $440K if it sells out....

gut, forget 5/10NL @MSII during HPT & go next door to Resorts...the $1K max game rocks

Yeah, the satellite structure did look seriously lame, but that isn't too surprising. Since I haven't spent much time in the local live scene, I figure it might be better to get my feet wet in satellites. I certainly might change my mind. Thanks for the feedback.

In case anyone cares, it would appear that there is some confusion on the HPT website about the satellites. Not all the folks in the Majestic Star card room seem to get what is happening either, based on my phone conversation this afternoon.

Anyhow, the HPT website seems to suggest that there are only SNG qualifiers running, but that they are scheduled at particular times. In fact, the SNGs are just that, run whenever there is a full list, but there are also multi-table tourneys that have the same buy-in ($125) as the two-winner SNGs. The top 20% get qualifier seats. The structure isn't anything wonderful, but it was a lot better than the SNG structure.

So, if you want to play for a qualifier seat and don't want the mind-numbing SNG structure, there is another choice, though there are a limited number of opportunities.

I did manage to win a seat, and I'm set to play a qualifier on Sunday night now. I wouldn't characterize too many of the players from this early round as terrible, but there certainly were at least few that were off-the-charts bad, including some that qualified (anyone there knows who I am referring to). I guess that I should be glad for that. Good luck to anyone else who is planning to play.

Last time I played there were a number of people who won their seats at the $550 qualifier by winning a $125 SNG. I agree that some were pretty bad, I sat there wondering how lucky they were to have won a SNG and how lucky I was that they were at my table.

never have heard of any 125 mtt's at majestic, and i have played every hpt event they have hosted. it is, however, possible that i could have missed something. as far as i know it was just 65 or 125 singles or the 560 mtt, with the top 20% qualifying. they will also run some 560 sngs on the last day before me starts.

it is not really surprising that so called terrible players are qualifying thru the sngs as they are nothing but a shove fest from the get-go.

when did you qualify? was it busy?

winky - the $125 MTT top 20% pays a qualifier seat is very interesting - this event type is news to me, having played multiple HPT venues...don't see anything on-line regarding structure...post link if you see something

gl

I am pretty sure that there is no reference to the MTT structure online, just as there is no indication that such an event existed. It is quite possible that one of the pieces of literature available in the card room itself may have described the structure.

The MTT started Thursday night at 7:00. (If you look at the information here: http://www.heartlandpokertour.com/eventinfo.php?yid=2007&eid=17 , the spots that look like $125 SNGs were actually MTTs, and I do not believe that there will be any more MTTs) There were 71 entrants, so there were 14 seats and change. I failed to get a seat, getting just past halfway. I was in well-above average chip position and went completely card dead. A very badly-timed table change put me in the big blind twice in a few hands, and the antes ate me up.

So, after I lost, I got on a list for a $125 SNG. It took forever to fill up, but thankfully I got my seat on the second try. I had no ability to go back today (Friday), so I had little choice but to take a shot or pay the full $560 for the next round.

I would say that 71 players for the tourney was pretty good for a room of that size on a Thursday, and there were probably only a couple of empty tables at the start. But, I'm not a regular, so I don't know the usual traffic. Things got a bit thin later in the night after the MTT ended.

I just don't get the $66 SNGs. There is already enough luck involved in a 2-winner single table, but add in the heads-up shovefest at the end, and it just isn't worth the time at all.

Not quite sure why everyone is confused by their satellite structure. I personally think the HPT satellite structure rocks.. They allow for a lot of bad players to get in, and have a decent sturcture for the good players.

They have a $65 SNG (which awards 1 seat) and a $125 SNG (which awards 2 seats) to the M.E. satellite.

The $560 M.E. Satellite (which is obv a MTT) awards the top 20% of players seats the HPT M.E. There is no $125 satellite (only SNGs). This is the only way to satellite into the M.E. that I know of. However I think (upon request) they may run some $560 SNG's where 2 M.E. entries are given.

