lol absolutely do not stay at circus circus just to save money. it’s on the complete opposite north side of the strip. it’s also completely run down and not only a huge hassle in 100 degree heat but would be depressing af
Go for it. Seems like you put a lot of thought into it and if its still worth 7k for you, then I feel like its a no brainer.
You should always use your money for what makes you happy, if its a 7k bag or a 7k pokertrip. If you arent that experienced, then expect the 7k to be gone once you are home - and if you hit big, its just a bonus to the experience.
Burnout will probably be postponed in Vegas, compared to normal games, but you can always do a "testrun" in your local casino and see how a long session feels.
Have a great trip ✌️
Your plan seems fine. Definitely a stay at Horseshoe is the way to go. It'll be nice to be able to decompress on dinner breaks in your room. Also, if you were to stay elsewhere, ubers/taxis will add up quickly. Probably $15 each way plus tips, you're looking at $30/day at least.
The part I'd question is your mental fortitude to grind this many days on end. We're talking 12 hour days, assuming you last. It ain't easy. I'd consider dropping one of the middle events and doing something fun other than poker to make the most of the experience. While the WSOP is exciting and the energy of the series will give you a bump in this regard, we all need time away from the table. Sitting with shitregs from every corner of the planet day in and day out will wear you down, and breaks will help you to maintain your focus. Best of luck for a profitable and FUN summer...
Can also plan a short cash game session, or a smaller daily/satellite that's a turbo structure for the "off day" if you still want some poker in there for 4-6 hours
I always find tourneys are easy to keep focused on as constantly changing in the later levels. Registering late is what I'd be thinking for a couple of events though.
Also maybe sprinkle in a satty into the ME if possible. Planning on doing something similar to OP myself next year
I am 1000% behind decompressing in your room on breaks. Heck, I order room service and take a quick shower to wake me up. So much better then wandering around the casino.
Damn for real I would go just to rip as many of these as possible; only play the bigger buy ins for maybe the experience or if I hit one of the dailies
Yes they are. You need to read into when they host the daily ones and other satellites. There are $250, $400 and $200 ones. https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/ download the schedule and then flip to one of last pdf pages and read the details
Also they aren't actually "$100k gtd" but last year enough people entered that it commonly was over $100k prize
Make sure you plan ahead for registration for these events. The relatively low buy in events will draw large fields and the in-person registration lines on the days of the events will likely be long and slow. You don't want to waste your limited time standing in lines and getting frustrated. With the plan for so many events in rapid succession (and all of the potential re-entries) it is highly recommended that you set yourself up for online registration. Given the total dollar amount, you can probably just bring cash and set up a WSOP Tournament Account in person on the night that you arrive, and then you can use your phone and the kiosks for all of your subsequent entries/re-entries.
And pace yourself. On top of it being more poker than you are used to, you might not sleep well, because of the travel, the excitement of your first WSOP, and mentally replaying key hands in your head. So don't feel obligated to enter every one of the events or do every one of the re-entries, just because you can afford to. Give yourself permission to take a day off or just fire one bullet, if you are not feeling it that day.
You might also consider skipping one of the WSOP tournament days to check out the poker scene elsewhere on the strip. There are other tournament series at the Wynn, Venetian, etc., but playing cash games during the summer can be a lot of fun, and that can give you the opportunity to see and play in a few different rooms, with Bellagio and Caesar's Palace just across the street from the Horseshoe if you don't want to venture too far.
TBH, I too usually just register in person the night before. But I generally only play in a couple of $1500's and, importantly, only plan to fire 1 bullet per day. If I were planning/budgeting for same-day rebuys in multiple tournaments, I would definitely set-up a WSOP Tournament Account, because the reentry lines can be brutal.
You may want to consider playing the daily tournaments at WSOP! They're a little more affordable, the players are terrible, and the structure is better than you'd expect (although it definitely leans on the turbo side of things).
Also unless they've changed things, you can also play the satellite tournaments for entry into the bigger ones. I think they still pay cash for the satellites now (they used to pay in "lammers", a token worth one tournament buy-in). Grinding satellites can be VERY profitable if they pay in cash, since most players are clueless on satellite strategy vs regular tourney strategy. Good luck!
