by With the WSOP (World Series of Poker) back live in Las Vegas for 2021, I wanted to discuss how an amateur can maximize his/her WSOP experience—how you can come back home with some fun stories, interesting memories, and hopefully more money than you left with (but at least not less than you can afford to return with).
BANKROLL:
The most important thing you can do is set a bankroll and stick to it. There are many different notions of what a proper bankroll is for a given time you sit down at the table—X% of your liquid assets/cash, etc. For a non-professional, I always think of it like this: ask yourself how much money you could lose where you would come home, and regardless of anything else that happened, you’d be upset about the trip; your bankroll for the trip should be some number below that threshold.
SCHEDULE:
I always prefer to plan in advance which events I’ll play, which events I may try to satellite into (more on that later), which days I plan to take off (especially if you head out for more than a few days, you’ll want to make sure you’re properly rested/rejuvenated throughout), etc. Of course there could be tweaks to what you play—especially if you make a day 2!—but figuring out your desired schedule in advance will help you stick to your bankroll and give you the best chance to win money playing tournaments you’ve selected in advance as being the best fits for you. Note that there are always some non-WSOP series/events taking place, so be sure to check those out in advance of your trip as well.
When it comes to choosing which events to play, I am a sucker for WSOP over non-WSOP, even if some of the Venetian events on a given day may have a higher guaranteed prize pool, because I find both the excitement of the WSOP events and the prestige of success in those events to be unmatched. Within the WSOP schedule, I always like to try to play as many tournaments as I can for my bankroll; why play a single $3,000 Bracelet event, when you could play 3 different $1,000 events? The more chances you give yourself to enjoy the action, the more chances you give yourself to improve your game, and the more chances you give yourself to run well and get an official WSOP cash—the better!
SATELLITES:
The concept of satellites is one of my favorite aspects of poker. Poker first attracted me because of the meritocratic element—I can’t play against Tiger in the Masters or Serena at Wimbledon, but if I put up the same amount of money as Phil Hellmuth for a poker tournament, and I outplay/outrun him in that event, I can beat him for a Bracelet. High stakes events do lock out many people, so the availability of satellites to give lower-stakes players a chance to enter higher-stakes tourneys should be celebrated.
Unfortunately, the WSOP live satellites have absolutely egregious structures. The mega satellites are a bit better, but the single table satellites are really quite the crapshoot. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play any—if you want to risk $500 to try to win a seat into a $5,000 event with a 1 in 10 shot, go for it; just know that doing so is only marginally different than entering a $500 raffle for a 1 in 10 shot to win $5,000.
HAVE FUN:
This may seem trite, cheesy, cliché, whatever you want to call it—but the WSOP is an amazing experience. You’re a part of the most prestigious poker events in human history, and depending on your exact table, you may play against some of the best players in the world today. Beyond all of that, you are in a city with unmatched energy and excitement, great food, and just about anything else you may want to enjoy on a recreational trip. Soak it in, enjoy every minute, and hopefully win some money!
