The 2015 World Series of Poker is underway and already breaking records with its $565 buy-in Colossus event. At over 15,000 entries and still counting, it is the largest live poker tournament ever held, and the 2015 WSOP’s first weekend kicked off with the loudest bang the poker world has ever heard.
With this seven-week series bigger and better than ever, we thought things might be a little overwhelming for those who want to check out the biggest poker party of the year, so the Pregame team have some tips from someone (me) with seven years of WSOP experience under her belt:
Your Best Bracelet Bets
The $565 buy-in Colossus is the lowest buy-in bracelet event in poker history, but I am going to be honest—if you haven’t already signed up for this tournament, which starts today and Saturday, you are going to be waiting in hours of lines, starting the tournament late as an alternate in a late wave, and it simply may not be worth the effort at this point in time. But if you missed out on Colossus, there are plenty of other opportunities to hit pay dirt with a minimal investment on your part:
$1,500 buy-in Millionaire Maker (6/5 and 6/6): This event knows how to draw a crowd—guarantee a seven-figure payday for whoever wins. A crowd favorite since it was introduced in 2013, this tournament is even better this year, as the structures are a little slower and players get more chips, allowing for more play.
$1,500 buy-in Monster Stack (6/12 and 6/13): If you want the deepest stacks of the series outside of the Main Event, this tournament gives you 15,000 starting chips compared to 5,000 in other events of the same buy-in. This was another monster turnout last year, so register early and know this event takes a long time to play down to a winner.
$1,500 DraftKings 50/50 (6/27): This sponsored bracelet event takes the Daily Fantasy Sports approach to payouts and guarantees half the field will get a payday. So, if you want to dip your toe in a bracelet event, but want a better chance to get your money back, this is the tournament for you. And, if you have a balance on your DraftKings account, you can get access to the DraftKings lounge on the Pavilion stage:
If You Don’t Have the Bankroll for Bracelet Events…
Check out the $235 buy-in Daily Deep Stack event in the Pavilion section of the Convention Center. This daily 2pm event regularly draws over 1,000 entries and pays out as much as $50,000 to the winner. The value for your investment is the best of any low buy-in event in town, but prepare accordingly. You’ll want to either register the day before or show up at least an hour early to avoid long lines to get your seat. Also know this—these events take a long time, so be sure to plan for a long night that may not end until 6am if you make a run to the final table.
If you don’t have time for the Daily Deep Stack, the Pavilion Room also offers some of the best cash games of the summer, starting as low as $1/$2 No Limit Hold’em. The reason the Rio is the place to play is because the games are soft and there are always numerous tables running 24/7. They spread plenty of other games too, including the pro favorite, Open Face Chinese. There is also a live satellite section offering single table satellites that pay in tournament lammers starting as low as $125.
If You Want to Win Your Way Win Without Leaving the Couch…
If you’re in Nevada or New Jersey, you can win an online satellite on WSOP.com. Buy-ins start as low as $1, but the real value for those looking to play in the ESPN-televised Main Event is the 25 Seat Scramble, a $200 buy-in event at 3pm on July 5th that is guaranteeing at least 25 seats into the Main Event. Last year, the Scramble had a slight overlay, and there is no reason to think the same won’t happen this year. If you’d prefer to play online all summer, you can do that too, as the site will be running the WSOP Online Championships throughout the month of June.
If You Want to Star Gaze at the Big Name Pros…
The place you want to go is the Tan Section of the Amazon Room. Nestled behind the ESPN stage, this is the area where most of the $10,000 buy-in non-hold’em events start. These fields are typically only 100-200 people and the big names like Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, and Phil Hellmuth are in attendance for almost all of them. If you want to catch them for an autograph or to snap a selfie with them, don’t wait until the prestigious $50,000 Poker Players Championship to ask. That event is one the pros look forward to tremendously, and they’ll be incredibly focused on doing well. Instead pick a different $10,000 buy-in event from the schedule, like the $10,000 Triple Draw event (May 31st), $10,000 Razz (June 6th), $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo (June 8th), or $10,000 Stud Hi-Lo (June 18th).
If You Want to See ESPN in Action…
You’ll have to wait until the $10,000 Main Event for the television cameras to roll. The ESPN Stage is in the heart of the Amazon Room and you can sit down and watch the action from the audience for free and maybe even end up on TV. Seating is first come, first serve, and usually seats don’t fill up until there are a few hundred people left in the Main Event. Be warned that oftentimes there isn’t much announcing of the action during the early days of taping, so it is a bit of a struggle to know what is going on.
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of finding a seat during the late stages of the Main Event, come check out one of the live streaming final tables. These run pretty much daily all summer and you can see someone win a bracelet and have monitors showing the action along with graphics so people can follow along. These seats are usually much easier to come by, but even then, if you’d rather stay home, you can always check them out on WSOP.com.
If You Don’t Want to Play, But Want to Experience the WSOP…
It is still worthwhile to come down to the Rio. There are always players milling about in the hallways and just walking around the Rio, the sight of thousands of people playing poker is a sight to behold. Plus, there are plenty of great photo ops in front of the numerous Main Event winner banners, Player of the Year banners, and in front of the display showing this year’s bracelet winners.
If You Want an Off-Property Dinner…
Go to Jjanga Sushi on the corner of Twain and Decatur. This all-you-can-eat sushi joint is gaining popularity in the poker pro circles as a cheap and delicious place less than a mile from the Rio. You can put down $25.95 for the AYCE option if you have time to relax and enjoy your meal, but most a la carte rolls are $8 and appetizers are $3 if you’re looking to get in and out on a dinner break.
If You Want an On-Property Dinner…
Avoid the lines, long waits, and the lengthy walk to the many restaurants on the casino side and avoid the craziness of the Poker Kitchen in the Convention Center. Instead, check out All-American Dave’s healthy food truck set up outdoors behind the Amazon Room. You can order the meals directly to your table or pick them up when your event goes on dinner break or you want to step away from the cash game action for a bit.
If You Want to be Comfortable While You Play…
Bring a hoodie, or else you’ll end up buying a rather pricey one from the gift shot. If you’ve been to Vegas before, you know most casinos are a little cold, but the Rio Convention Center is even colder than the norm, often dropping into the 60s. With so many people coming in and out, the staff keeps the temperature down, so if you’re playing late at night as the place is emptying out, prepare, because winter is coming.
If You Want to Follow Along with the Action…
If you are more a poker enthusiast than a poker play, there are myriad ways to follow along with the action. The aforementioned livestream of final tables is one way, but if you want to check out Days 1 and 2 of events, there are live updates from the floor of the Rio available on WSOP.com. Really though, the best way to keep tabs on the fun and interesting stories of the WSOP is on Twitter. Here are some accounts to consider adding to your list:
* WSOP - @WSOP
* Daniel Negreanu - @RealKidPoker, but you also have to follow @DNChips to get his WSOP updates
* Kevin Mathers (living poker encyclopedia, consider him the Wikipedia of the WSOP) - @KevMath and @KevMathWSOP
* Matt Salsberg (This poker player and screenwriter is always Tweeting quippy and entertaining observations when he plays, and he plays everything) - @msalsberg
* Phil Ivey (let’s be honest, it doesn’t appear to be him Tweeting, but the sneak peeks at his baller lifestyle are worth the follow) - @PhilIvey