Having a debate with someone over this: - Poker Strategy - Poker Forum

In "Making the Final Table" by Erick Lindgren, E-dawg has a great section talking about playing sattelites, and how their strategy (late game) is inherently different from regular tournament strategy. In regular tournament strategy, where the prizes are typically top heavy (most of the monies are paid in the top couple of places) there is a NEED to chip gather. In order to win, you need all of the chips, so you need to take some gambles at certain points to get them.

Satellites are the polar opposite. Especially satellites that pay the number of entries as the one that you've mentioned. Hero is under ZERO obligation to bust the other players. In fact, its just the opposite. I wouldn't fault hero from Sitting out in this instance, and folding their way into the money…which is the same if you have all of the chips, or 1 chip.

Stack sizes are only relevant pertaining to where you are at the bubble. Do you have enough chips to get through, as the prize for 1st place pays the entry into the tournament…same as the other 35 places that pay. But the cost for 36th and under is dramatically reduced, and therefore, a loss if you don't get at least 35th.

I MAY call with AA in this spot if its against an opponent that has less than 20% of my chip count. Otherwise, Hero is chipped so well, the only way that they can lose is by entering into pots with other players. Folding is the best way to play in this spot, and let the shorter stacks continue to bust each other. Or perhaps a medium stack. But I'd avoid confrontation at all costs here. There's just no sense in it.

And BTW, look at what happened for getting involved. Villian gets healthy, and hero goes bust.