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Noob’s Guide – Tackling WSOP 2016

Those planning on playing the World Series of Poker (WSOP) this year but are heading there for the first time, take a look at our basic guidelines on how to take on WSOP 2016. 

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WSOP 2016 – Beginners’s Guide

What to play?

Massive prize pools are probably the top priority for tournament players when deciding on what to play and the WSOP has a number of incredible offerings when it comes to their smaller-stakes events. The Colossus, the Millionaire Maker, and the Monster Stack are all amazing events with their own perks — the Colossus is the cheapest to enter, the Millionaire Maker has arguably the best surrounding schedule and the Monster Stack gives extra starting chips. For most players, these are must-play events.

Satellite your way in

Even a buy-in of $1,500 can be rather steep for some so satellites are your best friend. Make sure you budget aside for satellite events especially for tournaments like the Main Event. Price points for satellites vary. At the WSOP, they can start around $100 and go up into the thousands of dollars to get into tournaments like the Big One for One Drop.

Carry supplies

Days at the WSOP are very long. Do carry some healthy snacks like granola bars or fruit and a water bottle will also serve you well. It tends to get cold in the tournament area so carry a light or heavy jacket depending on how susceptible you are to the cold. Carry chargers and/or power banks for your phones or other mobile devices.

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ALSO READ: Jun-Jul 2016 Cover Story – Numbers Game (Kunal Patni)

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Register Early

At the Rio, one can see huge lines of people waiting to buy into their chosen events. Beat the long lines by registering well in advance, perhaps when you first arrive. This way you can simply turn up to your seat with your ID and your receipt and play. Not only that, but you won’t have to worry about having a few thousand dollars stashed away in your room for the entire trip.

The Colossus

This $565 NLHE tournament which is the smallest buy-in ever for an open WSOP event drew a massive and unprecedented 22,374 entries. For small ball players, focus on the Colossus and make it your ‘Main Event’. There is a $7 million guarantee in place which is expected to be easily surpassed this year. Not only that, a first-place prize guarantee of a million dollars has also been put into place. Strategically speaking, making Day 2 is hugely important because that’s when the levels jump to 60 minutes (from 30 minutes on the Day 1 flights), giving you far more play, so be prepared to gamble a little early on but don’t be afraid to sneak into Day 2 with a short stack.

The bottom line is that for a player new to the WSOP, there’s simply no better tournament than the Colossus. It offers a chance to take down a life-changing score for just a handful of buy-ins at your local casino’s tournament. For just $565 it provides an opportunity to capture a gold bracelet, not to mention etch your name in poker history as one of the very few to defeat a field of this size.

Outside the Rio

As amazing as the WSOP is, it’s far from the only game in town. Throughout the summer, a number of casinos around Las Vegas play host to their own tournament series and daily tournaments, many of which produce sizable prize pools and are well worth playing. From the Venetian to M Resort to the Aria, Bellagio and more, there are plenty of solid tournament series that you can get into if you bust from your WSOP event of the day.

Enjoy!

The number one thing on your list should be to enjoy the experience of Las Vegas and the WSOP. All poker players should visit Vegas during the WSOP at least once in their lifetime, because it is magical. Try to befriend the dealers, floor staff, and reporters, because these people know all of the local secrets such as where the cheap bars are, places to purchase inexpensive tickets for shows, and other such things as they are probably on more of a budget than you are. Don’t spend all of your spare cash in the first couple of days, try not to get blind drunk at all, drink plenty of water, and do what you can to come home with a shiny gold bracelet as a memento of your epic journey.

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(This piece was originally published in Gutshot Magazine Jun-Jul 2016 edition, and you can take a look at such pieces in our repository of all past editions by clicking here)

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