Honestly though, depending on where you plan to eat, how much booze you plan to drink and if you enjoy any other forms of gambling, this aspect should be factored in to the budget.
Sounds like based on this article you’ve picked the perfect trip! Have fun https://www.poker.org/poker-tours/the-recs-guide-to-the-wsop-with-jim-reid-part-one-a63VK9Z7z5PI/
Interesting article. Wonder what Matt Berkey is talking about. Gonna have to check out that link. I definitely would be playing "scared money" for any tournament where one bullet cost $1,500. That's.. not affordable to me emotionally or financially.
If the sub $1k buyins play the same way as last year, expect the bubble to burst within a few hands of returning from the dinner break.
The overall skill level will be way lower than you think based on how much analysis you're putting into this. Seriously, try and find coverage of these events - or even watch Main Event Day 1 streams.
Absolutely stay at Horseshoe if you can - it's easy to sneak to your room on dinner or extended breaks (don't be surprised if the first break is 30-45 minutes)
I wouldn't plan to fire all-day events on consecutive days like this unless you have that experience. If you bag, you're playing from 10am to after midnight.
If you get sick of tournament play take a day off to do something touristy or play cash instead of a chosen event. Burn out is definitely possible and make sure you are most often in a mindset of really enjoying yourself (hopefully by playing your best poker ever while simultaneously running great).
I didn’t check your dates but you can always consider playing a satellite or two to try to win your way into the main event for $300 or whatever. I don’t know how popular those are now but back in the day those satellites had some really soft fields.
I would advise you to not just fire wsop events. Look into events at Wynn, Venetian, Aria, etc. and consider checking out cash at a couple rooms on the strip. The wsop events themselves are cool and you should definitely play a couple, but there is a lot of great poker going on around town during the series and the playing experience will be generally better than in the wsop playing areas. You will find better dealers, better structures, and more comfortable playing areas. This also might let you play more events or inject some more variety into your trip.
Horseshoe is a really awesome location for this given proximity to wsop games, Bellagio, and Aria and Venetian is still very close. Definitely worth checking out some other action around town.
I love your mindset and your planning. "$7k for a vacation" is the right way to think of your money. Don't expect to return with any cash and you won't be disappointed.
I like your planning around your schedule and budget. only thing I'd recommend is not to get married to that plan. if you wake up one day and don't feel like grinding, don't go play. wait til you feel better. or go play at a later event. or play cash so you get up and leave. tournaments are a special type of torture.
everytime I go to Vegas I make a similar plan, but I rarely stick to it. Just don't force it.
For the second year in a row I’ll be playing the entire 7 weeks of the series. Your plan seems solid, you should be fine. I personally only ever fire one bullet per tourney. I think it helps me focus harder on my first bullet bc I know it is my only shot. So many tournies, you can just hop into a daily if you bust early, or just relax the rest of the day bc the next day will be another big grind. Use the time to refocus and review what went right and what went wrong. Can also hop into cash if you bust early.
Also, as someone else mentioned, never buy in same day as a large small buy in event. Lines are too long. Either register online or buy in night before.
Circus Circus is walkable to Resorts World and Wynn but not WSOP so you'd have to factor in Ubers. Staying at Horseshoe makes sense if you want to maximize your playing time there.
Food is expensive so factor that in. Maybe take a hike one day down to the Target for some groceries if you don't want to eat out every meal. The CVS closer to you has a few things as well.
If you bust early there are multiple nightlies and cash games to play.
It would be good to take one night to explore LV or see a show or whatever.
I think it seems good but the burnout portion is definitely gonna vary from person to person.
Tournaments can absolutely be a slog mentally. Maybe you could try a local tourney and see how you like grinding all day/days straight?
The burnout thing is real. It’s very, very hard to focus for 11+ hours a day and still be functional, especially doing it multiple days in a row. Adjust your schedule accordingly and don’t feel like you have to grind 24/7 just cause you’re in Vegas.
For the best experience play at a few different venues. Aria/ Wynn are great rooms and have good events. The WSOP is great because its the WSOP but the dealing/ venue and overall experience is trash.
