Absolute Poker WSOP satellites give players the chance to participate in the World Series without paying the massive buyin. These tournaments cost just a few dollars to enter and instead of giving out cash prizes, they give away free seats to the biggest poker tournaments in the world, including the WSOP.

Satellite tournaments start out at just $0.10 and go up from there in cost. At the lowest buyins, you’ll participate in super satellites. In these tournaments, the prizes are free entry to satellites that award WSOP packages. In the more expensive satellites, you’ll compete directly for $12,000 WSOP packages.

This year, Absolute Poker is holding a variety of WSOP satellites but the two biggest ones are the 25 seat guarantee and the 50 seat guarantee. Each tournament guarantees a minimum of 25 and 50 seats and costs $500 to enter. You can also win your way in to that tournament by participating in super satellites for even cheaper.

WSOP Step Satellites

Multi-table tournaments aren’t the only way you can win your way in to the World Series of Poker. Absolute Poker also hosts single table step tournaments. These tournaments start out at level one for $0.10 and progress all the way up to level 10. The prizes for steps 1-9 are entries to the next step up. At level 10, you’ll compete for a $12,000 prize package to the WSOP.

The cool thing about Absolute Poker step tournaments is that you don’t have to take first place every time to have a shot at winning it all. Step 3, for example, gives the top two players tickets to step 4, the next two finishers tickets to try step 3 again and the person who goes out in 5th place gets a ticket to try step 2 again. You can buy in at any level you want and move up from there. You can even buy in at Step 10 and go straight for the big win.

Absolute Poker WSOP Prize Packages

Each Absolute Poker WSOP prize package is worth $12,000. As soon as you win the satellite tournament, $2,000 will be credited to your poker account. About three weeks before the WSOP, you’ll receive an extra $10,000 to your account. You can then use that money to buy in directly to the WSOP. If something comes up and you can’t attend, you can keep that money and spend it as you wish.

If you qualify for a seat at the WSOP through Absolute Poker, you’ll also be able to participate in the “Final Table Sweetener” promotion. In this promotion, you can earn up to $750,000 extra depending on how well you do at the Main Event. If you finish in first place, Absolute Poker will give you an extra $750,000 to go along with your prize money. At that point, $750,000 might not seem like a lot of money but every little bit helps.

Win the Most Seats Promotion

If you’re really into satellite tournaments, you might find the Absolute Poker “Win the Most Seats” promotion pretty nice. During the time leading up to the WSOP, Absolute Poker will keep track of how many Main Event packages each player wins. For each package you win, not only will you get $12,000 dropped straight into your player account, but you’ll also move in the prize package leaderboard.

At the end of the WSOP season, the player with the most won prize packages will receive an extra $5,000 in tournament dollars. This means you’ll get to play in $5,000 worth of tournaments at Absolute Poker without paying a single dollar. The actual value of that $5,000 is hard telling but I can imagine you’ll do something great with it – after all, you managed to win more WSOP satellite tournaments than anyone else.

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Tournaments vs. Cash Games

The Absolute Poker bonus is released much faster in cash games than in tournaments. If you’re a tournament player, I recommend you clear the bonus by playing in cash games first. Even though cash games might not be your specialty, you’ll get through the bonus a lot faster. Just play a tight game and wait for monster hands and you’ll do fine.

If you’re leery of making the switch to cash games, don’t forget there’s always fixed limit Holdem. The fixed betting sizes limit the amount of money you can lose in a single hand. This is great for players who are more comfortable in tournaments than in cash games. At the very least, try it out for a few hundred hands and then evaluate your play from there.

Fixed limit is actually the best type of poker to play if you want to clear this bonus as fast as possible. Fixed limit Holdem games generate more Status Points, which are the key to earning out the bonus. If you’re looking for the absolute fastest way to clear the Absolute Poker bonus, fixed limit is the way to go.

