5 Tips to Help Amateur Poker Players Win More at the World Series of Poker

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The 2018 World Series of Poker is just a short six weeks away. Every year, amateur players make the trek to Las Vegas to try their luck (and skill) against the world’s best players. The majority of them go home with some good stories and experience, but not much else.

Part of the reason behind this is that amateur players don’t properly plan out their trip and end up putting themselves at a huge disadvantage from the start. If you’re planning on heading to 2018 WSOP, or any WSOP in the future, here are a few tips that will help you enjoy more success.

Stick With Your Best Game

The World Series of Poker is famous for being one of the only venues that offer ever variant of poker imaginable. Even if you’re a Razz player, you’ll find a game. Many amateurs make the mistake of playing in events they have zero experience in just because it is offered.

This is a huge mistake and often you will only wind up donating to the prize pool or to those in the cash games. Most non-Hold’em games require skills that the majority of NL Hold’em players lack. They are also very nuanced and take time to learn. Sure you can get lucky in some hands, but that luck often will not hold out long enough to make you any money.

Stick With Your Stakes / Buy-In Range

Another common mistake made by players is playing in games that are well above their standard stakes. By this, we aren’t talking about the home game player that decides to take a shot at a $1,500 event.

We are talking about the player who normally plays in events around $500 that are now trying their hand at ever $2k and higher event they can find a buy-in into. Taking a shot or two in these buy-ins is one thing, but making a trip of it is a recipe for disaster.

The same goes for cash games. If you are normally a $1-$2 NL players at your home casino, don’t start jumping into $5-$10 or higher games just because they are there. There will be plenty of $1-$2 games to try and fleece.

The exception to this rule is those of you that plan to hustle the satellites. If you are able to win your way into a few events via satellites, then it is fine to play at higher limits. That is the way to take shots at the larger WSOP events if you’re an amateur player.

Prepare for Each Event You Play

If you’re an amateur player, you want to give yourself the best chance to do well in an event. This means preparing for each event you plan to play. The day before you want to rest up and if you must play, quit early enough where you can get ample rest for the next day.

The day of the event, make sure that you have some type of routine for the morning. Make sure you give yourself enough time to get to the event, eat a sensible breakfast and do whatever mental and physical preparations you need to do.

Avoid Drinking and Drugs

This tip isn’t the most popular with some players, but serious players understand that alcohol and drugs can seriously impact one’s ability at the tables. That’s why you see a lot of poker pros who choose not to drink or party during the World Series of Poker.

Yes, this even includes social drinks while playing. The World Series of Poker isn’t your weekly home game or casino night with your buddies. You’re playing for serious money and for a WSOP bracelet. You need to treat it as such, and that includes keeping your mind clear by avoiding drugs and alcohol.

Take Days Off When Necessary

If you’re going to be at the WSOP for several day or weeks, then you NEED to off days into your schedule. Many amateur players make the mistake of playing every single day and find themselves getting burnt out or exhausted.

When this happens, your performance suffers and most end up losing much more than planned. Three or four days of play followed by an off day is a good schedule. At worst, take at least one day a week off from play. By this, we mean avoid poker and preferably the casinos altogether. There’s plenty to do in and around Las Vegas that doesn’t involve gambling and off days are a great time to experience all that Vegas has to offer.