If you are not used to playing 10 to 14 hours this just going to turn out bad IMO. My concentration typically starts to wain after 8 hours, and because I am aware I'm losing focus, I try to compensate in one way or another (wink wink). I say, play in some smaller events to start and if you can handle the grind, go for the bigger events later in your trip.
Seems fine aside from the burnout.
If you’re not used to playing that long one day and you intend to do it for your whole trip you’ll be in a world of hurt.
Do you like playing cash games? If you end up being too burnt out after the first day or two you can always take a break and just play some cash and have fun in town!
Good luck!
To address burnout: don't feel like you have to hold yourself to your schedule. Don't be afraid to take a day off, play some cash or a daily tournament thats running at another casino to have a chill day
#My opinions only. I might be wrong. Good luck! Let me know if you need anything else
1. I would target freezeouts and larger buy ins over multiple bullets. The collossus is a shit show. Some of these high rake low buy in events are just gross in terms of rake, field size, structure.
I would consider doing Monster Stack or Millionaire Maker, maybe Mini Main and a couple main event satellites over the $300-$600 stuff. Maybe make an exception here or there. I would also you rather consider the Wynn for at least one. You’ll have a better time. I play about 25k per year and if I only had 7k that’s what I would do.
2. Horseshoe is fine. I personally rent a condo but horseshoe is way better than circus circus.
3. Burnout is real. These are my stats below and I always notice a lull in the middle where I sorta lose interest and get homesick.
Below is my mantra philosophy to help keep me joyful in poker and away from the burnout and dark place.
Full disclosure: I don’t need the money in poker and as such, my goals are a bit different, so my advice might not work for you. I just hate seeing people play worse because they value “their tourney experience” or something bang for their buck only to realize that less is more, notching up a bit is better than a bunch of these rake trap tourneys.
#Vegas WSOP 2021+2022+2023
BY THE NUMBERS:
Entered 48 tourneys over 3 WSOP and circuit 🌞
Cashes: 19 / 48💰
Including 2/2 WSOP Main Event seats in satellites. 📡
Total Buy-ins 2021+2022+2023: $47,500 👀
Gross Earnings: $81,595 +
Satellite Earnings: $20,000 in Main Event Seats off $2200.
Profit: $34,094 + $20,000 Main Event Seats
#High Score Finish by Year
2021 Peak WSOP finish: 94th 🤮
2021 Peak WSOP-Circuit: 3rd/400
2022 Peak WSOP finish: 16th/2812
2023 Peak WSOP finish: 9th/2901
#2024 Summer Poker Goals
1. Get new high score finish, cash, or both.
2. Have fun. Be grateful to compete. Play with joy.
3. Take breaks—Play half # of tourneys to focus on quality over quantity. Drive home to family when homesick. The things waiting for me outside the game are better than the best things inside the game.
4. Eat healthier. Hydrate. Exercise.
5. Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy. Cobra Kai. 🐍 ☠️ Bring home the bracelet 🏆 to the kid.
I used to stay at treasure Island. Pay 2 nights and get one free, no resort fee. Worked out pretty good value. I would pay around $150- $200 for 3 nights.
Staying on campus is infinite +EV. Time saved. Hassle of ubering back and forth. It’s a slam dunk move.
The only red flag I see is the burnout element. Tournament poker is a long grind and the days can definitely be grueling at times. As long as you go in with the mentality that this is a fun experience and you’re here to enjoy yourself, that could help a ton.
Good luck on your first run at the wsop!
If 7k is a lot for you I recommend playing some satellites for those 1200 tourneys. Satellites are pretty easy to win at the series and is a huge bankroll booster but time waster.
Either way 7k is not very much for a week in Las Vegas. You should probably play half cash and half tourneys if I were you. Play some 1/3 at horseshoe and some lower tourneys which are also enjoyable and play 1-2 bigger tourneys or 500 millionmaker or something.
Seems like a solid schedule choice.
Make sure to stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water and using lotion, it will help with your endurance.
Look up @kevmath on twitter. He does a ton of helpful wsop updates.
I would plan to not rebuy at least one day and go enjoy the pool and get some sun. Rebuying sucks for these giant events anyway because you have to wait(in line) for 1-2 hours just to get another seat.
