A friend is going to back you $1500 to play in the WSOP. You had planned on playing the $1500 7-Card Stud event, but your friend suggested three tournaments for around $500 each, instead. One of which would have a huge field.

Would you play in what you believed to be your best event using skill and experience, or three crap shoots to try and get lucky? Your backer was okay either way, but thought you were foolish to play one, when you could play three.

I dont know for sure, but if you end up playing the wsop stud, let us know how it went please. Lol youve got me sweating this (i replied in your wsop stud thread).

Good luck!

That's very nice of you! Will do!

31 has always been my 'lucky' number and earlier I noticed the 7-Stud was event #31. Good thing I'm not superstitious at all!

Hahaha.

Sounds like youre loving the stud event. I have no idea what you should do really.

Tell your backer to back you in the 1500 stud and the buy half of you in two or three 500's maybe? I dont know

$1500 Stud all day ...

I'm not superstitious either (honestly!) but on my various trips to the WSOP over the years, there have sometimes been these little coincidences (akin to what you mention here) and I do believe these can act as a little nudge in the right direction

I think one can explain this away rationally .... e.g. noticing these things is aligned with the importance of noticing what is happening in the game (especially in stud ...) ... and I do think that "belief" that you can win is a real thing. Definitely if you DON'T believe you can win then you're half way to the rail ...

I totally agree!

I posted this a few days ago, and now the landscape has changed!

The title still works though.

I am no longer considering the 7-Card Stud event. I wish I could, but the structure of the tournament just won't work for me.

For the same reason, the deep stack tournaments are also out of the picture.

So now my backer has suggested playing in a bunch of single table tournaments for around $125 and up. These tourneys have around a $1K starting stack and 15 minute levels, and pay $1K in lammers, which he tells me people are selling for full value! There is also a $100 cash prize. These tournaments should't last very long with this kind of structure, which makes it a lot easier for me to play.

He thinks I should be able to win 3 out of 10 of these. While I believe these have some betting strategy to them, I do think they are largely dependent on luck. I will admit he has me intrigued.

Curious about the $100 cash prize. It seems like way too large of a tip, and they are already taking out something for the 'staff.' What would be the appropriate tip for this tournament?

Other than tipping, what kind of ROI is truly possible with the correct strategy?

Common tip is $40-$60 in a $125 with a $1,600 total prize pool.

Winning 3 out of 10 outright is not realistic, unless he’s talking about chopping them. Chops when 2 or 3 handed are very common.

Realistic ROI for good STT players in the 20-30 percent range, maybe?


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A $125 only has an $1100 prize pool - 2 $500 Lammers and $100 cash. Personally I usually tip 2-3 percent, maybe higher or slightly lower depending on a variety of things. So, $20-$30 if I won outright. I chopped one last year and took one lammer and the other guy got the other lammer and $100 when we chopped he had me a little less than 2-1 on chips and said he’d take the cash and cover the tip. I said ok.

I'd tip $10 at most for those small STTs. Horrible structure and the rake is already absurd.

Did you sell the lammer you received? I'm wondering how easy it is to sell them and at what value?

No I used it to enter another event.

There’s a thread on selling lammers, I believe. Sometimes you can get full value for them, especially if you have time to sell. In a rush I’ve heard it’s no problem to sell at $470.

What is it about the structure that they won't work for you? The structures aren't unusual for a poker tournament.

If it's the tournament length that is an issue then I would recommend a lower buy-in turbo tournament like in the regular Rio poker room.

It's the amount of time between breaks and the overall length of the tournament.

Other than the $125 quickie tournament we had been discussing, what tournament in the Rio would you recommend of a shorter duration?

That's pretty much what a poker tournament is though. 90-120 mins of play between breaks. The WSOP tournaments are often 12-14 hours of play.

The regular Rio poker room tournaments are more like 3-4 hours depending on the number signed up. If you play like a $50 tournament at other casinos like the Flamingo you'll get even shorter as the blinds go up crazy fast.

Yeah, my bad. Was thinking of a $175. Tips of $40 still aren’t uncommon in $125s though.


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The rake is absurd? The $175s are $165+10. Where else are you getting that rake at that buyin?

So not tipping is your solution lol. Try not playing them if you don't like the structure or the rake. That isn't the dealer's fault. Good grief.