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WSOP Review |
Fancy playing in a WSOP event but worried your skills are not up to the task? Some old school poker pros would say that describes most of the dead money coming into these events, but others are taking a bit more of a constructive approach and actually setting out to teach newcomers a thing or two about cashing in and winning a WSOP event. Enter the WSOP Academy. |
It is not too early to get excited for next year’s World Series of Poker, and you can plan on the exact dates the festivities will begin. The dates for the 39th annual WSOP have been released by the company that runs the world’s longest running poker tournament series, Harrah’s Entertainment. Things will be getting under way a day earlier than this year, May 30. |
There is no question that commercialism and poker have become bedfellows over the years, but one question that could still be asked is, "Has the World Series of Poker stopped being "pure" poker?" |
The original WSOP is to be held in Las Vegas again this summer, but the WSOPE won’t kick off in the United Kingdom till the fall, which means that there is plenty of time to win seats at various satellites taking place now. |
So you are planning on playing at the World Series of Poker this year - either you have set aside your buy ins or you are one of the lucky ones that won an entry, you are excited to go - but have you set out to plan your trip? |
Each year the World Series of Poker continues to grow as more and more poker players seek life changing pay offs, and with the increase in players comes the demand for more and more dealers. |
"If something sounds too good to be true," starts a very old, very well known bit of wisdom, "it probably is." This is the case with the recent spate of "great" deals making their way around the poker community on websites, message boards, blogs and email lists - discounted WSOP Main Event seats. |
Gavin Smith and Joe Sebok made a prop bet during last year’s World Series of Poker that will certainly go down in the history of prop bets - Joe, as the loser, was made to wear a different super hero costume every day he lasted in the WSOP Main Event. |
You did it! You worked hard at your game, you took note of which online rooms were offering seats to the main event of the upcoming World Series of Poker, and you sat down to play. Perhaps there were a few failed attempts, but you persevered and made it to the end and were awarded with a free ticket to the $10,000 event this summer. Now what? How about winning another seat? |
It was a World Series of Poker event, and one would think that would be enough to summon the greatest amount of concentration a body could muster, but Phil Ivey seemed to be a bit unfocused. The commentators made mention that it could be Ivey was exhausted from staying up late playing in side games. |
The World Series of Poker is returning to the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas again this year, and poker players and gamblers alike are getting into a betting mood. |
The fact that the WSOP is held in Sin City should be reason enough to expect a little craziness, but even so, the 37th annual WSOP seemed a little over the top in terms of wacky behavior. Will this year be any different? |
People scrape and save and make it to Las Vegas, dealing with the heat and the food and the hotels they can afford, all to sit down in the poker room and partake in the world’s biggest poker game. Then they bust out in two hours and the dream is done. Their once in a lifetime opportunity is over. Now what? |
In one of his very popular stand up concerts in America Eddie Izzard brought up the World Series (of Baseball) and said, "America won... again. Funny how they always seem to win." His ironic take of a purely American competition being called the "World Series" was not lost on the audience, and brings up a good point about another World Series - of Poker. |
There are personalities at the WSOP that, while out in the forefront of nearly every event, still seem regulated to the background. These are the World Series of Poker Broadcasters, the men who point out crazy play, give you background on rising poker peronsalities, and interview the winners and contenders of the events. |
The debate over whether or not poker is a sport can be a passionate one, depending on the participants, but there is little question over whether or not the WSOP is at least marketed like a sporting event. |
Last year the 36th annual World Series of Poker brought live coverage of the main event to the TV for the first time. A Pay Per View event was simulcast for the entire final table portion of the event, which ended up lasting around fourteen hours. |
The World Series of Poker was founded in 1970 in Las Vegas at Benny Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, a badge of honor for the establishment that no longer hosts the event. |
When Benny Binion started the World Series of Poker in 1970 it was a private enterprise. Binion, loved the game of poker and wanted an event that would honor it - as well as get media attention and bring in more business. |
From time to time, when watching the pros and amateurs battle it out at the final table of this World Series of Poker event or another, one of the ESPN commentators will point out how a fatigued player was up all night playing in ring games, and thus is making mistakes he might normally avoid if he was bright eyed and bushy tailed. |
So, you’ve won a satellite tournament? Well, first off, congratulations! You will be attending the biggest event in the poker world, and will have the chance to walk away from the WSOP a much richer man or woman than when you entered. However, there are things that any player needs to be aware of when they win a satellite tournament. |
Before you start entering every satellite tournament you can find, it’s best to have some sort of game plan in effect. Obviously, you’ve played a bit of poker prior to this point, or you wouldn’t be attempting to earn a spot in the biggest poker event on the planet, but that doesn’t mean that the excitement can’t get the best of you, turning an ordinarily steady poker player into an inexperienced amateur quicker than you can blink. In order to negate the effects of nervousness and stress on your poker game, here are a few quick tips that should help to balance out your game if you don’t already abide by them. |
When most people talk about the World Series, it conjures up images of baseballs flying over walls while guys, (who swear the only thing enhancing their performance is Jesus, and not the miracle of performance boosting chemicals) run round the bases and smack each other on the butt, (only in the manliest sort of way of course). |
Schedule for 2005/2006 |
2005 WSOP Schedule Of Events |
They use this line of reasoning:"Everybody wants to play in the World Series of Poker. It’s dying and going to heaven for the poker player." |
Back in 1970 this tournament was only for the elite players, now - $40 investment can open Binion Horseshoe’s doors for you. There are three ways to get to take part in the WSOP. |
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