Home >> Poker Strategy >> WSOP $1,500 Events: A Strategy Primer

WSOP $1,500 Events: A Strategy Primer

With upward of 2,000 entrants in each field, 1st place monies well over $500,000 and a bracelet to be awarded to the victor, the $1,500 NLHE events at the World Series of Poker are usually the first step for the average Joe (and Jane) looking to whet their appetite on the world’s biggest poker stage. Given these events are the lowest buy-in freezeouts offered at the series (with the exception of this year’s 1K stimulus event and specialty seniors, ladies and casino employee events), this is the place where you’ll find the neophytes playing for fame and fortune, and the pros searching to recapture past glory. The 2009 WSOP will be offering 7 of these (if I counted correctly) and for the price, they may be worth it.

In the past two years, I have had the opportunity to play several of these $1,500s, given the kind, generous, money-hungry nature of stakers on PartTimePoker. Fortunately for my backers and for me (given this keeps the wife supplied with Coach® products), I’ve done well. In 2007, my 2nd shot in a $1,500 mostly hit the mark and I finished 15th in a field of www.parttimepoker.com under 30K. 2008 brought me a little closer to that elusive bull’s-eye and bracelet with a 5th place finish in a field of 2,304, awarding a prize of 166K. This will mark my third year at the series and my schedule will include a number of these events. I’ve been asked to share a few tips for success in this type of field, and hope that my advice helps you to attain a satisfying result. If you find it does, I’ll be happy to provide my name and address for gift basket deliveries.

The Field

The pro and the average Joe sit elbow-to-elbow, each vying for the same piece of poker bling which will put their name in the poker annuls for all-time. The pile of neatly bundled hundreds is not a bad incentive either. Thankfully the Joes outnumber the pros by a factor of approximately 10 to 1. It’s a minefield trying to maneuver through a field of this size, with so many unknown players. This is likely the reason that virtual no-names are the ones who generally end up with the bracelet in the majority of events at this buy-in level.

I have read articles by the online heavy hitters describing the $1,500s as comparable to playing a $109 freeze out online. My experience is the overall feel of play is closer to that of a $55 online MTT. You have a smattering of solid, regular players (the online pros) and then you have the rest, ranging in skill-level. While many prove competent at the game, very few are highly skilled.

Most of these players are used to weekly home games with their buddies, or play in some local bar poker league. During the day they have jobs and other responsibilities, and poker is just a hobby. While they may have been playing poker for years, few study it earnestly and try to improve upon their base-game, the very game which has allowed them to harvest extra beer monies from their pals every Friday night. They are in Vegas for a few days, maybe a week, and each one is looking to go home with a bracelet, a bit of cash, and likely a bad beat story or two. Realize that for several participants, THIS event comprises their WSOP experience.

Many come to the table with the excitement of an un-penned puppy and just want to get involved. They have been waiting all of their poker life to play in the World Series and nothing as trivial as the cards they are dealt is going to stop that. They have seen the sorts of big bluffs that the TV pros can make with virtual napkins and they are here to play cards, not just fold.

The biggest thing I can stress when you sit down to play with “Joe the Butcher” or “Joe the Plumber” (but hopefully not “Joe the Sebok”) is patience. The WSOP boasts one hour blind-levels for most of the events and the last thing you want to do is suffer from the poker condition known as “premature chip ejaculation”. While in a live setting you’ll only be seeing between 30 and 40 hands an hour, there is ample time for you to observe your opponents, the manner in which they play, and conserve your chips until you know you have a more significant edge.

The two most significant changes to influence the play in these events this year are the starting stack size, increased to 4,500 (previously 3,000 starting was the norm), and the addition of a few blind levels. The most significant blind level change is the addition of a 75/150 level. To most this may not sound like a monstrous change, but when you consider you have an hour at each blind level, this gives you another hour with lower blinds to find spots to chip-up. Formerly it went from 25/50 to 50/100 to 100/200, cutting your effective stack size in half with each blind increase during the first 3 hours. Now players will be starting deeper and have another level of blinds before they are pushed into critical (and more likely marginal) “must shove” situations. You have time, so make it your ally.

I must say that my poker game, both live and online, is downright boring for the first few levels. I only want to play big pots with big hands and as a result, 90-95% of my cards end up in the muck preflop. This isn’t to say that the speculative hands aren’t worth playing in the first few levels. If you’re allowed to over limp with those connectors or small pairs preflop, do so. If you find that the players to your left are exceptionally tight, charge them a higher price for admission.

My biggest point is that the caliber of the average player is poor enough that your biggest hands will be paid off if they end up hitting some of their hand as well. Many will fall the first few hours with top-pair no-kicker, a mid-pair they can’t get away from, or because they spew-off all their chips off chasing draws with no odds.

Given that the average player in these fields will be hobbyist players, the majority will fall into one of two camps – tight-weak or loose-weak. The tight-weaks are generally easiest to play against because if they call preflop, they likely have a medium strength (at worst) hand. Post-flop, if they check and you’re drawing, feel free to check behind. If they check/call, play controlled-pot poker … they likely have top pair or an overpair. If they raise post-flop, go running for the hills. One interesting thing to note about this player type, particularly live, is a lot don’t like to re-raise preflop, regardless of their hand, and many will limp or merely call hands like AK.

The loose-weaks, generally being referred to as “calling stations”, seem to be far more plentiful live. Of all the player types, it is the one I encounter the most frequently in the $1,500s, particularly in the early stages. This type likes to see a lot of flops, in addition to a lot of turns and a lot of rivers. Value-betting and value-raising are great tools that can’t really be overused, particularly in these events. You’ll be amazed at what hands will call you down. As a result, I tend to lead monsters and continue firing, knowing that they aren’t giving me proper credit for a top-set or a flopped straight. A weaker player expects this sort of hand to trap, not to value bet.

