Prepping Yourself for Your First WSOP Event

You have decided that you are going to take your shot at the World Series of Poker. You have put together the money for your buy-in and expenses, and you have your trip all planned out. At this point, do you have a plan of attack regarding your event? If not, you may want to sit down and come up with one.

First, how many events are you planning to play and how close are they to each other? This will determine a large part of how long your stay in Vegas will be. Personally, if I plan to play more than one event, I like to have events that are relatively close together unless I plan to make a long trip.

Next, how soon before the event are you planning to arrive. I recommend that you try not to plan and arrive the day before the event. If you can, try and show up a couple of days early. I recommend this for a couple of reasons. First, if there are any problems getting to Vegas, then you have a little leeway. Next, this gives you time to recover from your trip. Traveling is tiring and there is nothing worse than arriving at 8 p.m. and then having to be at the Rio at Noon to play in the World Series of Poker.

Are you planning to satellite your way into the event? If so, try and play your satellites the day before. Some people like to try and win their way into an event the day of the event to feel that they are on a roll. I have discovered that many players that do this end up exhausting themselves early and end up busting out early.

Get a good nights rest the night before your event. I know this is easier said than done. The nervousness of your first WSOP event can be a little overwhelming. If you can, try and get 8 hours of sleep the night before. Noon events are typically around 14 hours long on Day 1. Evening events are not quite as long, but they do run past 2 a.m. I know from experience how long these days are, and playing on lack of sleep puts you at a severe disadvantage.

Eat some type of breakfast / lunch in the morning before your event. This naturally gives you energy through the day and helps your mind stay focused. Do not overeat. Overeating can make your tired and sluggish. It is also not a good idea to overeat during the dinner break during the event.

If you have any sort of pre-tournament routine before you play, then by all means do your routine. Personally, I like to eat one hot dog in the morning before a big tournament. The very first tournament I did well in, I had a hot dog before the event. It is superstition and strategically worthless, but sometimes the good karma from doing your typical routine can help you become more relaxed and alert, which does indeed have strategic advantages.

Now head out there and play your best. Enjoy yourself during your first WSOP event.