WSOP No-Limit Weekends: Come Join Us!

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) summer schedule was released just a few weeks ago. Starting May 29th and running through July 15th, the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino will become the center of the poker universe. Poker players from all over the world will descend upon Las Vegas to compete for the most coveted prize in poker, a WSOP bracelet. In 2013, during this seven-week poker extravaganza, sixty-two gold bracelets will be awarded, one more bracelet than in 2012.

A few years back, the WSOP began catering to the average amateur player by creating “No-Limit weekends,” held every weekend during the month of June. This year, each Saturday, the Rio will host a $1,500 no-limit hold‘em event, whereas on Sunday a $1,000 no-limit hold‘em event will take place. Thousands of players will arrive in Las Vegas during these action-packed weekends, dreaming of fame and fortune. As a result, these WSOP bracelet events create huge fields and massive prize pools, adding to the excitement and drama for all the poker players who register for these events.

Nevertheless, myriad poker players still decide year after year not to attend the WSOP. Some feel their game is not ready for primetime. Others do not want to travel all the way to Las Vegas when they can play in a tournament closer to home. However, the two primary reasons I often hear are the following:

1) The preliminary events have very few starting chips.
2) There are only two events to play during the weekend.

While these statements are true in their own right, there is more to these statements than meets the eye. Let me show why these statements have more substance behind them.

Very Few Starting Chips

Many amateur players are accustomed to starting local events with ample starting chips (for example, at least 10,000, sometimes as much as 15,000 or 20,000). Therefore, these players feel that the low buy-in WSOP preliminary events do not provide enough chips to make the trip worthwhile. Amazingly, I still remember back in 2006 when the WSOP gave the same number of chips as the buy-in (for example, 1,500 chips for a $1,500 buy-in).

Today, for every bracelet event, each entrant receives triple the amount of chips with regards to their buy-in. For example, a registrant for the $1,500 buy-in event will receive 4,500 in chips. Additionally, the blinds beginning at a low 25-25 level and slowly work their way up. Finally, all the preliminary events utilize one-hour levels, allowing each player ample time to wait for their opportunity to strike. Overall, if a $1,500 buy-in player maintains his or her chip stack for the first three hours, he or she will still have 30 big blinds entering the fourth hour of play. Although a player’s chip stack size is helpful, remember that Dan Harrington’s M-ratio emphasized stack size as compared to the amount of chips needed for one orbit (which is directly correlated to the big blind).

As for local events, the starting stack is often higher (let’s use 15,000 for this example), but the time of each level (let’s use 30 minutes) is usually much shorter and the blinds increase faster. Therefore, after three hours of play, a player will only have about 12.5 big blinds (if the blinds are at 600-1200 with a 100 ante) if he or she maintains the starting stack. Finally, these numbers can be even more dramatic if the levels are quicker and the blinds increase more rapidly, along with antes.

EXAMPLE

Local Event
Starting chips: 15,000

WSOP Preliminary Event
Starting chips: 4,500

Level Time Blinds Level Time Blinds
1 0:30 25-50
2 1:00 50-100 1 1:00 25-25
3 1:30 100-200
4 2:00 100-200-25 2 2:00 25-50
5 2:30 200-400 -50
6 3:00 400-800-75 3 3:00 50-100
Next Level 12.5 BB 600-1200-100 Next Level 30 BB 75 -150

In the end, while players may start with fewer chips than they are used to, the hour-long levels and the deeper blind structure allow players to have as much, if not more play than their local events. Overall, players should not fear the lower amount of starting chips in the low buy-in WSOP preliminary events.

Only Two Events

During the “No-Limit weekends,” it is true that there are only two WSOP bracelet events. However, the weekend is full of other events for poker players to participate in.

First, the Pavilion Ballroom at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino holds three separate daily deep stack no-limit hold’em events at affordable buy-in amounts, ranging from $135 to $235. With so many players available, the enormous prize pools often create top prizes well in the five-figure range. Of course, the WSOP offers sit-n-gos constantly throughout every day and a multitude of cash games, in all game types and various limits. Additionally, there are numerous daily satellites for the granddaddy tournament of them all: the WSOP main event. Even if you do not cash in one of the WSOP preliminary events during the weekend, you may still have an opportunity to earn a seat into the most celebrated tournament of the year.

Finally, if you can afford to take a couple of days off from work, you can play an additional WSOP bracelet event if you fly in early. Every Thursday in June, there is a $1,500 no-limit hold’em event, which can kick off your no-limit weekend early.

Thus, if you have never come out to the WSOP, plan to make 2013 your inaugural trip, possibly during one of the “No-Limit weekends.” Who knows? Maybe you will sit down next to a famous professional player. Maybe you will get your name written up by one of the poker publications. Or maybe, just maybe, you win the most coveted prize in poker: a WSOP bracelet.

In the end, make your WSOP experience one that will not only be memorable forever, but also hopefully profitable.

Good luck this summer and I hope to see you at the tables! ♠

Bernard Lee is the lead commentator for WSOP Circuit live stream, poker columnist 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.