The SNG's go off as they fill up, usually there are plenty of people willing to play these, but they only run on a few tables so there is usually a list. The M.E. Satellite is run usually twice a day at 1PM and 7PM. The times for the M.E. Satellite and the structure for them can be found here: http://www.heartlandpokertour.com/eventinfo.php?yid=2007&eid=17

For those saying that the SNG's are a waste of time, this is completly untrue. Almost all sngs you play (online or live) have a fast structure. This is WAY better for the good players. Like I said before if you can beat the $10 SNG's online, you should be able to CRUSH these live ones. If your push/fold game is good, and you can afford to play a few of these, you should be able to win multiple times.

I have played many of the sng's and rarely do not make it to the final few players. The play at the start of these is just utterly horrible. People love to stack off with KJo early in the sng. Then when the blinds get bigger I see some just awful horrible calls that people make, and they do not push NEARLY enough. I usually just sit tight until the blinds get big and play a solid push/fold game. Obviously there is some varience, but the horrible plays that other people are making should more than compensate you for your time.

Anyways, good luck to everyone who will be playing. I will attempt my first satellite on monday night.

I just got a seat to main event yesterday. This is my second time to get to me through single table SNG to qualifier and then ME. the first time is in July. I didn't do so good in that main event.

For those who want to play the main event and can afford the time (or cannot afford the direct me buy-in), I would suggest at least give the $560 qualifier a try. I don't think I am that a good player (I have been losing on-line $27 SNG for half a year), but I got a seat both time at my first try. The key is to pay more attention around bubble time. The bubble time may come a little earlier than you are aware, due to the quick climbing of the blind. As long as you have a stock close to average when there are half of people need to be eliminated, you are very possiblily be fine by tighting up and just watching the number of the remaining players going down. The speed of last several payers going out is even faster than you would like. When there are 3~5 to go, just make sure u can still post the blinds/antes for a couple of orbits.

As to the single table SNG, it is purely a crap shot. you have to be really aggressive after about half hours into the game. I was extremely luck when I got to only 1k chip (starting chip 1500) and pushed w 9To. I got 4 caller including a pair of Qs as well as KTo. I flopped two pairs and win the hand w a FH. after that everything was easy.

Good luck to you all and see you at the ME.

Me and some friends will be getting into town Friday night as I play Sat morning. Should be a good event and look forward to a good turnout. GL to all!

Ill be playing cash games all week...Look for a big guy in a baggy hoody playing cash games and maybe a satellite.....

Last yr my boy took 4th and he is a good 2-5/5-10 NLH player.

I would LOL at the way people are making out the cash games to be juicy here....I can tell you I havent played recently but in 04/05/06 the 2-5 NLH game her during the week was like a 5-10 or 10-20 in Vegas....every time I went to Vegas I thought about turning pro it was that night/day even though the 2-5 was juicy here .....but now its fairly rocky from what I hear outside the Friday/Sat nights when all hell breaks loose.

I played the $125 SNG last night and witnessed some of the most horrific play I have ever seen. I of course was using a push/fold method, but even solid play can't overcome the laughable ten minute blind levels. On top of that, you have clowns who are DISGUSTED that they have to muck A-T on a nine high board and take at least 45 seconds to decide to muck which causes you to see a very minimal amount of hands before the blinds become astronomical.

i was down there yesterday (wednesday) and played in both of the 560's. failed to qualify as i couldn't win a race situation when i needed to. me tt<at, me 99<aq, me ak<k6. oh well.
general impressions....

the sign-up process is a joke, get there early. lines were out the door for the 7pm qualifier, causing it to stars 45 minutes late. i would have thought they might have come up with a better system since this is like the 4th hpt event at ms.

dealers need to take better charge of the tables. to much inappropriate table talk, showing cards to neighbors, and blatant team play at the bubble. people actually talked to each other about how to team up against the short stacks.

regulars and/or locals obviously soft playing each other.

people were taking forever to call/fold even at the earliest stages. not good with the fast stucture.

it is mind boggling to me how many people with huge stacks are still making huge bets or calls near the bubble, when they could easily fold there way into the me. being the chip leader doesn't matter people!