looking for general info/advice/wisdom for 1st time at WSOP

[huge]

I feel like I've seen this somewhere - a general thread about advice for a first-timer at the WSOP - but now I can't find it. Maybe I saw it last year?

I won a seat on bodog recently, and now I'm trying to prepare. If someone knows of a thread on 2+2 or elsewhere, or if someone out there has just put up a website with general info for WSOP virgins, please point me to it.

If there's no existing compilation that anyone knows about, I'm happy to have whatever wisdom or tips you can throw at me. Anything from "here's how to play against the big names" (I'm reading 'Kill Phil' right now) to "here's what you should have in your backpack at the table" to "here's what you should be reading/doing to get ready" would be helpful.

thanks, and see you there...

[Huckster]

A couple things to remember about playing in the ME.
1. The structure. This is not your weekly home tournament this is the world championship. The blinds start low and you have a big stack. See flops as cheap as possible, and do not fall in love with pocket aces or kings. I have busted so may people in main event by flopping sets to take out their big pocket pairs. Get away from the hand if you played it like ABC poker and you have to commit a large amount of chips on the river.

2. Do not let yourself be tagged as someone who can be bullied. Defend your blinds against name players or you will be a target for the duration.

3. Use the break times wisely. (restroom, eating, mediatate, etc.)

4. If you go deep get plenty of rest. You can only be on your A game if you are prepared mentally and physically. A lot of amatuers underestimate the length of the day. It is very diffacult to play your best poker all day long.

Hope the above helps and maybe I will see you at the final table.
Huck

[DVaut1]

Recently, a friend of mine on these forums asked me a similar question. Just a little background: I'm a relatively medicore player (read donk) who qualified (and played in) my first ME last year. I won another seat this year. My friend asked the following over PM:

[ QUOTE ]
What are you doing in preparation for the ME? You gonna crash course the HoHs?

[/ QUOTE ]

My response:

[ QUOTE ]
This is sort of what I did last year; I treated the weeks leading up to the ME like cramming for finals in college or something. I was re-reading both HoHs, Theory of Poker, Caro's Book of Tells...reading 2+2 MTT for hours on end...I went to some local B&Ms to get used to live play (at the time, I had probably played no more than a total of 50 hours live).

Frankly, it was all more or less worthless (actually, I should amend this. In the long run, I suspect there were probably great benefits to all of that preparation). But the ME is one tournament. I don't think there's really any way to 'prepare' (that will substantially increase the chances of doing well) -- even in a deep stack tournament with long blind-levels like the WSOP, the tangible benefits of copious preparation are likely close to null.

I think the best preparation for a single tournament merely involves praying to your favorite god(s) and/or idols and begging them to let you run good. The benefits of any kind of formal 'preparation' regimen likely won't manifest itself in a single tournament.

So, to answer your question, most of my preparation for the WSOP ME involves booking tee times at local golf courses and trying to find out where I can get a good (but cheap) steak while I’m in town.

FWIW, Stallion Mntn. Country Club is close to the strip and offers a nice discount if you're willing to schedule a tee time after noon (of course, it will be the middle of July, and in the middle of a desert). And as for steak, I've heard Mr. Lucky's 24/7 at the Hard Rock has an all-day steak special for $9 (which comes with three grilled shrimp, a potato and salad). This is what my ME preparation has produced.

[/ QUOTE ]

[kutuz_off]

I would definitely recommend NOT to read any strategy books right before the tournament. Books screw up your game and take quite some time to digest what works and what doesn't.

Just play a lot of tournaments, play deep-stack tournaments available online, live tournaments if you have any available locally. Reading 2+2 deep-stack threads might be of value.

As for breaks - you better map out available restrooms before the tournament, because lines will be huge. Bring bottled water and energy bars to the table. It can be pretty cold inside the cardroom, so you might want to have something with long sleeves in your bag just in case.

[okterrific]

[ QUOTE ]
A couple things to remember about playing in the ME.
1. The structure. This is not your weekly home tournament this is the world championship. The blinds start low and you have a big stack. See flops as cheap as possible, and do not fall in love with pocket aces or kings. I have busted so may people in main event by flopping sets to take out their big pocket pairs. Get away from the hand if you played it like ABC poker and you have to commit a large amount of chips on the river.

2. Do not let yourself be tagged as someone who can be bullied. Defend your blinds against name players or you will be a target for the duration.

3. Use the break times wisely. (restroom, eating, mediatate, etc.)

4. If you go deep get plenty of rest. You can only be on your A game if you are prepared mentally and physically. A lot of amatuers underestimate the length of the day. It is very diffacult to play your best poker all day long.

Hope the above helps and maybe I will see you at the final table.
Huck

[/ QUOTE ]


EHH , what the hell do you know about it? oh wait nevermind [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Lawman007]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
A couple things to remember about playing in the ME.
1. The structure. This is not your weekly home tournament this is the world championship. The blinds start low and you have a big stack. See flops as cheap as possible, and do not fall in love with pocket aces or kings. I have busted so may people in main event by flopping sets to take out their big pocket pairs. Get away from the hand if you played it like ABC poker and you have to commit a large amount of chips on the river.

2. Do not let yourself be tagged as someone who can be bullied. Defend your blinds against name players or you will be a target for the duration.

3. Use the break times wisely. (restroom, eating, mediatate, etc.)

4. If you go deep get plenty of rest. You can only be on your A game if you are prepared mentally and physically. A lot of amatuers underestimate the length of the day. It is very diffacult to play your best poker all day long.

Hope the above helps and maybe I will see you at the final table.
Huck

[/ QUOTE ]


EHH , what the hell do you know about it? oh wait nevermind [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Is Huckster Huck Seed?

[Joe O]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
A couple things to remember about playing in the ME.
1. The structure. This is not your weekly home tournament this is the world championship. The blinds start low and you have a big stack. See flops as cheap as possible, and do not fall in love with pocket aces or kings. I have busted so may people in main event by flopping sets to take out their big pocket pairs. Get away from the hand if you played it like ABC poker and you have to commit a large amount of chips on the river.

2. Do not let yourself be tagged as someone who can be bullied. Defend your blinds against name players or you will be a target for the duration.

3. Use the break times wisely. (restroom, eating, mediatate, etc.)

4. If you go deep get plenty of rest. You can only be on your A game if you are prepared mentally and physically. A lot of amatuers underestimate the length of the day. It is very diffacult to play your best poker all day long.

Hope the above helps and maybe I will see you at the final table.
Huck

[/ QUOTE ]


EHH , what the hell do you know about it? oh wait nevermind [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Is Huckster Huck Seed?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, he is.

[jtomon]

agreed, every time I read a new book I noticed a certain period where I ran awful trying to implement. Long term its well worth it, short term trips you up.

[Wake up CALL]

[ QUOTE ]
agreed, every time I read a new book I noticed a certain period where I ran awful trying to implement. Long term its well worth it, short term trips you up.

[/ QUOTE ]

Happens to me every time I drink strawberry flavored Koolaid, it must be cause and effect.

[stan1541]

Why would you not read up? Why would you not want to refresh, or even learn a little? I'm not saying adapt a new playing strategy, just get your mind focused on some of the little things.

Also, a question, Would it be better to play tons of hands online or get similar time (ie less hands) in B&M?