Many good players fall victim to loose-weaks for one reason – a loose-weak is reluctant to fold. Fancy play syndrome can get the best of the good LAG who fires two or three bullets at the pot, telling a convincing story to the opponent(s), only to be disbelieved by a calling station holding 2nd pair. Remember folks – donkeys have a tough time folding when they hit a piece. This can be used against them quite effectively as you hammer away at the pot with your premium hands and make them pay for their unwillingness to be bluffed. It’s especially effective when the board is void of an ace or king, and you were the one who raised preflop. If you raise preflop, they ALWAYS put you on AK (well not 100% of the time, but close enough to be a good rule vs. a donkey).

Another type you’ll encounter frequently are the bad loose-aggressives (or bad LAGs). Good LAGs are prevalent in the online and live scene, dominating the top spots of most ranking systems. The bad LAGs are generally the TV-trained players who see these incredible bluffs made with unlikely hands. They terrorize the folks in their home-game with a nearly unstoppable aggression, and smile dim-wittedly as they drag a pot without showdown, flipping over their 7 high. I smile and tap the table as they take down a pot when I can’t call, and I strategize after they turn over their napkins (showing they had nothing) as they do so. While this player type can prove to be annoying. I deal with them like any pest. I wait until they land and then I smack ‘em hard.

My best advice for dealing with this sort of player is changing gears a little and allowing them the opportunity and rope to hang themselves. If I have position, I’m more likely to call with my monsters than to re-raise. I want them to believe they’re in control of the hand and keep leading. Generally, if they can’t convince you on the flop, they’ll try harder on the turn. This is a great time for a raise. If I’m out of position, and I know they like to maintain control, I’ll check/call a flop and then check/raise a turn. Many players of this type have their ego connected with their card-playing, so it may turn into a spite match in their mind after a couple losing battles with you. Keep this is mind for the 3rd or 4th time you meet them heads-up in a pot, and then drop the big elbow and put them out of their misery. Hell – toss them $10 and say it’s for lunch. Ok – maybe not the last one, but it sounds like it’d be fun.

The Environment

It is awe-inspiring the first time you get to the tournament area in the convention section of the Rio. Thousands are milling about, including the familiar faces you have seen on poker TV shows for the past 6 years. Even for the smaller $1,500 events, almost all of the names are there. You’ll run into them everyplace you go in the Rio throughout the duration of the WSOP … the restaurants, the craps tables, the restrooms. The first few times brings those internal “ohhhs” and “ahhhs”, as you point out the newest star spotting to your posse. After awhile, you become used to it and when you see them at your table, you may prefer to have just seen them in the hallway instead.

It is likely you’ll have the chance to play with one or more “name players”. My third table change in one event put me at a table with Kenna James a few to my left and Billy Baxter a few to my right, both very pleasant gentlemen. In my deeper run this past year with 70 left in the field, I was excited to find the unoccupied seat to my left filled by Phil Helmuth after his table broke. It was helpful to my psychological well-being that even though he had position, I had him outchipped 4-1. And do realize the biggest benefit you have when you end up playing with the pros … they don’t have a clue as to who you are or how you play.

Sit-Up and Pay Attention

Live poker is boring for many players who come from an online background. It just moves so sloooowly. One of the biggest enemies you’ll need to fight is your own sense of boredom. Boredom can lead to impatience, impatience can lead to playing more hands than you should, and playing more hands than you should will often lead to the dealer calling out “Seat open on table 51” (or whichever table is yours, donkey).

As the player it is up to you to make it exciting for yourself and keep yourself fully engaged in the game. Personally, this is why I make the decision not to listen to music while playing. I want to hear every bit of information exchanged at my table. Also, when I fold my hand (the vast majority of the time), I still watch every twitch, bet, and reaction of the players remaining in the hand. Just because you fold doesn’t mean you mentally check out.

Odds & Ends

Below I’ve listed a few things you can do before you start and while you’re playing. These have helped me stay centered for the long days which poker hopefully brings.

Get a good night sleep before the event. It may sound trivial, but if you run deep into the day (hopefully bagging up your chips when they finish the day), you’ll need every ounce of reserve to effectively play for 12 hours. Besides, you’ll want to have enough energy left to celebrate that euphoric feeling of bagging your chips, preparing to wage war for a 2nd (or 3rd) day.

Eat a good breakfast and drink lots of water. This piece of advice is so simple but so overlooked.

Arrive there early enough not to feel rushed. While I do generally arrive to the poker venue 20 or more minutes before the scheduled start, I generally don’t take my seat more than 5 minutes before it starts. It adds to the impatience.

Survey your surroundings. I’d much rather know where the bathroom is BEFORE I need to use it versus WHEN I need to use it.

If you need a break, take it. They schedule breaks every two hours (after two levels), but if you need to take a break, do so. Sitting there with 40 minutes left before break feeling like your back teeth are floating due to the 14 energy drinks you have consumed isn’t going to put you in the state of mind where you’re playing your best poker. Also, if you take a horrid beat and feel the need to walk from the table, this is generally a much better option than going on cyber-spew mode.

“… act like you’ve been there before” –Vince Lombardi. Whether this be a big hand that holds, you suck out to catch that two-outer to double-up and avoid elimination, or you get tragically beat to be sent to the rail, be profession and courteous. Being a good winner or a good loser says lot about you as a poker player and as an individual.

Have fun. You’re playing in the freaking World Series of Poker.

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