This month...a ITH Poker League final stretch preview, an Internet Player of the Year update, very detailed looks at the WSOP satellites for two more poker sites, two Million Dollar Freerolls, and a few poker tournament trips to places warmer than where you're at now. There's a lot to cover, so without further ado...

Time Zone Warning

Now that Daylight Savings Time has begun in many areas, a potential time zone problem may creep in if your poker site does not base its server clock on Daylight Savings Time. Each site is different, so check the server clock in your client software to make sure it reflects your local time correctly. Remember that Greenwich Mean Time does not adjust for Daylight Savings, so American EDT is now GMT -4, and British Summer Time is now GMT +1.

ITH Poker League Enters Final Month

Three-fourths of the competition is complete in the ITH Poker League, and 950 unique players have registered in at least one event.

It is not too late for new players to take a shot at the $12,000 Main Event Freeroll. Winners of each event (there are eight weekly) and top monthly finishers in each league are entered into the June 11 grand finale, which awards a $10,000 WSOP Main Event seat plus travel. Currently 43 players are entered in the season-ending tournament.

The top 27 overall point totals will play for a $2500 World Series of Poker travel/entry package. DSpitler has knocked Ohjay from the lead, and they are joined in the top ten by returnees Patch, rocketplayer, evv98, SPU_MAN, and nsidestrate. New top ten players this month are PigPen, TwoDuxx, and niin.

Additional prizes include stakes in Matthew Hilger's World Series entry, free Poker Tutor lessons, and cash.

2006 IPOY Race Update

freshfish952 has surrendered the lead in the ITH Internet Player of the Year standings to phat_cat, but remains in contention. The leader has over $100,000 in tournament winnings to date. The IPOY scores players based on their finishes in all of the largest regular online tournaments, plus many special events as well. A list of all the included tournaments with satellites can be found here. A special forum has been created to discuss IPOY matters.

Full Tilt Poker WSOP satellites

Full Tilt Poker is the place to qualify if you have any ambitions of winning the WSOP Main Event this year. In addition to the predicted $10 Million first prize, Full Tilt is supplementing the winnings of any of its qualifiers with an additional $10 Million if they win the Main Event. Finish second or third, and they will add $100,000, and any final table appearance nets an additional $50,000.

Many players attempt to supplement their bankroll by winning multiple seats from the same site. Although some sites are restricting multiple qualifiers, Full Tilt is encouraging it with its King of the WSOP promotion. Players are required to play the first seat they qualify for, but additional wins means the site puts $12,000 directly into the player's account. Whoever wins the most "seats" in the WSOP will be named the FTP "King", (or "queen", we assume, if appropriate). The "King" receives upgraded first-class air transport to Las Vegas, a suite at the Rio, and 24-hour exclusive limo service for the duration of the event.

FTP has $200, $500, $1000, and freeroll satellites, as shown:

Full Tilt adds even more chances to win at the WSOP. This year's Race for Bracelets promotion features nine weekly tournaments which enter the winner(s) in their choice of $1500 preliminary events, and provides $500 for travel.

Finally, Full Tilt Poker offers players an excellent satellite structure to earn $26 and $75 satellite tokens, which can be used to enter any $24+2 or $69+6 tournament:

Bodog Poker WSOP satellites

Bodog Poker runs daily $2500 Preliminary Event satellites. These $50+4 tournaments guarantee one $2500 entry/travel package for any preliminary event.

Bodog Poker has a wide range of choices for qualifying to its weekly Main Event satellites. While the weekly event is difficult to win (1 in 50), qualifying for it can be done in multiple ways, including several frequent player point freerolls.

 Note that all satellite tournaments at all sites award leftover cash in the prize pools to non-qualifiers. Only qualifying spots are considered in this discussion.

Online Satelllites to Live Tournaments

The WSOP Main Event qualifying has garnered most of the sites' attention, but a few live tournaments can be qualified for online.

The Ultimate Poker Classic begins September 23 in Aruba. Satellites run continuously at UltimateBet.

The Mandalay Bay Poker Classic is June 4-8 in Las Vegas. Tribeca sites (notably Doyle's Room) offer entry and travel packages worth $12,500 ($10,200 + $2300 for expenses).

Full Tilt Poker has two weekly Winner's Choice tournaments that award $12,000 packages to the winner's choice of: the WPT Mirage Poker Showdown, in Las Vegas May 14-17, the WPT Mandalay Bay Poker Classic, the World Series of Poker Circuit event May 25-28 in New Orleans, and the WSOP Main Event, beginning July 28.

Freerollin'

UltimateBet has now entered the Million Dollar Freeroll competition with Paradise Poker. Both sites are offering $1 Million first prize tournaments in July. Qualifying details can be found at the sites.

In addition to free ways to enter the WSOP (using player points), Bodog Poker gives out over $1500 daily in freeroll tournaments and is the newest member of the ITH Two Free Books Offer.

Players that sign up for Bodog Poker using the ITH link receive:

• A bottomless 10% deposit bonus
  
• Free Pokertracker, 500 piece chip set, or two free merchandise items including books, shirts, and hats

Strategy Corner

This strategy corner is about help. Wise players seek advice from other players on unusual situations. Discussing the fine details of a difficult hand is often illuminating. Opinions from good and bad players alike will help you understand the thinking involved in making certain moves. Careful consideration of odds, reads, and table conditions will help players make the snap decisions that are required when the heat is on.

Discussing hands that have taken place is done in the ITH MTT Forum. Post your own hands and read and respond to those posted by others for insight on different ways to approach situations.

New or potential new members should consider that the forum is quite welcoming and tolerant. The only stupid question is an unasked one.