ON THE BUTTON: Advice for Playing at the World Series of Poker

by Nick Lanteri | Jun 18 2008

The time has come. Time for the 2008 World Series of Poker. But the question is: Has your time come? Are you planning to take some of your profits from the Bodog tables and try to parlay them into a final table and perhaps a six-digit score in one of the record 54 WSOP events this year?

If you are a first-timer to the World Series of Poker this year, there's one thing you should know before you step foot into the Amazon Room at the Rio in Las Vegas in search of your first bracelet. One very important fact, more important than pot odds, playing position or when to slow-play a monster hand: Expect the unexpected!

Trust me, I was there last year and played in a WSOP tournament for the first time (Event No. 10: $2,000 buy-in), but it wasn't long before the caliber of play mirrored that of a $10 online Sit and Go. That stunned me. Some players called off their chips as if their rental car was double-parked outside the Rio. And the guy to my right brought his own props and turned the poker tournament into his own personal sideshow. He had a Magic 8-Ball placed next to his chip stack, which he used whenever he was put to a tough decision. He used fortune telling to determine whether or not to call an opponent's all-in. Oh well, we all had a good laugh at this guy's expense (some were laughing with him, some were laughing at him).

Anyway, I thought I was prepared for anything at last year's WSOP, but it wasn't long before I started to feel like maybe I was dead money. So why did that happen?

Looking back on it, I think the fact that we started with only $4,000 chips made me tighter than a virgin on her wedding night. I tried to adjust to small stack poker, but for the first two hours at least, I played as if I just wanted to last as long as possible. Besides, Clonie Gowen was at my table, seated directly across from me and I was in no hurry to donkey off my chips as long as she was there. My mindset at the start was that I already had gotten my money's worth just because I was "playing with a pro." Unfortunately, that made me play the early levels as if I was "just happy to be there," much like a young, inexperienced college team that makes it to the championship game for the first time.

If you happen to get a poker pro at your table, don't let it change the way you play, and don't be bullied off hands. For example, my best friend played in the same WSOP event with me last year, and during the first break, he told me that Ram Vaswani moved all-in after the flop at his table on nothing but a straight draw ("The blinds are only $50-$100. What is this guy doing?" he said). I had to remind my friend that Vaswani probably had 20 or more WSOP events on his schedule, and he wasn’t like the "everyday man" who shows up to play one World Series of Poker event and therefore won't take as many risks. Keep that in mind if you are seated with a poker pro at the WSOP.

Here's some more advice for the online player who is making that first trip to the World Series of Poker this year with the intention to play an event but still is a bit sheepish on the idea of shelling out big bucks to try and win a bracelet.

Single-Table Satellites

Without a doubt, the best value plays are satellites. It's amazing how many poker players don't realize that there are other ways to make it into WSOP events without having to empty their bank account. If you can't find backers to help lower the cost for you to get into an event, then single-table satellites at the Rio are the way to go.

But beware! Last year the line to sign up for satellites went halfway around the Amazon Room at the Rio, but that was usually between the hours of noon until around 11 p.m. or even midnight. I played a few satellites at 2 a.m. for two straight days because there was little to no wait. (However, long lines might not be a problem this year because a separate poker room has been set up to handle most of the single-table satellite events.)

Satellite buy-ins will range anywhere from $125-$1,000, but the lower buy-ins will be where you'll find the most action. Last year, I played a single-table satellite for $300, and of course that meant there was $3,000 in the pot. I got knocked out in third place which sucked because the two remaining players chopped for $1,500 each and then bought directly into a $1,500 WSOP event.

Got Stamina?

If you do make it into a WSOP event, your poker abilities will be tested, as well as your stamina and ability to focus. Those intangibles are the key to success in these WSOP events, which feature hour-long blind levels.

For instance, most $1,500 buy-in Holdem events have 2,000 or more players entered. That means you start at noon and won’t make it into the money until about 10 or 11 o'clock the same day. That's almost 12 hours of poker just to make it to the money. Get plenty of sleep the day before the tournament (I know, I know, sleep in Vegas?), but also try to get in a workout in the morning if possible because you'll have added energy for those long days at the poker table.

Got Discipline?

Basically, the same advice about stamina and focus can be applied here. One bad decision after hours and hours of poker can end your WSOP experience.

You must be disciplined in these small-stack tournaments because one mistake will cripple your stack. Don't check-call with draws too often or you'll be watching from the rail sooner than you think. Trust your instincts and be sure to put someone else to a tough decision before they do it to you.

If you play in a WSOP event, be sure to write Bodog Nation and tell us about your experience.

Good luck!

Can't make the WSOP? No worries, Bodog's got you covered with the Mini-SOP! The Mini-SOP has all of the same Holdem events as the WSOP except the buy-ins are 1% of the WSOP's.

It's the best online poker tournament series out there!