There are many features of the Bet365 Poker site that appeal to poker players but without doubt one of the most appealing factors is value for money. A great example of this is their Steps tournament, where for just an entry fee of $0.16 a player could earn themselves a huge share of a weekly $200,000 guaranteed jackpot.
The format of the Steps Tournament on Bet365 is a typical satellite-style tournament, but it is one that offers players a chance to win one of the biggest weekly prizes on the UK poker scene, for one of the smallest buy ins.
But before you can play in the Bet365 Steps Tournament, you must sign up a Bet365 Poker account. Join Bet365 Poker today and receive $5 free, plus up to $1,000 as your new player starter bonus!
The Bet365 Poker Steps Tournament – Organisation
The Bet365 Poker Steps tournament is organised into seven different steps. A player has to finish either first, sometimes second and occasionally third, in order to win a ticket that will allow them free entry into the next step of the tournament.
Just like other satellite-style tournaments, players can skip steps and opt to pay a higher buy in. The higher the buy in you are willing to pay, the fewer steps in the chain you need to make in order to reach the $200,000 final, held on a Sunday evening.
Starting at the lowest possible buy in, it is possible to pay just $0.16, yet win yourself a huge top prize of $43,000 or more, if you manage to get through all seven steps and take first place in the $200,000 Sunday Special.
The structure of the Poker Steps Tournament on Bet365 Poker is shown below together with the buy in for each tournament and which positions at each step earn a ticket into the next step of the tournament.
Step One Step Two Step Three Step Four
Buy in: $0.15 + 0.01 Buy in $0.50 + $0.05 Buy in: $1 + $0.10 Buy in $3 + $0.30
Step 2 Winners; 1st 2nd Step 3 Winners 1st – 4th Step 4 winners: 1st 2nd Step 5 Winners: 1st 2nd
Step Five Step Six Step Seven $200,000 Sunday Special
Buy in: $10 + $1 Buy in: $30 + $3 Buy in $50 & $5 Buy in £200 + $15
Step 6 Winners:1st 2nd Step 7 Winners: 1st – 3rd SS Winner: 1st 1st $43,000, 2nd $31,000
In addition to the prizes of buy in to the next stage of the Steps tournament, other competitors who finish just outside the winning ticket places will receive either another entry ticket into the event they have just competed in (ranging in value from $0.16 to $55 depending on the Step you participated in, or a cash prize.
The good news is, if you win a free ticket to the next round of the Steps tournament, but decide that the competition is not for you, your token is transferable to any other scheduled tournament that is operating at the same buy in level.
When are Steps Tournament games available?
Steps tournaments will run until 30th November 2013 and when there is an event in progress, the games will be advertised in the poker lobby.
The different tournaments for each step will be played at various times during the week, it is therefore prudent to check the current Bet365 Poker schedule for when the next step game that you want to play is scheduled for.
Steps Tournament Strategy
So is it really possible to turn $0.16 into a top prize of over $41,000? Well while in theory it is, the actual practicality of doing so means it is an incredibly small chance of doing so.
Given the very cheap cost of entering this event and depending upon your bankroll, the fewer steps you need to take to gain entry into the $200,000 Sunday Special then the better. Quite simply, it is unlikely that you will finish 1st (or 2nd or occasionally 3rd) in successive poker events, often featuring hundreds of players in order to turn your tiny deposit into a vast windfall.
Many lower stakes players may even eschew playing in the Step 1 and 2 games, preferring to enter at the more popular stage 3 and 4 games.
As the buy in increases, so will the experience of the players you are likely to face in the event. Those players who directly buy in to Sunday’s $200,000 Special are likely to be very strong, experienced players, or those with a hefty bankroll to allow them to do so.
It is also worth noting that there are a minimum number of entrants required for an event if it is to be run. If a tournament is organised and too few players enter, then the event is cancelled and those players who had entered will be refunded their buy in.
In truth, if you are serious about winning the $41,000 top prize, then you really need to buy into the main event directly. A buy in of $215 should not be enough to put you off.
For other players who want to experience what tournament play is like and to see the satellite process in action, playing at lower levels will give them beneficial experience of playing in a tournament and with a bit of luck, they may earn themselves an additional tournament ticket or two as they progress through the levels.
However, it is unrealistic to expect any player to buy in at $0.16 and turn that into a $41,000 windfall by finishing in the top places in all of the eight events.
In terms of gameplay, we’ve found that play on the first stage 2 tables, when competed for is generally pretty loose. With not much wagered, there are many players who will try to win a lot of coins quickly, especially in tournaments with few players, to give them a big head start in chips.
This can be a pain if you play lower stakes games with as much attention to detail as larger, as it inevitably means that you are always facing the prospect of playing one or two players with much larger chip stacks pretty much from the start.
However, as you progress through the steps, the quality of play settles down and play becomes more measured and thoughtful and at the highest level, play is generally of a good standard.
In short, the Steps Tournament is a good way to experience tournament play and how to satellite into bigger events at a cheap price. If you are serious about winning though, buy in direct to the Sunday Special, if that is out of your price range, play at a level suitable to your bankroll and enjoy the tournament process.