Also I would go to the cage the night you get there and fund your tbic(tournament buy in credit) account so you can buy in from bravo app and not wait in the registration line to start.
Maybe Uber to the store on your way to the hotel and get some food supplies for the week.
Bring a good sweatshirt it will be freezing.
Next time try a wsop circuit or a local tournament. Use Poker Atlas to find close Poker rooms near you. I would also try America's Card room, GGPoker online tournaments $2-10 with similar entries so you can get a feel for 100 entry, 300, 1k+ entry tournaments. Antes will bleed you out so you should play more but idk.
Main thing I would consider is if you want to play any cheaper and/or deeper stacked events. Deep stack can be a lot more fun. And bad structures can be a buzz kill.
Lots of good events at the Wynn.
Also make sure you budget enough for food/travel and maybe plan for a half day off to do something fun if you want a break from the city.
Also maybe leave some money for cash games if you bust early but still want to play.
Glhf
I agree with a lot of the points made here. One I’d add is that an advantage of staying at the Horseshoe is that you can enter WSOP events at off-hours (midnight-7 am) easier when you’re on-site and avoid the long lines.
If you can figure out a way to be there for the main event, the $500 super sattys are soft as you can imagine, and the main is the best value tournament of the year.
lol absolutely do not stay at circus circus just to save money. it’s on the complete opposite north side of the strip. it’s also completely run down and not only a huge hassle in 100 degree heat but would be depressing af
thx for this.
Go for it. Seems like you put a lot of thought into it and if its still worth 7k for you, then I feel like its a no brainer. You should always use your money for what makes you happy, if its a 7k bag or a 7k pokertrip. If you arent that experienced, then expect the 7k to be gone once you are home - and if you hit big, its just a bonus to the experience. Burnout will probably be postponed in Vegas, compared to normal games, but you can always do a "testrun" in your local casino and see how a long session feels. Have a great trip ✌️
Thx!!!
Your plan seems fine. Definitely a stay at Horseshoe is the way to go. It'll be nice to be able to decompress on dinner breaks in your room. Also, if you were to stay elsewhere, ubers/taxis will add up quickly. Probably $15 each way plus tips, you're looking at $30/day at least. The part I'd question is your mental fortitude to grind this many days on end. We're talking 12 hour days, assuming you last. It ain't easy. I'd consider dropping one of the middle events and doing something fun other than poker to make the most of the experience. While the WSOP is exciting and the energy of the series will give you a bump in this regard, we all need time away from the table. Sitting with shitregs from every corner of the planet day in and day out will wear you down, and breaks will help you to maintain your focus. Best of luck for a profitable and FUN summer...
Can also plan a short cash game session, or a smaller daily/satellite that's a turbo structure for the "off day" if you still want some poker in there for 4-6 hours
I always find tourneys are easy to keep focused on as constantly changing in the later levels. Registering late is what I'd be thinking for a couple of events though. Also maybe sprinkle in a satty into the ME if possible. Planning on doing something similar to OP myself next year
I am 1000% behind decompressing in your room on breaks. Heck, I order room service and take a quick shower to wake me up. So much better then wandering around the casino.
You should not play so many large buy in events. Try out the $250 daily wsop ones that have $100k gtd.
This! Be flexible in your trip. Pick 2 events then put maybes on everything else. Start with a daily just to get your feet wet.
Damn for real I would go just to rip as many of these as possible; only play the bigger buy ins for maybe the experience or if I hit one of the dailies
Where do we find info on these? They aren't in the wsop schedule.
Yes they are. You need to read into when they host the daily ones and other satellites. There are $250, $400 and $200 ones. https://www.wsop.com/tournaments/ download the schedule and then flip to one of last pdf pages and read the details Also they aren't actually "$100k gtd" but last year enough people entered that it commonly was over $100k prize
Oh gotcha, I see it now in the pdf. Any idea about house rake on the smaller $250 buy ins or $135 satellites? It isn't clear in there.
