While it’s true that the World Series of Poker (WSOP) attracts the best players from around the world, there are plenty of terrible players too. There’s a reason all the pros show up: it’s the juiciest series of tournaments in the world (by far).
Finishing in the money in a WSOP event should not be viewed as an almighty achievement. It’s really quite doable even if you’re not that great of a player or fairly new to the game. Of course, the variance associated with tournaments means you’ll mostly likely fail more than succeed in any one random event. However, here are a few tips to help you increase your chances of cashing at the WSOP.
Don’t Bluff a Ton
In general, players probably bluff too much in poker. What makes the WSOP great is that people almost never fold. Don’t bluff away your chips to some clown who is never going to fold his top pair.
Play Tight and Sensible
Don’t overthink things or try do make some sexy play like you see on TV. Keep the “KISS” mentality (keep it simple, stupid) on the forefront of your mind in a WSOP event. Who cares if it seems like you’re playing predictably? People are still bad enough that you’ll be able to get ahold of chips anyway.
Push Your Edges Hard
If you have a hand like pocket Aces or a flopped set, come out firing. Like I mentioned before, players don’t like to fold at the WSOP, so punish them big time for calling. When you have a monster hand, think about how much you want to bet, and then add like 25-33% to that bet.
Don’t Play Out of Position
Become obsessive about not finding yourself in situations where you are the first one to act on the betting rounds. This means fold your blind hands a lot and play really tight in early position. The luxury of being able to see what your opponent does before having to make any decisions is huge at the WSOP.