Low Stakes vs. High Stakes

The bonus is released as you earn Status Points at Absolute Poker. The rate at which you earn those points is based primarily on the stakes you play. The higher stakes you play, the faster you earn Status Points and the faster your bonus is released. The bonus can be cleared just fine at small stakes games but it will take longer to do so.

Some players move up in stakes just to clear bonuses but I recommend you don’t do that. You should always play at stakes that fit your bankroll. Moving up in stakes just to clear a bonus is a pretty bad idea. If you play on a short bankroll, it’s easy to go broke and have to start over from scratch. Then it won’t matter how fast your bonus would have been released.

Hand Volume

If you really want to clear the bonus fast, you’ll want to put in some serious volume at the tables each day. You probably already knew that but I figured I would put it in writing for you. No matter what games or stakes you play, you’re going to have to play poker to release the bonus. If you sit down and really focus on grinding out those hands, you’ll clear the bonus a lot faster.

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Use the referral code APBONUS2010 for a $500 deposit bonus

The tournament only costs $10 to enter so it’s a great way to donate to a charity and have a little fun at the same time. The chance to win prizes doesn’t hurt either. If you win your way in to the Sunday 200K and do well there, you can potentially make a lot of money.

How the Absolute Poker Charity Works

Every week, Absolute Poker chooses a different charity to donate all buyins to. In the first tournament, AbsolutePoker donated the money to the San Antonia Aids Foundation. Next month, they’ll choose another charity and donate all buyins to that tournament. This will continue on for as long as players continue to show up.

On top of that, Absolute Poker will pitch in $2,150 worth of free tournament entries for players who place well. The top five finishers will receive entry to the Sunday $200K and the first place finisher will also receive a $120 pair of Monster Jamz headphones.

On top of that, every single player who participates will receive an entry to Monday’s bonus freeroll. That freeroll is an invitation only tournament with a maximum of 400 players allowed. The top five finishers in that tournament win a free entry to the Sunday $200K.

AbsolutePoker.com Second Sunday

If you would like to try your hand at the Second Sunday, you can get started by visiting AbsolutePoker.com and downloading the software. After that, you will need to create an account and make a deposit. Once you have that out of the way, you can participate in the tournament on the second Sunday of any month.

This tournament benefits a great cause so I strongly recommend you check it out. It doesn’t cost much to enter but it still offers valuable prizes. These organizations do a lot of good for other people and it really doesn’t require much from you. This charity event is definitely one of the coolest ways to help the less fortunate.

With the Absolute Poker Second Sunday, everyone wins. No matter what happens with the tournament, you can rest assured that you helped make a difference in someone’s life. It sounds cheesy but it really does make a difference when you have hundreds of people teeming up and donating money to an important cause. It doesn’t even feel like real work because you get to play poker the entire time!

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Use the referral code APBONUS2010 for a 150% sign up bonus

This issue never affects most players but some banks automatically block card deposits to Absolute Poker. If this happens to you, not all hope is lost. You can still get your money online via a different deposit method.

Two Steps to Fix Your Deposit Problem

1. Try a different card

Sometimes one card will be blocked and then the next one works just fine. I have no idea why this is but it works for many players. Card companies and banks are weird like that. If your first credit or debit card doesn’t work, try a different one. As long as it has a Visa or MasterCard logo, there’s a chance it will work.

2. Choose a new deposit option

AbsolutePoker.com has a variety of deposit options for both US and non-US poker players. Take a look at this deposit options page for a full list of Absolute Poker deposit options. There are plenty to choose from and they are all safe, effective ways to get your money online.

US players are a little limited in deposit options but the options that are available should work just fine. The list of deposit options at Absolute Poker is always being updated but you can find a full list of deposit options by visiting the Absolute Poker website or downloading the software and visiting the cashier.

Why does this happen?

In 2006, the US Government passed a law that stated banks must identify and block all transactions to poker and gambling sites. The constitutionality of this law has been debated since the very first day but some banks have already started trying to implement the new regulations.