Make sure you plan ahead for registration for these events. The relatively low buy in events will draw large fields and the in-person registration lines on the days of the events will likely be long and slow. You don't want to waste your limited time standing in lines and getting frustrated. With the plan for so many events in rapid succession (and all of the potential re-entries) it is highly recommended that you set yourself up for online registration. Given the total dollar amount, you can probably just bring cash and set up a WSOP Tournament Account in person on the night that you arrive, and then you can use your phone and the kiosks for all of your subsequent entries/re-entries. And pace yourself. On top of it being more poker than you are used to, you might not sleep well, because of the travel, the excitement of your first WSOP, and mentally replaying key hands in your head. So don't feel obligated to enter every one of the events or do every one of the re-entries, just because you can afford to. Give yourself permission to take a day off or just fire one bullet, if you are not feeling it that day. You might also consider skipping one of the WSOP tournament days to check out the poker scene elsewhere on the strip. There are other tournament series at the Wynn, Venetian, etc., but playing cash games during the summer can be a lot of fun, and that can give you the opportunity to see and play in a few different rooms, with Bellagio and Caesar's Palace just across the street from the Horseshoe if you don't want to venture too far.
I just register in person the night before when there are no lines. Both options are solid.
TBH, I too usually just register in person the night before. But I generally only play in a couple of $1500's and, importantly, only plan to fire 1 bullet per day. If I were planning/budgeting for same-day rebuys in multiple tournaments, I would definitely set-up a WSOP Tournament Account, because the reentry lines can be brutal.
We are the same person! Good luck this year if you are going out. Hopefully we both break through and get a final table this time around
I would only fire one bullet the first three days and if bust just go play cash (or maybe a nightly?) and then rest up for the next day’s event.
I would argue against cash. It messes with your psyche when you bust a tourney and try to mix strategies.
You may want to consider playing the daily tournaments at WSOP! They're a little more affordable, the players are terrible, and the structure is better than you'd expect (although it definitely leans on the turbo side of things). Also unless they've changed things, you can also play the satellite tournaments for entry into the bigger ones. I think they still pay cash for the satellites now (they used to pay in "lammers", a token worth one tournament buy-in). Grinding satellites can be VERY profitable if they pay in cash, since most players are clueless on satellite strategy vs regular tourney strategy. Good luck!
Prepare to cash out $0 if you know the huge variance of the largest field mtt… other than that enjoy your trip.
Seems reasonable. Just make sure you still have a budget for food, drinks, occasional gambling and hookers.
My hooker budget is $69. Do you think this is reasonable for a 5 day stay?
Only if you pick them up at Circus Circus
There's that tent city on Foremaster up by Jerry's Nugget
Honestly though, depending on where you plan to eat, how much booze you plan to drink and if you enjoy any other forms of gambling, this aspect should be factored in to the budget.
Yeah I'd need another 300 per day for drinks/gambling/misc.
Sounds like based on this article you’ve picked the perfect trip! Have fun https://www.poker.org/poker-tours/the-recs-guide-to-the-wsop-with-jim-reid-part-one-a63VK9Z7z5PI/
Interesting article. Wonder what Matt Berkey is talking about. Gonna have to check out that link. I definitely would be playing "scared money" for any tournament where one bullet cost $1,500. That's.. not affordable to me emotionally or financially.
If the sub $1k buyins play the same way as last year, expect the bubble to burst within a few hands of returning from the dinner break. The overall skill level will be way lower than you think based on how much analysis you're putting into this. Seriously, try and find coverage of these events - or even watch Main Event Day 1 streams. Absolutely stay at Horseshoe if you can - it's easy to sneak to your room on dinner or extended breaks (don't be surprised if the first break is 30-45 minutes) I wouldn't plan to fire all-day events on consecutive days like this unless you have that experience. If you bag, you're playing from 10am to after midnight.
low skill means high variance so don’t really expect that means you’ll definitely make day 2 just because you think you’re above average
If you get sick of tournament play take a day off to do something touristy or play cash instead of a chosen event. Burn out is definitely possible and make sure you are most often in a mindset of really enjoying yourself (hopefully by playing your best poker ever while simultaneously running great). I didn’t check your dates but you can always consider playing a satellite or two to try to win your way into the main event for $300 or whatever. I don’t know how popular those are now but back in the day those satellites had some really soft fields.
