{"id":484,"date":"2025-05-14T09:49:59","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T09:49:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/?p=484"},"modified":"2025-05-14T13:16:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T13:16:51","slug":"the-best-and-worst-of-the-wsop-19-players-weigh-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/14\/the-best-and-worst-of-the-wsop-19-players-weigh-in\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best and Worst of the WSOP: 19 Players Weigh-In"},"content":{"rendered":"

The post The Best and Worst of the WSOP: 19 Players Weigh-In<\/a> appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

19-Player Panel<\/h2>\n

The world\u2019s largest festival of wealth redistribution is just a fortnight away. Flights have been booked. Hotel stays are being cancelled and re-booked cheaper because economic uncertainty means Las Vegas is teetering on the brink of recession. Nonetheless, spirits are undampenable. May is a time for \u2018what if\u2019 in the poker world. Anticipation is high. Hope is bountiful. Bankrolls are plentiful. Staking deals are being locked in. Swaps are being booked. For the moment, dreams remain uncrushed.<\/p>\n

\n

I decided to assemble a panel of professional poker players who are all heading to the desert<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) represents different things to different people so I decided to assemble a panel of professional poker players who are all heading to the desert. A veritable sm\u00f6rg\u00e5sbord of talent answered my call including World Poker Tour (WPT) ambassador and vlogger extraordinaire Brad Owen, record Sunday Millions champion Vanessa Kade, Run It Once coach Kevin Rabichow, 888 poker ambassador Ian Simpson and Pokerstars ambassador and best-selling author Maria Konnikova, up and coming crusher Fabian Bartuschk and Irish Open champion Dan Wilson.<\/p>\n

I also wrangled Mid-Stakes Poker Tour (MSPT) Player of the Year and Pokernews podcast host Kyna England, WPT champion Soheb Porbandarwala, professional water bottle chucker Matt Affleck, WPT champion Andy Wilson, 2-time MSPT champion Angela Jordison, RunGood Main Event champion Terrance Reid, poker pro and commentator Andrew Hedley, online crusher Aaron Barone, RecPoker podcast host Jim Reid, 4-time Global poker winning podcaster\/author Dara O\u2019Kearney, Pokerstars ambassador\/chess bitch Jen Shahade and poker champion and award-winning broadcaster Maria Ho.<\/p>\n

In Part 1 of this 3-Part series of articles, I warm up these 18 poker luminaries with a couple of easy questions before extracting their true feelings about the best and worst thing about the WSOP. It\u2019s a classic 3-punch combination. Enjoy\u2026<\/p>\n

How many bracelet events are you likely to play and do you prioritise WSOP tournaments?<\/h2>\n

Brad Owen:<\/strong> I\u2019m currently planning to play around 30-40 tournaments, but I may run out of money at some point in the middle. The plan right now is to play almost exclusively WSOP tournaments. They\u2019ve made improvements to the registration process so that their events are easy to buy into and get seated quickly. I\u2019ll play very little cash. The public cash games often take a long time to get into later in the day so I mostly avoid them. I haven\u2019t looked too much at what other tournaments are running around town this summer, but I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll play some Wynn events \u2013 it tends to be very refreshing to play there after being at the Horseshoe for an extended period of time since the Wynn is hands down the best overall playing experience.<\/p>\n

Vanessa Kade: <\/strong>I\u2019m unsure as to exactly how much I will play. My goal is to just be perpetually playing through the summer. A lot of the series running parallel to WSOP have gotten quite good, so my ultimate schedule will probably have fewer bracelet events than previous years. There are a couple no-miss tournaments from my perspective, like the Main Event obviously and some of the six max events. Other than that, this year if I bust something and still have energy and something else is late reggable, I\u2019ll play it \u2013 probably hopping between properties a lot.<\/p>\n

Kevin Rabichow: <\/strong>I\u2019ll play 10-15 bracelet events this year. I won\u2019t be prioritising the WSOP, but they still have most of the highest value tournaments during the summer.<\/p>\n

Ian Simpson:<\/strong> I will be in Vegas for 16 nights and I\u2019ll be playing everything $1K and over at the WSOP. I think that makes eight unique events not counting multiple flights. The rake sub-1K is pretty high, especially given the bad level of service we get at the WSOP. While I won\u2019t completely rule those events from my schedule, they are a lower priority for sure. To be fair, the WSOP events are soft so I do prioritise them. Outside of that, bankroll management and rake are the deciding factors on what I play.<\/p>\n

Maria Konnikova:<\/strong> I\u2019m not getting into Las Vegas until the 9th of June so I will miss all the early events. How much I play will obviously depend on how I do. If I make zero Day 2s, I could play 25 or so tournaments. I do prioritize WSOP events in the summer because, the way I look at it, I have the rest of the year to play non-bracelet events. My second choice will always be The Wynn because they have a really nice summer series with great guarantees.<\/p>\n

