Your Road to The WSOP

(Photo: WSOP.com)

The 2016 World Series of Poker is now well-underway complete with the theater and Las Vegas glamour we have come to expect from our favorite annual poker bonanza. Mad prop bets, crazy gambling and unbelievable anecdotes, we have had it all and there is still so many bracelets to fight for including, of course, the showcase $10,000 Main Event where thousands of players will be dreaming of a spot in the “November 9”.

Perhaps you are like me and dream of this too. Even playing at the WSOP is a dream in itself but perhaps you are also like me where the reality is that buying into a $50 - $100 tournament is a decent investment. When I play online I am even more cautious with my standard buy-in likely to ber $5 than $50! Putting down $1500 to play in one of the WSOP’s “low buy-in” events would be a massive investment for me. These events are considered pocket change in comparison to the other, larger buy-in events like the $50,000 HORSE tournament or the $10,000 Razz so I have some way to go before I can realistically say the WSOP would be a possibility.

So how can we bridge the gap between the poker player you are today and the WSOP entrant you hope to be one day? Here are a few pointers that I hope you find helpful.

Set Clear Goals

Goal setting is important in all areas of life and poker is no exception. If you are interested in playing at the WSOP you must develop clear goals right from the start. Once you have these goals you then focus your activities towards gradually reduce the gap between your current position and your goal.

Telling yourself, “I will play at the WSOP one day” will always excuse you if you do not make it. Years will quickly tick by as you continue to explain why you do not get there. Do not fall into this trap and set a clear goal of “I will play at the WSOP within x of years”. This gives you a deadline to aim for and will deliver you the motivation to put in the necessary work to bring all the necessary elements together to bring your goal to fruition.

Look at the schedule of the upcoming WSOP and decide which events you would like to play and work out the combined cost of the tournament buy-ins. You now know what you want to play, what you will need to pay to enter the tournaments and when it will take place. Also research the cost of flights, hotel and budget for food.

Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail. Let’s move on before I start sounding like the Tony Robbins or Brian Tracy of Poker.

Learn The Games

With your clearly defined goals in place, it is now time to get to work. There is little point in being fodder to the pros and whilst just “getting to the WSOP” is a worthwhile goal it is surely better to be competitive in the games you want to play and you never know, you could have a good run in the tournament and make a final table. In the best case scenario, you might even win the bracelet!

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves! It is time to do all of the things you need to do in order to get good at the games. Visit the poker forums and strike up friendships with players and posters who offer good advice. Stay away from the trolling and focus on gleaning as much useful information about the current ‘do’s and don’ts’ of poker strategy. Take notes and spend time reviewing your hands and plug those leaks.

Playing online poker is the best way of getting in the volume to sharpen up your skills and this experience will be invaluable when you sit down at the tables. Playing well and earning money will also bolster your bankroll and will speed up the time it takes to get to the WSOP.

Get Some Live Poker Experience

This is really important. When you are online the poker software deals with the chips for you, it tells you the bet size and it tells you the size of the stack held by your opponents. This is all information you must calculate for yourself when playing live, as well as counting your own stack and arranging your chips during play.

It takes some getting used to and if this is new to you you need to develop these practical skills. Most local casinos have low buy-in tournaments where you can get familiar with handling chips, cards and the live experience as a whole.

Bankroll Management

With your clear goals in place, your practice schedule up and running and your gaining of some live poker experience it’s all about being able to afford to travel to Vegas, buy-in and play.

However, your previous life of dipping into your bankroll for a treat or for an impulse buy should now be over. Develop a bankroll strategy that allows for “taking shots”, which is where you occasionally play a little higher than you should to seize an opportunity for a big score. But do not be irresponsible. If you have a job, just as you would save for a holiday or big purchase save as much money as you can towards your bankroll. Your poker money does not solely have to come from your poker winnings.

Keep your bankroll separate from your working capital. Build the bankroll specifically for poker and do not touch it! This will ensure you do not syphon funds from it often enough where you never quite reach your target dollar amount and are constantly chasing to replace the money you “borrowed” from your fund.

Your Relationship with Money

Your relationship with money needs to change. Can you plan a WSOP schedule that will cost $40,000 of buy-ins and keep buying in if you fail to cash in each one? You need to have the gamble in you and I am honest enough to admit this is not always easy for me! Being cautious with money is not a weakness but your relationship with your bankroll will need to reach a point where you are happy to risk a lot of money on your poker game and be confident enough in your skills to feel this is not reckless. You will need to learn to treat poker like a business and put in the requisite effort to give your business the best chance of success you possibly can.

Go for it!

When you are in a position to go for it, do it! By the time you have put together a bankroll, gained the skills you need, researched the flights, hotel and other expenses, you have proven you have the focus and ability to turn your goals into a reality. You can now go ahead and complete your poker journey and make it to the WSOP.

In the meantime, see you at the tables!