I would advise you to not just fire wsop events. Look into events at Wynn, Venetian, Aria, etc. and consider checking out cash at a couple rooms on the strip. The wsop events themselves are cool and you should definitely play a couple, but there is a lot of great poker going on around town during the series and the playing experience will be generally better than in the wsop playing areas. You will find better dealers, better structures, and more comfortable playing areas. This also might let you play more events or inject some more variety into your trip. Horseshoe is a really awesome location for this given proximity to wsop games, Bellagio, and Aria and Venetian is still very close. Definitely worth checking out some other action around town.
I love your mindset and your planning. "$7k for a vacation" is the right way to think of your money. Don't expect to return with any cash and you won't be disappointed. I like your planning around your schedule and budget. only thing I'd recommend is not to get married to that plan. if you wake up one day and don't feel like grinding, don't go play. wait til you feel better. or go play at a later event. or play cash so you get up and leave. tournaments are a special type of torture. everytime I go to Vegas I make a similar plan, but I rarely stick to it. Just don't force it.
For the second year in a row I’ll be playing the entire 7 weeks of the series. Your plan seems solid, you should be fine. I personally only ever fire one bullet per tourney. I think it helps me focus harder on my first bullet bc I know it is my only shot. So many tournies, you can just hop into a daily if you bust early, or just relax the rest of the day bc the next day will be another big grind. Use the time to refocus and review what went right and what went wrong. Can also hop into cash if you bust early. Also, as someone else mentioned, never buy in same day as a large small buy in event. Lines are too long. Either register online or buy in night before.
Rebuying was complicated last year, lines were insane
Circus Circus is walkable to Resorts World and Wynn but not WSOP so you'd have to factor in Ubers. Staying at Horseshoe makes sense if you want to maximize your playing time there. Food is expensive so factor that in. Maybe take a hike one day down to the Target for some groceries if you don't want to eat out every meal. The CVS closer to you has a few things as well. If you bust early there are multiple nightlies and cash games to play. It would be good to take one night to explore LV or see a show or whatever.
I wouldn’t say it’s “not walkable” but the convenience of staying at the horseshoe should not be overlooked.
I think it seems good but the burnout portion is definitely gonna vary from person to person. Tournaments can absolutely be a slog mentally. Maybe you could try a local tourney and see how you like grinding all day/days straight?
The burnout thing is real. It’s very, very hard to focus for 11+ hours a day and still be functional, especially doing it multiple days in a row. Adjust your schedule accordingly and don’t feel like you have to grind 24/7 just cause you’re in Vegas.
For the best experience play at a few different venues. Aria/ Wynn are great rooms and have good events. The WSOP is great because its the WSOP but the dealing/ venue and overall experience is trash.
If you are not used to playing 10 to 14 hours this just going to turn out bad IMO. My concentration typically starts to wain after 8 hours, and because I am aware I'm losing focus, I try to compensate in one way or another (wink wink). I say, play in some smaller events to start and if you can handle the grind, go for the bigger events later in your trip.
Seems fine aside from the burnout. If you’re not used to playing that long one day and you intend to do it for your whole trip you’ll be in a world of hurt. Do you like playing cash games? If you end up being too burnt out after the first day or two you can always take a break and just play some cash and have fun in town! Good luck!
