Okay.... Here's my take on Single Table Satellites:

First... I rely heavily on my initial read on how the players at the table will act.  If there are a couple "Loose Cannons".... I play differently than if they are all tight aggressive players.

If there are any  "Loose Cannons" I get up and leave the table.  I come back by about every 15 minutes and check things out. In most cases.... the "Loose cannons" are gone or they have chipped up and they have eliminated other players. If this happens quickly, I sit back down at my seat when there a 7 out of ten players left.  If this happens slowly, I sit back down when there are 6 out of 10 players left.  If this has occured, I come in with guns blazing and play extemely aggressive.... You see... They already see me as an extremely tight player.... So tight in fact, that I'm not even at the table to protect my blinds.... By the time they catch on... I have chipped up above the average and now I only have to play 5 or 6  other players, as opposed to the orignal 10 players we started with.  If I can get my stack above the average, then the other players I never had to face become a non-issue....

If everone at the table appears to play tight agressive, then I open up and play a bit looser than I normally would. I try to gain a reasonable chip advantage early so I can again...leave the table. I still come by and check things out about ever ten minutes of so. By the time it gets down to 6 or 7 tight aggressive players remaining, I have blinded back down to about the average.  I sit back down and again, play a bit more aggressively than I normally would in a tournament.

Sometimes, in the case of all  "tight aggressive" players at the table.... I leave my seat without really leaving. I put on my mps player, and fake looking at my cards until the number of players have reduced.

If you think this is a dumb approach.... Go to the next  WSOP Circuit event and ask the gal that runs them all "Theresa"...   "Who is the King of the satellites"?  Her answer will make you re-read this.....several times.