It’s that time of year where most poker players from around the world travel to Las Vegas and get their World Series of Poker grinds on. When most players arrive, you can see that “kid in a candy store” gleam in their eyes, but if they’re not careful, that look can turn “jaded” quickly.

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At my $1K table the other day, there were several players talking about this exact topic, as one of them was upset with a horse of theirs for over-partying and showing up late instead of focusing and showing up on time ready to play. Late registering an event where you start with 3K in chips didn’t make sense to this person if being on time is an option. I think it’s easy to get to Las Vegas and drink a little more than usual, sleep a little less than usual, and if you’re not careful, get jaded from not staying prepared.

Another example refers to a friend of mine who showed up to the WSOP a couple of days early and just about went broke playing Open Face Chinese before the series even began. It’s so easy to play outside of your bankroll or get carried away and not quit. And if there is ever a time to make sure you have money for entries, it’s the WSOP.

Another important piece of the puzzle to keeping a good pace is handling disappointment. Almost everyone comes out to the WSOP with high expectations and very few actually fulfill them. It’s important to keep realistic expectations and be prepared for long, tough days and some disappointment. Obviously, I am not saying to avoid being optimistic, just be realistic and mentally prepared for any outcome. I’ve seen way too many players get “over it” quickly, including myself, but with mental preparation and strength, all of us can prevail.

Now, I would like to share a hand from the WSOP $1,500 Millionaire Maker. I came into Day 2 with 24,000 in chips and ran it up to 30,000 before 3bet/cbet/folding to a jam on the turn with Q-Q. That hand left me with 20,000 and then our table broke.

It’s midway through Day 2 with around 800 to 900 players left paying 650-ish. I opened and folded once at the new table and then started the following hand with about 18,000 from the big blind, which was 800. The hijack opened to 1,600 with about 30,000 behind and the button flatted with about 25,000 behind. I had A-7hh and decided to peel a flop.

The flop came 8c-6h-4h, the hijack made it 2,700, and the button made it 10,000. We had A-7hh and 17,500, what do we do? Obviously, with it being a new table, we had no reads. We simply have to shove on a draw with no fold equity or fold the nut flush draw with two to come. The way the button played his hand, calling pre-flop made me think he flopped some combo draws, some pairs, or possibly a set, but I think his sizing was a bit big for sets.

A-7hh actually has a lot of equity versus a ton of hands in this spot, but do we gamble with no fold equity for our tournament life? Please tell me your thoughts in the comments section here. After some discussion, I will reveal the results.

This article was written by John cracker9ballReynolds, who hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma. If you are interested in taking poker lessons or would like any information, contact him at variance101@gmail.com or visit Variance101.com.