Never Played in the WSOP? 10 Go-To Tips to Get You There

by Bodog Poker | Jan 27 2009

1. The easiest way to get to the WSOP is to enter and win a seat via an online satellite tournament. Every online poker room runs satellites for months before the WSOP kicks off at the end of May. Satellites can come in many forms, from direct buy-ins to tiered tournaments which are cheap to enter but you must place high in multiple events.

2. Find a company to sponsor you. ESPN’s coverage of the WSOP is some serious advertising airtime. If you can find a company that’s willing to enter you in the tournament in exchange for wearing their brand, it won’t cost you anything to play.

3. Find someone to stake you. There are lots of professionals or businessmen who will pay your entry for a cut of your profits. You’ll have to show that you’re good enough to deserve the stake, and the cut you’ll have to give up is usually lopsided against you.

4. Win a local casino tournament. Most casinos run live satellites that will send a couple of local guys to the big game. These satellites tend to be a bit pricier than the online ones, but it’s live action, and that’s the game you’ll be playing at the WSOP.

5. Save up your frequent-player points. If you earn and save enough of them you can get your buy-in for free. If you weren’t able to save that many, you can use what you have to enter lots of satellite tournaments for free. The more points you have the more chances you’ll get.

6. If you have a regular home game group you can take a portion of every prize pool throughout the year, and send the one guy who won the most times over the year. How big your home games are will determine how big of an event the winner can enter.

7. You can place high in a multi-table tournament and use the money for WSOP entries. Increase the number of tournaments you play in the months before the WSOP. If you get lucky you can use your winnings to get to Vegas to play in the big events for the big bucks.

8. Buy-in directly. If you have a big playing bankroll, or a few extra grand sitting around, you can play in the smaller events. These events still have huge prize pools. Some $1500 events will have a first-place prize in excess of half a million dollars.

9. Learn everything you can about playing poker. Read books and articles on poker strategy and practice as much as you can. Play as many hands as your time permits. The better player you are the better your chances will be to win your way in the WSOP and a chance at a WSOP bracelet.

10. Believe you can do it. Envision yourself playing in Vegas against the best players in the world for the big money and a championship bracelet. Desires always come easier when we believe we can achieve them. Have faith that you’re skilled and lucky enough to play in the WSOP.

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