The law still hasn’t even officially taken effect and it’s beginning to look like there’s a chance the law is repealed. Banks aren’t realistically capable of scrutinizing every single transactions and trying to figure out if it falls under the legal definition of gambling. The law was poorly thought out and rammed through Congress as an attachment to a completely unrelated defense spending bill.

The good news is that this law doesn’t effect individual poker players. The law was only passed in an attempt to curb online poker and gambling. The banks have resisted, saying it’s too expensive and unrealistic to comply with the regulations. Things will get better with time.

Keep in mind that these tournament tips are a little on the basic side. I know that not everyone looking for the Absolute Poker referral code is a new player but many people are. Anyways, if you take these ten tournament tips to heart, you’ll see improved results at the tables and possibly even make it deep in your next tournament.

1. Play a tight-aggressive game early in the tournament

Don’t be tempted by the small blinds to play a bunch of iffy hands early in the tournament. Play a normal, tight-aggressive game in the early stages of a tournament. You can play drawing hands such as small pocket pairs in late position but don’t get in the habit of calling raises with these hands or playing them from early position.

2. Attack the blinds late in the tournament

The blinds grow large in tournaments too quickly for you to rely solely on catching strong hands. When the blinds get big (around 50/100 or so), start looking for opportunities to steal the blinds every chance you get. Many of the other players tighten up at this point and that’s the perfect chance for you to steal their blinds.

3. Attack the weak limpers

Weak tournament players like to open the pot by limping in with drawing hands. You can often steal their limp money by putting in a strong preflop raise. This is best done when three factors are in place:

• You know the players in the blinds are also likely to fold
• You believe the limper is capable of folding
• The blinds are large enough to be worth the trouble

4. Never forget the Gap Effect

David Sklansky’s Gap Effect states that you need a stronger hand to call a raise than you need to make a raise yourself. When you raise, you have the advantage of aggression and also have two ways to win the pot: by having the best cards at the showdown or by making your opponent fold.

You need a stronger hand to call a raise because you are fighting against an opponent who has taken the initiative by raising. That player has declared he has a strong hand but you don’t know what he has. Unless you can bluff that player off his hand (a risky proposition in a tournament), you will have to have the best cards at the showdown.

5. Position is all-important

Always pay attention to position – both your own position and your opponents’. In late position, you have the advantage of information because you get to act last every round. In early position, you have no idea what your opponents will do so you have to play a tighter, more straightforward game.

Also pay attention to the position of your opponents. A raise from an opponent in early position is much morel likely to represent a strong hand than a raise from an opponent in late position. Notice how your opponents play in each position and look for weaknesses in their strategy.

6. Pay attention even when not involved in the hand

Even if you fold before the flop, pay close attention to the hand. Every hand you witness gives you information that will help you play better against your opponents. When you observe your opponents, you get to see what types of hands they play, how they play from each position, how they play made hands, how they bluff and much, much more. Always pay attention to your opponents.

7. Adjust to each opponent and each table

You can play the same style against all opponents. A great tournament player is flexible and able to change gears on a moment’s notice. You’ll have to play tight against some players, aggressive against others and be able to do it all at the same table.

8. Keep an eye on stack sizes

Both your own stack size and your opponents’ stack sizes greatly affect tournament strategy. With big stacks, you can afford to make preflop raises and play several streets of normal poker. As the stacks get smaller, most of the action will take place before the flop or on the flop. Players with big stacks play much differently than players with small stacks.

9. Attack the medium stacks near the bubble

The players with medium or slightly less than average stacks are the best ones to steal from during the bubble. They are the least likely of all to defend their blinds because they know they are so close to making the money. The small stacks will call out of desperation and the big stacks will call because they can. This doesn’t hold true 100% of the time but it’s worth keeping in mind.

10. Begin the tournament focused and well rested

This is the easiest way to increase your tournament results. Make sure you are always well rested and ready to play before the tournament. Get a good night’s sleep, eat breakfast and take a shower. You’ll feel sharp and confident if you approach the tournament the same way you approach an important day at work.

