WSOP: Poker Tips to Use Against the Best
With Bodog qualifying 40 Internet players a weekend for the WSOP, it's time to get prepared for some of the tougher opponents who are sure to be in Vegas
April 25, 2006
By Jake Gosselin
BodogNation Contributing Writer
Each year the World Series of Poker just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Last year first place paid out $7.5 million. This year it will be over $10 million with total cash prizes equaling over $70 million. With that much blood in the pool, we’re sure to see every shark in the ocean there.
Qualifying for the WSOP is relatively easy. Bodog alone is sending 700 of its online players through dozens of weekly online poker tournaments. With 30 tournaments on Saturdays and 10 on Sundays, there's a new qualifier every 20 minutes during the course of the 10 hours of play each weekend.
But once you get there, it will be a whole different game. BodogNation has taken the liberty of assembling a list of some of the biggest sharks guaranteed to be hunting the WSOP waters. Study their play style, because who knows, it could save your stack one day.
Daniel Negreanu
At the 1998 WSOP, Negreanu won $169,460 at the $2,000 Pot Limit Holdem event and became the youngest WSOP bracelet winner in history — a record he held until 2004. Since then he has gone on to become the second-highest money earner in professional poker and one of the most successful poker tournament players in history, winning two World Poker Tour events, another two WSOP bracelets, and appearing at 11 final tables.
Negreanu is known for his uncanny ability to read other players. You’ll want to keep your tells in check as much as possible when seated against him. He reads players like most people read books.
With career winnings totaling close to $4 million, poker pro and Team Bodog player Arieh is known for his aggressive, unpredictable style of play. Arieh is widely regarded as the poster boy for a new generation of players with his remarkably high level of confidence and ability.
Watch out for Arieh’s aggressive style and be ready for his sudden gear changes that can leave you guessing in the dark.
T.J. Cloutier
Cloutier is a legend who secured his status as such when he became the all-time leading money winner at the WSOP in 2001.
Cloutier’s powers of observation and keen memory give him access to more information than almost anyone else who might be sitting at his table. In an interview with Poker Pages, Cloutier said:
“I've been very observant throughout my entire life and I've always had a sort of photographic memory for how people play their hands in certain situations. If you and I had played poker together five years ago, I wouldn't necessarily recall your name today, but I would remember your face and how you played your hands in different spots, your tendencies.”
A savvy tournament and online player, Williams rocketed into the spotlight as a 23-year-old at the WSOP Main Event in 2004. Williams won $3.5 million when he finished second at the WSOP and also won $573,000 as runnerup at the World Poker Tour's Borgata Open.
Remarkably bright, Williams is a scholar with numerous academic achievements to his credit. The Team Bodog pro began college at age 16, entering the accelerated Texas Academy of Math and Science at North Texas University.
With those credentials, you know his math is going to be perfect. His foresight and ability to read a table are just sauce on top.
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The Master has been playing professional poker for more than 17 years and has won more than 75 tournaments. Though he has never won a main WSOP event, Nguyen has collected six WSOP bracelets and over $4.1 million in tournament earnings.
Nguyen is Buddhist which might indicate why he is master of himself, always maintaining composure and focus in all situations.
Facing a player like Nguyen is going to require you play your perfect game. He will not be rattled or intimidated. They don’t call him “The Master” for nothing.
Phil Hellmuth
Hellmuth is a well-known character in the poker community. He has nine WSOP bracelets, and five top 10 finishes in World Poker Tour events. He is perhaps best known for his John McEnroe-like behavior at the poker table, when he often badgers opponents and gets upset after bad beats.
Hellmuth's table antics aside, his track record speaks for itself. With $6 million in lifetime tournament earnings, Hellmuth is the fourth-highest earner in professional poker.
If you are ever to face Hellmuth, you’d better have the calm and composure of a Men Nguyen or he’ll have you rattled faster than you can say, “Where the hell’s my stack?”
Doyle Brunson
Brunson, arguably the best poker player around, owns 10 WSOP bracelets and has already been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. His books Super System and Super System II are generally considered standard reading for anyone interested in playing poker effectively.
The best thing you could do to prepare for Brunson would be to read his books. At least then you would understand something of how he plays.
Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi
Mizrachi grew up with ambitions of becoming a doctor. When he dropped out of college to be come a professional poker player he took his intellignence and discipline with him. Known as "The Grinder", Mizrachi plays a solid and consistent style, which makes up for its lack of flash with very good results at the table.
Don't expect Mizrachi to be a heavy bluffer, which means that if you see him go heavy into the middle, he's probably got the best hand.
Qualifying for the WSOP with Team Bodog
You want to go up against the pros? Bodog's giving you the best chance to do it.
Starting May 6, Bodog Poker will be offering 40 WSOP seats on the weekends. There will be 30 online Qualifier Tournaments on Saturdays and 10 on Sundays with a total of 400 seats given out for the Main Event and 300 for preliminary WSOP events.
Buy-ins range from $67.50-$270 with a half-million dollars in seats up for grabs. Check out Bodog's poker tournament schedule for the tournament that's right for you.
PHOTO: Josh Arieh will be looking to add to his $4 million in earnings at this year's WSOP (BodogNation photo).
