WSOP 2015 STARTED IN VEGAS: $200 million for grabs

Cards have been in the air since last Wednesday. Everybody is truly excited. Tournament poker at its best. WSOP 2015.

I’ve taken the past two weeks off, enjoying time with my family in Italy and the South of France, and I’ll be skipping the entire series this year. Tournaments simply aren’t my favorite form of poker, and to be honest, I just can’t be bothered cramped in a hotel room in Vegas for 7 weeks.

However, there’s tough competition around the corner and it’s time to share with you for my game ritual.

Poker is a bit like working out: try go on a run after three weeks off and you’ll feel a bit out of shape. And that’s no way to approach an upcoming tournament where one has to be on top of their game to give themselves the best chance of winning.

Having a lot of personal experience at the WSOP I decided to share few bits of advice. Enter my pre game ritual.

1. ENERGIZE YOURSELF AND ASK WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Go to the gym. Exercise. Workout in order to be in a good shape during the event. Get your blood flowing and clear your head. A good rule of thumb is if you aren’t sweating after 10 minutes you’re not working hard enough.

Then start asking your self why are you doing this? By connecting to a purpose, I allow myself to enjoy the ride.

Why am I playing in the first place? On a small scale it’s what is my goal today? This should be part of the bigger picture, ‘what do I want to accomplish in the WSOP 2015?’

Answering these questions keeps the fire alive even when things aren’t going my way.

2. EAT WELL – There is a long day ahead of you at WSOP 2015

Start with a healthy breakfast. Nurturing your body is extremely important in order to stay mentally alert. I personally have a smoothie with high quality protein, organic green tea and healthy fats (coconut oil, chia or flax seeds, ghee, etc.)
You don’t want be fatigue during all those long sessions.

During the WSOP take advantage of the convenience of ‘All American Dave’s’ incredible meal delivery service. I always bring low glycemic power bars and nuts with me to snack on throughout the day.
It’s when everyone else gets tired that the biggest edges appear. Be sure you’re ready when the opportunity arises.

3. STUDY (Specifically Catered toward the WSOP 2015)

Review hands, think about the opponents that you are going to play against and how to apply your strategy for this particular event. Every tournament is unique and the WSOP 2015 offers great structures; each one with a different optimal strategy.
If, for example the event is a rebuy event, you must take into consideration how that format will affect the way people are playing early on in the event (hint: watch for action players who are more likely to gamble).

Read your favorite poker book again, analyze previous hands, double check your notes, watch YouTube videos (cough, cough: mine, of course)… or simply do anything that truly inspires you.

Finally – WANT TO WANT IT:

It’s always better to be a little hungry than a little full (… tweet this out!). In poker that means it’s better to be aching to play than feel like it’s a chore. Before any event, I’ll be sure to play a few hours to get warmed up and excited about playing again. The WSOP 2015 should be no different for you!
However, I’ll always cut myself off before I’m truly sated. And when the tournament comes, I’m warmed up and can’t wait to play.

MY ‘FIVE THINGS’ RULE

Every day, think about 5 things non poker related that you are grateful for. Whenever I go to a tournament it’s imperative I go with gratitude. It’s easy to get discouraged after not winning (after all, even second place is a loss).

By reminding myself how lucky I am to play the game I love for a living, I approach each event with a new found focus and appreciation that leaves me hungry for more.

See the video for more details. Try these out before your next WSOP 2015 session and let me know what you think!