Fabian Bartuschk:<\/strong> My plan is to play about ten WSOP events. I will be prioritising the best value tournaments, no matter where they are in Vegas.<\/p>\n

Dan Wilson: <\/strong>I\u2019m only going to play between two and four WSOP events this year. I do give them a slight preference but am certainly tempted away from the Horseshoe when there are large field main events on in other casinos.<\/p>\n

Kyna England: <\/strong>Right now I plan to play about six WSOP events but that could change. I used to make WSOP my priority but not anymore. I think some of the other events at other venues can be more profitable and it\u2019s good to mix up the venues so the summer doesn\u2019t start to get stale. I\u2019m excited to play some of the events at the Venetian and the Golden Nugget has a really nice series too. Getting off the strip is nice!<\/p>\n

Soheb Porbandarwala: <\/strong>I am not going to be in Vegas for very long this year \u2013 maybe a week or two depending on how the Main Event goes. I have no plans on playing any other specific events. I don\u2019t normally prioritize WSOP tournaments when I am in Vegas, usually the opposite actually. There\u2019s so many tournaments to choose from every day and I prefer going to other venues.<\/p>\n

Matt Affleck:<\/strong> I will play a pretty full schedule \u2013 probably 30 or so events. I do prioritize No Limit Hold\u2019em WSOP events in the $1K to 5K range. In my opinion, the offering at the Horseshoe and Paris trumps the other properties.<\/p>\n

Andy Wilson: <\/strong>I\u2019m not quite sure yet as to when I\u2019m going to go, but the added option to buy in with Luxon with the migration to the new WSOP+ app has whet my appetite as it helps to circumnavigate liquidity issues significantly. I\u2019d say 15-20 is a fair line depending on when I turn up in Vegas.<\/p>\n

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I like to park my arse somewhere and stay there<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Generally speaking, I do focus on the WSOP due to ease of access and I think that they are the best tournaments during the summer. I like to park my arse somewhere and stay there so the series itself gives the most flexibility doing that.<\/p>\n

Angela Jordison: <\/strong>I will play approximately 25-30 WSOP events. However, I will try to be flexible and allow myself to play less or more depending on how I feel. I do prioritize WSOP events but I also play off property events that have fields heavy with BBQ dads. Hello Wynn Seniors!!!<\/p>\n

TJ Reid: <\/strong>The 20 or so WSOP events that I will play are my priority. I build my schedule around them. If I bag an early flight or something then that\u2019s when I venture to other venues. Oh yeah, when I bust early too!<\/p>\n

Andrew Hedley: <\/strong>It\u2019s going to be just 4-5 events for me this year as I\u2019m only going for three weeks this year. I don\u2019t especially prioritise the WSOP. I tend to look for the better structures where possible and there\u2019s plenty of other options nowadays with the Wynn, Venetian and others so it\u2019s really schedule dependant.<\/p>\n

Aaron Barone: <\/strong>Other than the Main, probably just one or two. I don\u2019t particularly like the WSOP events and there are many other great series running during that same time period. I pick the games that appear to be a combination of most fun\/highest equity (Who doesn\u2019t want to open a Mystery Bounty envelope?)<\/p>\n

Jim Reid: <\/strong>Shorter trip this year so I will play the Main Event plus three others. I do give the WSOP my
priority.<\/p>\n

Dara O\u2019Kearney: <\/strong>I\u2019m going for almost five weeks so probably about 15. I do prioritise the WSOP events and while I might play elsewhere occasionally, I always plan my schedule around those tournaments.<\/p>\n

Jen Shahade: <\/strong>I haven\u2019t set my plans yet but I\u2019ll probably play three or four WSOP events this year. I\u2019m only going to be there for a little over a week and I will plan my trip around the WSOP schedule while I\u2019m there. This year I\u2019m excited that the Ladies Week offerings includes a high roller (at the Venetian) and a Mystery Bounty. When the Women\u2019s Winter Festival last Fall debuted a Ladies High Roller, I had a feeling it was going to be a trend and it\u2019s great to see that come true.<\/p>\n

Maria Ho: <\/strong>I will play 15-20 events. That will be my smallest schedule in the last 14 years. Due to life stuff, I won\u2019t be in Vegas for the whole summer. For me, the bracelet events do come first and they are by far the best value and biggest fields.<\/p>\n

