Three Reasons to Delay Playing at the World Series of Poker

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If you’re a poker player, odds are that one of your dreams is to play at the World Series of Poker. It is considered the mecca of poker and those that perform well at the WSOP can go on to become big names in the game.

While it is understandable that you want to compete at poker’s highest level, the reality is that some of us aren’t quite ready to compete at the World Series of Poker. Below are some reasons for holding off on taking a shot at the World Series of Poker. If any apply to you, maybe you should work on your game a little more before giving the WSOP a shot.

You Have Never Won a Multi-Table Tournament

I cannot tell you how many people that I have talked to in the past that have tried to play at the WSOP or other major poker event and have never won a multi-table tournament at any level. Playing at your buddies home game or winning sit and gos online is great, but it doesn’t properly prepare you for grinding in a large field multi-table live poker tournament.

I’m not saying that you need to have taken down massive field tournaments to prepare for these events, by you should have at least bested a field of 50 or more players at some point so you have at least some of the skills necessary to go through a WSOP field. While it is true that some players have been able to feel their way through a massive field tournament in the past, it happens so rarely nowadays that you’re just dead money at the tables if you don’t have the right experience.

You Have to Be Staked to Play Tournament Poker

It baffles my mind how many people go from “Hi, I am new to tournament poker” to “stake me in these events.” In the past people that got staked usually had some type of track record that gave a staker an incentive to invest in players.

Nowadays, too many people turn to staking as a way to fund their entire poker tournament career. That’s setting yourself up for failure. If you have to be staked constantly in order to play, then you have either a serious skill issue or a serious issue managing your bankroll.

Let me be clear, I am talking about people that have to be staked any time they play in a tournament. If you normally play up to $500 tournaments and have someone put up part of your buy-in for a $1,000 or greater event, that’s a different story. That’s taking a shot at a higher game.

I’m also not talking about a player that is selling pieces of tournaments that he is going to be playing anyway. That’s a way to offset your expenses. I’m referring the numerous players that cannot play tournament poker unless someone puts up the money for them.

You Have Uncontrolled Anxiety Issues

The reality of playing at the World Series of Poker is that it is a stressful event, and for some of us the stress can be too great. My second year of playing the WSOP, I left a week earlier than planned because I got so stressed over player attitudes that I started chewing out WSOP staff. I realized my mistake, apologized, and took the next flight home.

However, some of you have serious anxiety issues that include panic attacks and more. The WSOP can be a tremendous stress inducer due to the thousands of players crammed into a room daily and the pressure that playing poker at that level can bring. If you’re a player that has anxiety issues and you haven’t learned how to fully control them or compensate when you’re in those types of situations, it is best that you hold off on playing until you learn techniques to manage your anxiety and stress.

Playing the World Series of Poker is a big deal and something that you should not take lightly. If you cannot afford to play, are not experienced enough to play, or the event may cause physical harm to you, it is better to hold off and try again another year. After all, the WSOP isn’t going anywhere, so take some time and give yourself the best shot at winning at the World Series of Poker.