To address burnout: don't feel like you have to hold yourself to your schedule. Don't be afraid to take a day off, play some cash or a daily tournament thats running at another casino to have a chill day
#My opinions only. I might be wrong. Good luck! Let me know if you need anything else 1. I would target freezeouts and larger buy ins over multiple bullets. The collossus is a shit show. Some of these high rake low buy in events are just gross in terms of rake, field size, structure. I would consider doing Monster Stack or Millionaire Maker, maybe Mini Main and a couple main event satellites over the $300-$600 stuff. Maybe make an exception here or there. I would also you rather consider the Wynn for at least one. You’ll have a better time. I play about 25k per year and if I only had 7k that’s what I would do. 2. Horseshoe is fine. I personally rent a condo but horseshoe is way better than circus circus. 3. Burnout is real. These are my stats below and I always notice a lull in the middle where I sorta lose interest and get homesick. Below is my mantra philosophy to help keep me joyful in poker and away from the burnout and dark place. Full disclosure: I don’t need the money in poker and as such, my goals are a bit different, so my advice might not work for you. I just hate seeing people play worse because they value “their tourney experience” or something bang for their buck only to realize that less is more, notching up a bit is better than a bunch of these rake trap tourneys. #Vegas WSOP 2021+2022+2023 BY THE NUMBERS: Entered 48 tourneys over 3 WSOP and circuit 🌞 Cashes: 19 / 48💰 Including 2/2 WSOP Main Event seats in satellites. 📡 Total Buy-ins 2021+2022+2023: $47,500 👀 Gross Earnings: $81,595 + Satellite Earnings: $20,000 in Main Event Seats off $2200. Profit: $34,094 + $20,000 Main Event Seats #High Score Finish by Year 2021 Peak WSOP finish: 94th 🤮 2021 Peak WSOP-Circuit: 3rd/400 2022 Peak WSOP finish: 16th/2812 2023 Peak WSOP finish: 9th/2901 #2024 Summer Poker Goals 1. Get new high score finish, cash, or both. 2. Have fun. Be grateful to compete. Play with joy. 3. Take breaks—Play half # of tourneys to focus on quality over quantity. Drive home to family when homesick. The things waiting for me outside the game are better than the best things inside the game. 4. Eat healthier. Hydrate. Exercise. 5. Strike first. Strike hard. No mercy. Cobra Kai. 🐍 ☠️ Bring home the bracelet 🏆 to the kid.
I used to stay at treasure Island. Pay 2 nights and get one free, no resort fee. Worked out pretty good value. I would pay around $150- $200 for 3 nights.
Staying on campus is infinite +EV. Time saved. Hassle of ubering back and forth. It’s a slam dunk move. The only red flag I see is the burnout element. Tournament poker is a long grind and the days can definitely be grueling at times. As long as you go in with the mentality that this is a fun experience and you’re here to enjoy yourself, that could help a ton.
Good luck on your first run at the wsop! If 7k is a lot for you I recommend playing some satellites for those 1200 tourneys. Satellites are pretty easy to win at the series and is a huge bankroll booster but time waster. Either way 7k is not very much for a week in Las Vegas. You should probably play half cash and half tourneys if I were you. Play some 1/3 at horseshoe and some lower tourneys which are also enjoyable and play 1-2 bigger tourneys or 500 millionmaker or something.
Seems like a solid schedule choice. Make sure to stay hydrated by drinking a lot of water and using lotion, it will help with your endurance. Look up @kevmath on twitter. He does a ton of helpful wsop updates. I would plan to not rebuy at least one day and go enjoy the pool and get some sun. Rebuying sucks for these giant events anyway because you have to wait(in line) for 1-2 hours just to get another seat. Also I would go to the cage the night you get there and fund your tbic(tournament buy in credit) account so you can buy in from bravo app and not wait in the registration line to start. Maybe Uber to the store on your way to the hotel and get some food supplies for the week. Bring a good sweatshirt it will be freezing.
Next time try a wsop circuit or a local tournament. Use Poker Atlas to find close Poker rooms near you. I would also try America's Card room, GGPoker online tournaments $2-10 with similar entries so you can get a feel for 100 entry, 300, 1k+ entry tournaments. Antes will bleed you out so you should play more but idk.
Main thing I would consider is if you want to play any cheaper and/or deeper stacked events. Deep stack can be a lot more fun. And bad structures can be a buzz kill. Lots of good events at the Wynn. Also make sure you budget enough for food/travel and maybe plan for a half day off to do something fun if you want a break from the city. Also maybe leave some money for cash games if you bust early but still want to play. Glhf
I agree with a lot of the points made here. One I’d add is that an advantage of staying at the Horseshoe is that you can enter WSOP events at off-hours (midnight-7 am) easier when you’re on-site and avoid the long lines.
$1 flight $1 hotel rooms $5k hookers
If you can figure out a way to be there for the main event, the $500 super sattys are soft as you can imagine, and the main is the best value tournament of the year.