Poker Articles

The World Series of Poker Main Event is the biggest poker tournament in the world. Not only is the prize pool enormous, the buzz around the WSOP Main Event is just as staggering. People come from all over the globe to watch and partake in this event. I know sometimes I take poker for granted, but it is impossible not to think this tournament is special.  I have been fortunate enough to play in the Main Event for the last three years.

For my first Main Event I won a package on PartyPoker and stayed at the MGM. When I walked into my hotel room there was a suitcase full of goodies given to me from Party. The thrill of playing in my first Main Event was growing before I ever arrived at the Rio. I could hardly sleep the night before. I was so excited to play poker the next day; I didn’t fall asleep until close to sunrise. I woke up a few hours later even more excited and prepared to do my best. I entered the Amazon room and walked to my table. I didn’t recognize any of the players. It was time to get to work.

I splashed around with my 10k starting stack and eventually was down to 2k in chips. What has happened to me? Why am I so short on chips? This is the Main Event! You have to do well! I was panicked. I tried to calm down, and ground my 2k stack to about 8k. The blinds were now 100/200 with a 25 ante. I was in the big blind and the under the gun player limped. He limped under the gun with aces earlier in the day, and I didn’t think he’d do it again, so I believed he was weak this time. Behind him came 6 more players who entered the pot. It was now my option in the big blind. I looked down at 67 off suit. With over 2000 chips as dead money in the pot, I saw the opportunity to increase my stack by 1/4th. Still flustered from being almost felted, I did something overly risky –  I moved all in. The under the gun raiser folded. The action was now on the second limper. He asked for a count, then called. Everyone else folded and we revealed our hands. I sheepishly turned over my 67 and he showed AK. The people at the table, as well as the rail, were shocked when my hand was shown. He flopped a king and I also flopped a pair. I didn’t improve and my Main Event run was over. I wished everyone good luck and left the Amazon room.

My second Main Event went a little bit better. I was patient, played well, and didn’t force anything. I moved on to day two, day three, made the money, and went into day four with a short-stack.. I survived most of day four until the blinds caught up with me and I shoved Q7 into TT. I was happy with my play for the most part. Since I was short-stacked for most of the tournament, I felt handcuffed from actually “playing poker.” I finished in 163rd place out of 6,358 people, cashing for $51,400. I could definitely feel the buzz and excitement in the room surrounding the Main Event. Like I mentioned at the beginning of the article, nothing can match the whirlwind of enthusiasm that comes with getting deep in the Main Event. There’s nothing else like it in poker.

Last year’s Main Event was sort of similar to my first Main Event. I got into a rut early on a failed bluff attempt and couldn’t battle back. My tournament ended on day one and I was very disappointed with myself and my play.

The point of this article is to share my Main Event experiences with you and also give you pieces of advice if you plan on playing. There have been plenty of articles written on WSOP live play, but here is my personal advice:

1.  Patience is the biggest key to the Main Event. The structure is amazing. You don’t have to panic. People will eventually make a mistake to your advantage.

2.  Stay alert and stay refreshed. During breaks you might see me doing push-ups and sit-ups to relax my mind and take some stress off of my body. I also stretch too. Sitting down for so many hours on end contemplating hands really can affect your brain and body. Also make sure to eat and drink frequently.

3.  Pay attention. I feel like stereotypes can be thrown out the window in some cases. I have dealt with elderly players 3-betting 44 to a young Scandinavian folding fifty hands and waiting for aces. Know who you are playing against and what they are capable of.

4.  Transition your strategy from online to live. Realize that the live game is different, but don’t forget the fundamentals you’ve learned from playing online. Generally, people play tighter live, but don’t forget about all the hands and situations you have been in online and don’t be afraid to make moves when you see the right situation.

5.  Take time away from the poker tables when it’s possible. Go out to dinner, go see a show, hang out with friends. Take your mind off poker sometimes and enjoy Las Vegas.

6.  Most importantly - Have fun. I really can’t stress this enough. Embrace what is going on around you and enjoy the moment. There are millions of people who want to be in your shoes. Do the best you can.

Cre8ive Tristan Wade

Cre8ive's Blog

Recent Scores for Cre8ive

$31,732.20

$162 buy-in, The Nightly Hundred Grand on PokerStars. 02/10/2009, 1 place for 31,732.20

$7,095.60

$55 buy-in, $15K Super Turbo KO on FullTiltPoker. 04/12/2009, 2 place for 7,095.60

$15,223.95

$300 buy-in, FTOPS Event #9 on FullTiltPoker. 11/09/2008, 11 place for 15,223.95