Click here to try your hand at Absolute Poker’s tournaments

Use the referral code APBONUS2010 for a $500 deposit bonus

1. First, you must be a winning player

Before you can even think about building a poker bankroll, you need to establish yourself as a winning poker player. It almost goes without saying that if you have more losing days than winning days, you’ll have a hard time building a bankroll. I mean, there’s no point in building a bankroll if you’re just going to lose it all.

Honesty is the most important thing here. You can go around chasing poker bonuses and make it look like you’re not a losing player but if you don’t win money while clearing those bonuses, you’re just wasting your bonuses. There’s nothing wrong with being a losing player – in fact, most people start out as a losing player. Poker is just like any other hobby or competition: it takes practice to become proficient.

The good news is that almost anybody can learn to be a successful poker player. Small stakes poker games are notoriously easy if you apply a basic strategy and use self discipline to stick with that strategy.

My recommended poker strategy site is BeatNoLimit.com. Not only is the site full of strategy articles but it also includes a complete strategy guide that covers all areas of the game. The strategy articles are all spot-on, easy to follow and (best of all) free.

2. Take full advantage of poker bonuses

Poker sign up bonuses are only good for a one-time deal. Once you sign up and make your first deposit, that particular bonus is never available to you again. The lesson here is that you need to make every bonus count. If a site is offering a 100% bonus for up to $400, don’t make a $40 deposit. Make the biggest deposit you can so you can get the most bonus money possible.

If you’re starting out with limited funds, you will want to start with the bonuses that offer the highest percentage matches. For example, the Absolute Poker bonus is worth 150% for up to $500 extra. That means you only have to deposit about $335 to earn the maximum $500 bonus. After you clear that bonus, you can move on to the Ultimate Bet bonus which is worth 111% for up to $1,100.

3. Don’t move up in stakes prematurely

As your bankroll grows, you will naturally want to move up in stakes and increase your win rate. It’s important that you don’t move up too quickly due to poker bonuses. Players who move up in stakes without bonuses can do so without worry because it means they are beating their current stakes at a steady clip.

With poker bonuses, it’s possible to grow your bankroll even if you’re a breakeven or slightly losing player at your current stakes. The point here is to only move up when you’re sure you can beat your current stakes. The difficulty of your competition increases slightly every time you move up.

Ready to get started?

Sign up at Absolute Poker today and use the Absolute Poker referral code APBONUS2010 to get a 150% bonus for up to $500 extra.

Absolute Poker Sunday $200K Guarantee Details

The buyin is $200 + $15 but if that’s a little much for your tastes, satellite tournaments run all week long. With satellite tournaments, you can win an entry to the $200K Guarantee for as little as a few dollars. It’s worth giving it a shot at least – a final table appearance will net you at least a few thousand dollars.

Anywhere from 800-1200 players show up at this tournament so plan to spend a few hours playing. If you make it to the final table, this tournament will easily last well into the evening. The good news is that if you last that long, you’ll be sure to be rewarded handsomely.

Players begin with 3000 starting chips, which is about twice the average starting stack for online tournaments. The deeper stacks make this tournament last a little longer but that’s a good thing because it gives skilled players a chance to play real poker. Tournaments that begin with small stacks tend to turn into crapshoots early in the tournament.

The Absolute Poker Sunday $200K Guarantee tends to attract a wide assortment of players. You’ll find a lot of fish who are either trying to get lucky or won their way in through freerolls and satellite tournaments. There are also plenty of tough players who buy in to tournaments like this every day. Overall, the tournament is of average difficulty.

If you have bad luck in the Sunday $200k Guarantee, weekends at Absolute Poker are full of big tournaments. There is the Saturday $50K guarantee at 2:55PM ET and then on Sundays there are also the $100K Guarantee, $50K Guarantee, $40K Guarantee and $20K Guarantee. In total, there are more than $500,000 worth of guaranteed tournaments every weekend at Absolute Poker.

