This WSOP (Las Vegas) guide is strictly for beginners or first timers. Without wasting too much time talking about history or tournament rules, there are basic things you must know and do before to increase your chance of cashing out.

1. Watch Rounders. Teddy KGB will teach you everything you need to know.
2. You must work out. You have to increase your strength on your back and ass muscles. You don’t want your back and ass pain to influence your decisions.
3. Get a good sleep or rest. It is going to be a long day.
4. Make sure you eat well before the tournament. Don’t let your hunger to influence your decisions.

Salute to Warriors Tournament

This tournament was my second WSOP tournament in my life and second time playing Texas Hold’em in past maybe 15 years except for a short period of playing online right before my first WSOP tournament. I know that the money doesn’t matter at the end, but I was there for the money. What a predicament! Unfortunately, I finished at 924 out of 4478 participants. I wasn’t able to cash out, but it was fun while it lasted.

I had a few experienced players on my table who was somewhat mocking the way I played my hands at times. Nevetheless, I think I didn’t do too bad in my opinion considering my years of missing in action. I made mistakes for sure throughout the tournament, but those miscalculations I made with some of those hands were nothing. I realized I made the biggest miscalculation when the organizer talked about veterans and asked all the veterans to stand up. When I looked around the room, there weren’t many veterans playing in the tournament. I honestly thought this tournament was going to be full of veterans and retirees shooting the sh!t and playing loosely and casually. That was definitely not the case. It was full of sharks, pros, solver heads and etc. Even just at my table, there were many multiple cash out or bracelet winners.

If I played this tournament like I was playing with a bunch of friends, I probably wouldn’t be able to make it to level 7. Once I realized this wss going to be a hard fought battle, I had no other choices but to adapt to the situation. These players on my table were pretty much pros with years of experiences. Some of them probably eat, piss, shit, sleep and play poker. Even old ladies were sharp and they were not playing around. And there I was, someone who pretty much stopped playing cards after the death of gambling partner.

Lady luck was not with me all throughout the tournament. She left me without saying goodbye like my gambling partner. Here is one tip that I will share regarding how I was able to last that long among poker pros and etc. Truthfully, on the paper, I have no chance of making the top 1000 against these players. Some of them probably thought it was pure luck that I was able to get that far. When I was playing against these pro players, I acted like I was making mistakes on purpose at times and also I played my hands like how poker beginners would play in order to throw them off. You can only bluff so much against pros especially when you don’t have much chip stacks to play with. This is why you have to throw them off and make them somewhat confused, so it is not way too easy for them to figure out that you are bluffing to highjack the pot to live and die another day.