Every year thousands of poker players make the pilgrimage to Las Vegas hoping to win World Series of Poker gold, but more than 99 percent go home empty-handed. With the odds stacked that much against ultimate success, you should do everything you can to help yourself win, so here are a few suggestions to help get you closer to that elusive bracelet.
• Don’t underestimate the effects of burnout. Schedule plenty of off days in between tournaments to make sure you’re fresh and excited to play.
• Drink more water. It doesn’t matter if you had six glasses at dinner just drink more. Trust me, the Vegas sun is unlike no other and when you’re dehydrated it will lead to headaches, which can be frustrating when you’re playing 12-hour days.
• Avoid unhealthy meals. There’s nothing worse than eating a burger on your break only to come back after dinner tired and ready to give away your chips. Fruits and vegetables!
• Go to the gym, get a little tan, do your laundry. You play your A game when you look and feel good about yourself. Go hiking, lift weights, whatever, just move your body as much as possible for an hour a day.
• Avoid the club scene. It’s OK to party once or twice, but don’t let it get out of hand. If you’re not playing a bracelet event, play the Rio daily deepstack or grind cash. There’s a ton of money to be made over the summer.
• Don’t be afraid to bust. The $1Ks and $1,500s start off relatively shallow and sometimes it’s worth it to gamble to build a big stack early because you may be able to use that stack to your advantage in the middle stages of the tournament.
• Pick solid roommates. Living with winners is crucial to your success as a poker player. If you surround yourself with bad-beat storytelling mopes, you’ll then become one. Also, if you rent a WSOP house or get a hotel room with a winning player, it’s much easier to talk about hands critically and learn from your mistakes.
Avoid the club scene. It’s OK to party once or twice, but don’t let it get out of hand. If you’re not playing a bracelet event, play the Rio daily deepstack or grind cash. There’s a ton of money to be made over the summer.
I’ll be playing 17 events this summer, including the main event, so be sure to say hello if you’re around the halls of the Rio.
— Mike Wolf is a team pro at surebetpoker.net. Email him at MichaelJWolf33@gmail.com and follow his adventures on Twitter @mikewolf7.