Play Against the AbsolutePoker.com Pros

Big name pros from Absolute Poker and its sister site Ultimate Bet always play in the Sunday $200K Guarantee. If you play in the Sunday 200K Guarantee, you might run into big name players such as Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke, Matt Vengrin and many more. Don’t expect these players to take it easy on you, though. Just because they promote Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet doesn’t mean they play soft.

Ready to try your luck?

Visit the Absolute Poker website to get started today and try your luck in the weekend’s biggest tournament. Use the referral code APBONUS2010 to get a 150% deposit bonus for up to $500 extra. If you play well in this tournament and make it to the top spot, you’ll win life-changing money. A $44,000 payday isn’t bad for an evening of poker.

You might wonder what kind of “pros” these are but I think Absolute Poker might be on to something by signing these people to be ambassadors of poker. The online poker player, Matt Vengrin, represents the newest class of poker players: the young, rich online poker player.

The other two are known more for their celebrity status rather than for their poker accomplishments. That might sound random at first but there’s a strategy behind the decision. Poker celebrities tend to appeal mostly to people who are already familiar with online poker. These non-poker celebrities appeal to a wider audience and will attract more new people to poker.

Absolute Poker Pro: Matt Vengrin

Matt Vengrin only recently started playing poker (in Winter 2005) but he quickly made a name for himself through stellar results in online poker tournaments. As a young online poker pro, Matt Vengrin represents the current state of poker. These young players are very sharp – they know their math, they study strategy constantly and they log millions of hands per year.

Matt’s results at the tables speak for themselves. He’s already earned more than $700,000 online. He also has more than $400,000 in live tournament earning to his name. His biggest recent win was at Event 29 of the 2008 World Series of Poker. He took 3^rd place and won $167,973 for placing well in that tournament.

Absolute Poker Spokeswoman: Lacey Jones

Lacey Jones has been a skilled and avid poker player since she was a young woman. During her college years, she proved her prowess at college games but never considered poker as a career. She finished college with a degree in political science and then went on to pursue a modeling career after that.

In 2005, Lacey Jones was already well into a successful modeling career when she was approached by ESPN to participate in a charity tournament. She ended up taking 32^nd place out of 360 competitors but her good looks and charming personality endeared her the tournament organizers and poker world in general.

Lacey Jones has also appeared in TV shows such as Entourage, The O.C. and Las Vegas. Today, she represents Absolute Poker as an ambassador to the game and occasional spokeswoman. You can play against her and the other pros every Sunday at 4PM ET in the $200K Guaranteed.

Absolute Poker Spokeswoman: Trishelle Cannatella

Trishelle Cannatella got her first dose of fame as a member of the 2003 Real World: Las Vegas cast. Her good looks and intriguing personality kept her in the limelight as an actress, model and poker celebrity.

In addition to having degrees in marketing and advertising, Trishelle Cannatella has appeared in Playboy, Maxim, Stuff, Details, Elle Girl and Spin magazines. At the tables, Trishelle has proven that she is more than just a pretty face. Her most recent achievement was being one of the last celebrities standing in the 2008 World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational.

Play the Pros

You can play against the Absolute Poker pros every Sunday at 4PM ET at the Sunday $200K Guaranteed. They also play online randomly under their own names. Sign up for an account at Absolute Poker today to get your chance to play against the pros.

Remember – the Absolute Poker referral code for 2010 is APBONUS2010

During the Week + Saturday:

• 1 AM to 4 AM EST
• 1 PM to 4 PM EST

Sundays:

• 1 AM to 4 AM EST
• 1 PM to 5 PM EST

Your extra AbsolutePoints will be placed in your account like normal. The only thing you need to do is play real money poker in either ring games or tournaments during the hours listed above. If you’re lucky and live in the right time zone, those hours just might translate to a normal time of day for you.

What are AbsolutePoints all about?

AbsolutePoints are the currency of Absolute Poker’s VIP Club. As you play in real money games at AP, these points are automatically added to your player account. You can then use those points to get cash bonuses, tournament tickets and for redemption at the Rewards Store.

