Advice for the World Series of Poker Novice

The 2012 World Series of Poker schedule was recently released. This year not only will there be a record 61 bracelets awarded, but also there will be an astounding 470 poker tables in use at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. The preliminary events will range from the lowest buy-in of $1,000 to the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship to the unprecedented $1 million The Big One for One Drop. Once again, the centerpiece of the 43rd annual World Series of Poker will be the $10,000 no-limit hold’em main event where dreams can come true or be crushed in a heartbeat.

With all of this excitement and potentially record setting numbers again this year, many novice players may consider heading out to Las Vegas for the first time to participate in the most anticipated tournament of the year. If you are one of these newbies, here are some suggestions that should make your trip more enjoyable.

1) Arrive early to Las Vegas: For those who have never been to the World Series of Poker, it is truly a spectacle to behold. Even if you have played in other tournament events before such as World Poker Tour, European Poker Tour, or World Series of Poker Circuit, the seven summer weeks of the World Series of Poker are unlike any tournament in the world. First, imagine a football field entirely filled with poker tables. This amazing imagery may prepare you for what the Pavilion Ballroom will look like. Next, the Amazon Room, which is “only” about 75 percent of the size of Pavilion, revolves around the ESPN main stage that was featured on the television coverage last summer.

Additionally, the Brasilia Room offers another 20,000 square feet of poker heaven this year, creating the largest amount of poker tables ever. Finally, add the thousands of spectators, the hundreds of uniformed dealers, the bustling reporters, the echoes of shuffling chips and cards, and, of course, the star-studded lineup of famous poker players and you have the World Series of Poker.

It can all be extremely overwhelming! The last thing you need is to be staring around the poker room like a small town tourist who just arrived in New York City for the first time.

My suggestion: Come to Las Vegas at least one day early in order to get familiar with these spectacular surroundings. If you are in town to play in just one or two preliminary events, you don’t want to lose focus initially just because the sights and sounds overwhelmed you. Spend a day as a tourist/spectator to allow any awestruck feelings to get out of your system. Then, when it is your turn to take the felt, you can just focus on playing poker and doing the best you can.

2) Register Early: I’m always amazed to see the huge registration line around 11:45 a.m. (most preliminary events begin at noon). Then, these players arrive at the tables complaining that the lines were so long, not allowing them to get to their seats for the start of the event.

I have one question: Why did you wait until the last minute?!?

Registration is open 24 hours a day from May 27 until July 10. While the noon rush is always the most crowded, there are some other busy registration times that should also be avoided, usually during the evening hours.

• Daily deepstack no-limit hold’em tournaments begin at 2 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

• Daily satellites for the main event kick off at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

• Additional bracelet events sometimes start at 5 p.m.

My suggestion: Register right before you go to bed, as no one will be in the registration line. I often sign up for the noon event between midnight and 2 a.m. I zip in and zip out. Then, I’m off to bed for a good night sleep so I focus on playing in the morning and not anxiously wait in line before the event.

3) Make the trip with someone: How often do you go to a sporting event or concert alone? How many times have you gone to dinner or a movie unaccompanied? More often than not, people don’t do these activities solo. Therefore, why would you go to the most exciting poker tournament of the year by yourself?

For first-timers, the memorable experiences will be plentiful and you’ll want to share them immediately with a poker buddy. Additionally, you can discuss strategies and replay hands together through all the ups and downs of the tournament.

My suggestion: Try to coordinate your first trip to the World Series of Poker with a fellow poker player. Going solo can be a very lonely time (trust me, I’m speaking from personal experience). Besides discussing poker, you both can help each other make it a more enjoyable experience. For example, if one player is eliminated before dinner time, that person would get a table at a restaurant about 10 minutes before dinner break. Then, the player who is still in the event can just sit right down, relax and recount all the hands without having to stress about getting a table and eating dinner quickly.

4) Bathroom advice: The summers in Las Vegas can be extremely hot and dry. Drinking lots of fluids is a necessity in order to stay healthy and not get dehydrated. However, bathroom breaks during the tournaments are far apart, usually two hours. Thus, if you drink a lot while at the table, you may need to make an emergency pit stop prior to the regular break. During other tournaments throughout the year, the bathroom is often within several feet of the tables. However, at the World Series of Poker, the bathrooms are often far away and you could miss several hands.

Additionally, if your bladder can hold it until the break, you could literally be racing thousands of players to the same bathrooms, resulting in long, painful lines.

My suggestion: Don’t drink during the first hour of play. Once the second hour begins, slowly drink to prevent needing to rush to the bathroom. As the clock counts down to your break, you may also want to leave a few seconds early, especially if two players are in the middle of a hand, to beat the crowd. Finally, if you are in the Pavilion Ballroom and the bathroom right outside already has a long line, you may want to walk a little further to the bathrooms near Buzio’s restaurant. It may be a little further walk, but it will definitely take less time.

5) Don’t worry about the Press: Most players dream about winning a bracelet and being interviewed by Card Player. However, some players become more concerned about being noticed by the press than concentrating on playing the best possible poker. For example, a couple of years ago, a player at my table knocked out five opponents within the first two levels. Surely, he was one of the chip leaders. Instead of focusing on his game, he became a little annoyed that he was not getting any press coverage, even asking me to call over some members of the press that I knew. Of course, he lost focus, made three very poor plays and ended up being eliminated before dinner break.

My suggestion: Focus on your game and don’t worry about getting press coverage. Let your play speak for itself. If you make it deep in a bracelet event, especially a final table, the press will automatically write about you. However, if you are eliminated, it is one surefire way not to get any press.

I hope these suggestions make your first World Series of Poker experience run smoothly, ultimately making it a more enjoyable experience and allowing you to cross it off your bucket list. I wholeheartedly look forward to these seven weeks every year. I hope you make the trip this summer and see you at a final table. ♠

Bernard Lee is the co-host of ESPN Inside Deal, weekly poker columnist for the Boston Herald, ESPN.com, author of “The Final Table, Volume I and II” and radio host of “The Bernard Lee Poker Show,” which can be found on RoundersRadio.com or via podcast on iTunes. Follow Bernard Lee on Twitter: @BernardLeePoker or visit him at www.BernardLeePoker.com.