Do you take days off during the Series?<\/h2>\n

Brad Owen: <\/strong>I\u2019m not very good at taking days off because I look at the schedule each day and always find something that I want to play. This year, I may need to make a conscious effort to slow down and take breaks so I can reset and give myself a better chance at success in the tournaments that I do play. When I\u2019m not playing, I\u2019ll be working on videos, studying and spending time with my family as I can.<\/p>\n

Vanessa Kade: <\/strong>Some years yes, other years no. I missed quite a few events last year because my cat was ill, but this year I\u2019ll play as much as possible.<\/p>\n

Kevin Rabichow: <\/strong>Yes, plenty! I want to leave space to socialize, work on my coaching business, and recover before big events. I\u2019ll go home for a few weeks in the middle of the series as well.<\/p>\n

Ian Simpson:<\/strong> I rarely take a day off. I\u2019d have to be very tired or have a big Day 2 approaching to take time off whilst there. I want to get in as much volume as I can.<\/p>\n

Maria Konnikova: <\/strong>Yes. I always take time off before the Main (and usually leave Vegas altogether to go on a mini-vacation somewhere on the water). This year, Nate Silver and I are doing an event at the Aspen Ideas Festival, as well, which happens to be in the middle of the series, so we are both taking some days off for that.<\/p>\n

Fabian Bartuschk: <\/strong>I will definitely take some days off. Vegas is a fun city to be in so why not enjoy it.<\/p>\n

Dan Wilson: <\/strong>Yes. If I had to guess, I\u2019ll probably take 1-2 days over 2-3 weeks.<\/p>\n

Kyna England: <\/strong>Yes, I can\u2019t do a full schedule anymore nor do I want to.<\/p>\n

Soheb Porbandarwala: <\/strong>Yes, and this year I will be taking just about every day off.<\/p>\n

Matt Affleck: <\/strong>I will certainly take some time off.<\/p>\n

Andy Wilson: <\/strong>I don\u2019t usually turn up for every tournament and I\u2019d like to keep it that way. I haven\u2019t ever been a high volume player, even in my online career, apart from perhaps the lock down period, basically:<\/p>\n

\n

I prefer to spend as much time away from the tables as I can.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Angela Jordison: <\/strong>I\u2019m there for six weeks to work hard so days off are not a priority. I\u2019ll probably end up taking 1-2 days off.<\/p>\n

TJ Reid: <\/strong>I plan my schedule for no days off. If I\u2019m feeling good, I\u2019m playing. That said, if I\u2019m not feeling well physically or mentally, I\u2019ll give myself a day off as needed and when possible.<\/p>\n

Andrew Hedley: <\/strong>Yes. I\u2019m old now.<\/p>\n

Aaron Barone:<\/strong> From tournaments? Often. I usually end up playing cash on those days, but I definitely give myself the option to not play anything at all.<\/p>\n

Jim Reid: <\/strong>I only take rest days on longer trips and I will definitely try to take advantage of every minute I\u2019m there. If I bust tourneys, I am always happy to jump into cash games.<\/p>\n

Dara O\u2019Kearney:<\/strong> Over the years, I\u2019ve tried every approach to rest days \u2013 scheduling them, taking them when needed, and not taking them at all. I think that this year, given that I will be there for so long, I will probably take a few, although they may end up being media days.<\/p>\n

Jen Shahade:<\/strong> I don\u2019t plan to because I\u2019m going for such a short time. A few previous summers before I had a kid I went for a longer time period and then I took a lot of days off to rest and do other work.<\/p>\n

Maria Ho:<\/strong> Yes, but I play it by ear depending on how I\u2019m feeling. I always take at least a few days off before the Main.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the best thing about the WSOP? What\u2019s the worst?<\/h2>\n

Brad Owen:<\/strong> The best thing about the WSOP is everyone in the poker community gathering together at one location, battling against each other for hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. We\u2019ll see some farmer from Wisconsin getting a massive bluff through against Ivey or Negreanu deep in a tournament. It\u2019s generally a fun time full of excitement, chaos, heartbreak, and triumph. I still get excited when the guys that I looked up to make a final table or win a bracelet; it\u2019s fun to root them on. The WSOP is this condensed seven-week window when top players have their best opportunities to either create or expand upon their legacies.<\/p>\n

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the worst part of the WSOP is being asked how my summer is going<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For me personally, the worst part of the WSOP is being asked how my summer is going. Often, people innocently ask me this hoping to get a positive response when they see me walking in the hallway, not necessarily realizing I\u2019m coming from a tournament I just busted. I want to be nice and chat, but I also don\u2019t want to be regularly reminded that the summer is not going well (so far I\u2019ve never had a particularly good WSOP). If people haven\u2019t heard that I had some major score, then the summer is likely not going great. Anyone asking always means well and just want to strike up a conversation \u2013 it\u2019s a natural thing to inquire about, but they don\u2019t realize I get asked this question probably ten or more times a day, and when I\u2019m getting torched, it\u2019s quite brutal. I\u2019m hopeful this summer will be different and I\u2019ll be able to give more uplifting answers.<\/p>\n