If you haven’t yet seen the Rewards Store, you really should check it out. Then you’ll see how valuable AbsolutePoints are. You can trade your points in for all sorts of things like electronics, clothing, jewelry and much more. I’m not really doing it justice here so just take a look for yourself.

What’s the point of AbsolutePoker.com Power Hour?

Absolute Poker has finally reached a point where it has plenty of players and can now focus more energy on making it an even better experience for existing players. The point of the Absolute Poker Power Hour is to encourage more action during slow times of day. By offering double points, Absolute Poker is able to get more than the usual number of people online during those times.

The player base is large enough that Absolute Poker is never dead, no matter what time it is. Even so, Absolute Poker is working on getting as many people online as possible at all hours of the day. In any online business, those hours are the slowest of the day because people are either asleep or at work.

Is it worth playing during Power Hour?

It depends. In most cases, I wouldn’t recommend you disturb your sleep or work schedule for the sole purpose of getting these points. Your primary focus in poker should always be to make the most money possible. As nice as AbsolutePoints are, money is always better.

If you don’t have to severely interrupt your sleep schedule to play during Power Hour, then I think it’s worth it. The extra points you get are quite valuable and will help you reach your goals even faster. Remember, your AbsolutePoints can be redeemed for up to $1,000 in cash every month.

You can read more about AbsolutePoints and the FAME Club by visiting the following pages:

Absolute Poker FAME Club

AbsolutePoints for Cash

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How AbsolutePoints for Cash Works

When you play in real money games at Absolute Poker, you automatically earn AbsolutePoints. These points go directly to your account and can then be used to purchase items from the rewards store. The rewards store is full of things like flat screen TVs, game consoles, jewelry, tournament tickets and more. It’s actually one of the best points stores I’ve seen at a poker site.

If you don’t want to purchase things from the rewards store, you can instead trade your points in for straight up cash. The amount of cash you can earn each month through this promotion depends on your level in the Absolute Poker FAME Club. There are three different levels that affect the amount of cash you can earn each month:

• Gold Level – Up to $50 per month
• Platinum VIP – Up to $250 per month
• Diamond Elite – Up to $1,000 per month

The minimum amount you can redeem your points for in a single month is $25. As long as you meet that minimum, you can redeem your points for up to as much cash as listed above. Basically, the idea is that the more you play, the more you earn.

Your AbsolutePoints convert at a rate of $0.007 per AbsolutePoint. This sounds slow but AbsolutePoints are earned quickly. Check out the section below for more details on how AbsolutePoints are earned.

Earning AbsolutePoints

AbsolutePoints are earned by playing in real money ring games and tournaments at Absolute Poker. The number of points you earn in real money play depends on the stakes you play and type of game. Here’s the breakdown for each game type:

AbsolutePoints in Ring Games:

The number of points you earn per hand is dependent upon the stakes you play and your level in the FAME Club. At the lowest stakes, you will have to play 15 hands per point earned. That’s just at the lowest stakes, though. As you move up in stakes, you’ll eventually earn 2 points for every hand you play.

At the same time, you also get a points multiplier based on your level in the FAME Club. For every AbsolutePoint you earn in the above manner, it will be multiplied according to the following chart:

• Bronze Status multiplier: x1
• Silver Status multiplier: x2
• Gold Status multiplier: x3
• Platinum VIP Status multiplier: x4
• Diamond Elite Status multiplier: x5

AbsolutePoints in Tournaments:

Earning AbsolutePoints in tournaments is a little simpler. For every $0.30 you pay in tournament fees, you’ll earn 1 AbsolutePoint. If you play in a $30 + $3 tournament, for example, you’ll earn 10 AbsolutePoints (plus your points multiplier). Fractional AbsolutePoints aren’t shown in your account but they are saved and added to your points total the next time you play in a tournament.

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Use the bonus code APBONUS2010 for a $500 deposit bonus