Amateur player, will play the WSOP main event for the first time this summer. Which Day 1 do you suggest and why?

Some context.

I don't play live very often, never played a tournament that had more than 1 day.

I'll be staying at the Bally's or the Paris. It is a bucket list kinda things, so I want to maximize the experience of the WSOP.

Thanks in advance!

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/6...hoose-1809160/

Play the one which fits best with your schedule. For example, maybe there are other things you might want to do on some of the days, or potential day 2s. Choose the day 1 which would make those other things possible. Also don't forget you will want to be well rested when you play.

Lastly, I wouldn't worry about trying to pick the day with the "softest" field. Your table draw will be much more important and that will have a lot of variance in it no matter which day 1 you play.

GL

Seconded.

Pretty much this

I ticked the ME off my bucket list last year. What I did find helpful was to have a rest day between day 1 and 2. Day 1 felt insanely long and I needed the sleep before the second day.

If you want an extra day of rest between Days 2 and 3, then choose Day 1a or 1b. It also gives you a few days off after Day 1.


The tourney schedule will look something like:
Day 1a (Sun)
Day 1b (Mon)
Day 1c (Tues)
Day 1d (Wed)
Day 2 ab (Thurs)
Day 2 cd (Fri)
Day 3 (Sat)
Day 4 (Sun)
etc

Might be a good idea to just sticky this topic

I am seeing: (from newly released schdule sheet)
1A Monday July 3rd
1B Tues
1C Weds
1D Thurs
2A, 2B, 2C + latecomers Friday (those flights not so huge as to allow these to be combined? This is different from previous years?
2D + latecomers Saturday
Day 3 combined field Sunday
etc

I guess 1D is a huge field compared to the first three starting flights(?). I've never played the Main. I am retired. It is my pipe dream/bucket list to play the Main. It is this year or never. Will need to build my bankroll reasonably close to take this shot. Could I physically endure this at my age? I will be in the best physical shape I can be. I would plan on playing 1D. I am seeing a day off before 2D but then day 3 immediately following. Silly idea?

I would recommend Day 2D. Take seat at the start of level 7. You will have a 60bb stack, plenty of chips to work with and yet short enough to get stacks in.
Since you said you don't play live much maybe you would be better off not playing a Day 1 with such a large stack.
Just a thought.

If it’s a bucket list sort of thing, I imagine he would want to partake in as much of it as possible. In any case, skipping the early stages of tournaments is a -EV strategy by definition.

Play what is convenient. There won't be a difference much in term of soft field or not. Your table draw is what matters.

If you are staying at Bally's or Paris, I assume you fly in for the main. If you play the day 1A or B, you have to keep in mind you will have to wait longer until day 2 (70% of ppl make it). Then another day of break to day 3. Do not underestimate how shitty it can be to be in a Vegas hotel room, struggle to find healthy food, etc. during several days while waiting for your tournament to resume.

I played 1C last year and arrived a few days early, and made it to day 4. It felt like a marathon and I was happy to leave Vegas at the end.

I am muling playing the main again this year. If I do, I will play day 1D and arrive the night before to avoid staying too long in Bally's.

That said, I don't want to sound negative: the main is AWESOME. I had a blast. Honestly, once you have played it once, it's difficult wanting to play another tournament at WSOP

I personally hate doing that. If you play the main for fun, show up and soak it in. It's a beautiful event and players skill is low. Those first hours can be used to gain some chips easily.

Play the day that has the fewest non-Americans. More Americans = softer field. Find the day that most non-Americans are playing, and avoid that day.

Yeah, in addition to missing out on EV, recommending this to someone who specifically is marking off a bucket list item is crazy. For one, they want to soak it in and get the enjoyment. Also, probably some jitters to start, and better to do that when pots are unlikely to get big, vs facing decisions on the turn with an SPR of 2.5 in the literal first hand you are dealt in the Main in your life.

Don't know your age, but they let you sit in a chair during play. Most people that aren't in an iron lung will have no problem physically. I'm about as bad a condition as an upright human can be, but I've played multiple 12 hour days in a tournament at Social Security age without problem. Other than getting a little sleepy sometimes.

I would guess he is aware of the furniture accommodations afforded to poker players at the tables. But I guess we don’t know for sure.

Yep. Familiar with the seating. Less comfortable than at the Rio? I'll be 73 but I'm in pretty good shape. How many my (or any) age can still do pull-ups? Fatigue is a problem and something to deal with late in the evening. That will be the challenge. Staying sharp and off tilt. BTW I don't like the structures for the Senior events. That's why I prefer the Monster Stack to those.

The Seniors tournament has the best structure IMO, possibly second only to the Main. Curious, what don’t you like about it? Too slow?

Starting stack only 20K. BTW, Mick was my hero growing up on Long Island.

It may not be a very large stack, but in my mind the structure is much better than a big stack tourney. It plays very slow, and is my favorite tournament to play. If you’ve never played in it, I would suggest you reconsider. It really is a great structure and a great tournament. And you also don’t have those young whipper snappers to deal with 😃

Yup, the Mick was my favorite growing up out there in LI also. Unfortunately I just missed him playing in his peak.

Yeah, 60 minute levels is a huge deal, as well as not skipping any levels.

4 hours into the senior tourney, a start stack is still 40 bigs.
10 hours in, it's still 10 bigs.

Great structure for $1,000! By comparison, the mini main, which is also $1,000 and starts with 60k chips, a starting stack is 2.5 bigs 10 hours in.

4 hours in

Mini Main is kind of a trash event though. Bad value for a $1k.

Monster Stack and Milly Maker give good value, albeit at a slightly higher price point.

I've played the Seniors a couple times and didn't really enjoy it much. Maybe I ran bad.

Has anyone heard any official word on the STT's? It's my favorite part of the WSOP.

Monster and Milly certainly have phenomenal structures. I would say there is room for disagreement on whether the Mini Main is a "trash event" or if $1,500 is "slightly higher" than $1,000 (for some players yes, others no).

But the point was if players are just looking at start stack, they are missing 95% of the structure and if it will play slow or fast. Mini Main is the exact same price point, triple the starting chips, but plays much faster.

One issue is that the slower structures generally reveal themselves late, at a point when most players have busted. So the players who bust early (which is necessary to keep stacks deeper throughout) feel the structure was too fast.

Background - fellow old fart played Main event in 2006 and then again last year 2022. I was 69 last year.

1) Start at level 1 - field is at its weakest and it will take you some time for your own nerves to settle down
2) Pick any start day that you get a 1 day break before day 2 -- You will be amped up that night after bagging day 1 chips. Its a wide eye bucket list experience to begin with and it will take the first level for you to get comfortable. After a few levels it just becomes poker.
3) You are going to lose chips and run card dead ACCEPT IT and don't press in day 2 . Patient aggression. You will start worrying unnecessarily about getting down to 50 BB then 40BB if you are a typical rec player....... DON'T ! just play cards.
4) Day 2 table draw is critical - still a lot of so so players but if you happen to run into a tough table ............ well that is just poker.
5) Day 3 Just bring your A game and see what happens.
6) When you say ALL IN --- and you will --my suggestion is that it's not a SNAP decision..... you may only get to say it once.

This is bucket list so ENJOY IT but do everything possible to stay FOCUSED and really watch the play at your table and THINK why they made the plays they did. You are not going to be up against GTO experts for the vast majority of your play time.

The main is a grind with wonderful 2 hour levels so pick your spots whether that is 89 suited or AA and whatever happens NO REGRETS.