Vanessa Kade: <\/strong>The best thing by far is seeing everyone. Also, the excitement of the Main Event! The worst thing in years past is how I have to have a drink with David Lappin but since you\u2019re not going this year, it\u2019s all roses.<\/p>\n

Kevin Rabichow: <\/strong>The best thing is the buzz \u2013 the WSOP gets a crazy atmosphere; everyone is there and everyone is watching. The worst thing is the playing experience \u2013 basically every other operator runs tournaments at a higher standard than WSOP.<\/p>\n

Ian Simpson: <\/strong>For me, the best thing is the opportunity to win a bracelet and become part of that poker legacy. The worst thing is customer service and dealer standard.<\/p>\n

Fabian Bartuschk:<\/strong> The best thing is the vibe of a world championship. There is something different about it. The worst thing is how obvious it is that the dealers and other floor staff are not trained enough.<\/p>\n

Dan Wilson:<\/strong> Best \u2013 That stirring Ennio Morricone music that they play at the start of each day. Worst \u2013 The national anthems.<\/p>\n

Kyna England:<\/strong> The best thing about the WSOP is seeing friends from all over the world and playing with people from all walks of life. I really look at poker as an experience and as a skill. The worst thing is the lines. The parking sucks too. Then there\u2019s the ridiculously long color up breaks. Trying to find decent food at dinner break is hard too. Oh, and losing all my money.<\/p>\n

Matt Affleck:<\/strong> Best thing: excitement in the room \/ excitement from the common people playing. Worst thing: Dealer quality and how no shuffle machines means shortened levels. Because of this, I am skipping all the 30 min level WSOP events this year in favor of The Wynn or Venetian.<\/p>\n

Andy Wilson:<\/strong> It\u2019s the best time of the year to actually put effort into live poker with a worthwhile expectation due to the draw of the WSOP brand. However, you have to put up with some ten-handed tournaments and very inexperienced dealers.<\/p>\n

Angela Jordison:<\/strong> The best thing about the WSOP is the excitement and grandeur of the events. The worst part is the lines and the food options.<\/p>\n

TJ Reid:<\/strong> Best: Endless bracelet events, poker every day, massive fields, life-changing money and the summer grind with friends. Worst: Poor quality of dealers, little to no quality food options on-site because of union restrictions and high Vegas prices.<\/p>\n

Andrew Hedley:<\/strong> I love the buzz of non-stop live opportunities for a period of weeks. I also love seeing friends and colleagues do well. I hate the endlessly late finishes and being away from family.<\/p>\n

Aaron Barone:<\/strong> Best \u2013 Vibes are electric early in the series with so many people who love the game of poker gathered in one place. Worst \u2013 During breaks, there\u2019s a bottleneck at the entrance\/exits where you\u2019re forced to walk through a cloud of cigarette smoke. No one has a name for it yet, how about \u2018Ashtray Alley?\u2019<\/p>\n

Jim Reid:<\/strong> The best and worst thing is that bracelet = credentials.<\/p>\n

Dara O\u2019Kearney:<\/strong> The best thing is the historical significance. The WSOP is a huge part of poker history with records going back farther than any other Series. The worst thing is the poor organisation. While I understand that it\u2019s a huge undertaking, the WSOP could learn a lot from standards upheld at the EPT or the WPT closer to home.<\/p>\n

Jen Shahade:<\/strong> Best for me is the people \u2013 so many of my favorite people. Also Vegas has so much amazing food and such beautiful light. Worst for me is the dryness and the weather inside and outside (extreme AC).<\/p>\n

Maria Ho:<\/strong> The best thing about the WSOP is the melting pot of people from all over the world and all walks of life coming together for their love of the game of poker. The worst thing is anything that involves a line \u2013 food, registration, bathrooms, etc.<\/p>\n

In the next instalment, I will be getting everyone\u2019s take on some hypothetical rule and structure changes.<\/em><\/p>\n

The post The Best and Worst of the WSOP: 19 Players Weigh-In<\/a> appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The post The Best and Worst of the WSOP: 19 Players Weigh-In appeared first on Vegas Slots Online News. 19-Player Panel The world\u2019s largest festival of wealth redistribution is just a fortnight away. Flights have been booked. Hotel stays are being cancelled and re-booked cheaper because economic uncertainty means Las Vegas is teetering on the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poker"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=484"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":485,"href":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/484\/revisions\/485"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.masteringphsyics.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}