Jamie Gold's Golden Tips for Playing the WSOP Main Event
As the 50th Annual World Series of Poker continues forward, there has been a lot of talk about WSOP records. A few records that continue to stand (for now, anyway) were set during the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event, including largest Main Event field (8,773), largest Main Event prize pool ($82,512,162), and largest Main Event first prize ($12 million).
It was Jamie Gold, of course, who claimed that huge bounty for winning the Main Event bracelet that year. Earlier this summer we spoke with Gold to see what advice he had for those looking to conquer what will surely be a similarly massive field in this year's Main Event that gets underway on Wednesday. Here are some tips from the champ, particularly aimed toward new Main Event players.
1. Don't Be Nervous
"In 2006, it was my first time," Gold explains. "I'd advise not to be nervous, not to be intimidated by anyone. Don't give other players undue attention, but respect their game and, most importantly, play your game. I had a certain style that worked for me. Everyone I respected just kept telling me to stick to what works for me."
Sticking with what works for you is good advice. If you try to play in a way you think others might regard is correct rather than following your own instincts that have worked for you before, will you have regrets the next morning? Gold clearly thinks so and he might know. Despite being a rookie in 2006, Gold never looked out of place or uncomfortable on his way to the title.
2. Eat and Drink Well
"Diet is key and so is staying hydrated," says Gold. "I'd say mentally preparing with meditation [is recommended], too. Those things were so universally overlooked back in 2006 that it gave me one type of edge over most of the field."
Meditation is now something many elite players credit with improving their mental strength and physical condition. More players are starting to incorporate meditation while away from the tables, with some using apps like Primed Mind created by Fedor Holz and Elliot Roe to provide guidance. In fact, Scott Blumstein winner of the 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event, was coached by Roe while on the way to his victory.
"I certainly wasn't the best player, not even close, so I had to figure out all the other ways to gain fair edges," says Gold. "Blueberries were talked about most, but they were one of a long list of things I was doing."
Darn — we hoped it might all be about the blueberries. We'll add meditating, having a good all-around diet, and staying hydrated to our list of recommended practices.
3. Resist "Reverse Tilt"
Everyone talks about how to overcome bad beats, but how do you regain your level-headedness after a miracle river card keeps you in the tournament? How did Jamie Gold stay balanced enough to play his A-Game when he got lucky on several occasions to take down the 2006 Main Event?
"It's a great question, because it can 'reverse tilt' you," Gold explains. "It creates a sense of entitlement and can affect your play."
"I think a lot of beginners have the 'favorite hand' syndrome where they remember some lucky flop or some big win with two crappy cards and that keeps unproductive thinking in their play," he continues. "Once you no longer have a favorite hand, I think you've graduated to a new level of poker."
4. Let Jamie Gold Coach You
"I'm a better coach than I am a player sometimes," says Gold. "I've teamed up with Lottery.com and the ALS Association [who were behind the ice bucket challenge] and a group of generous sponsors to offer a once-in-a-lifetime sweepstakes package this summer. It includes a year of private coaching from me, a buy-in to the 2020 World Series of Poker Main Event, and private jet to Las Vegas as well as a list of incredible prizes. Tickets will be available throughout the WSOP at Lottery.com."
Well, that takes care of next year, anyway. For this year we'll focus on avoiding nerves, meditating and nourishing ourselves right, and not getting overly affected by the occasional (and necessary) good fortune that might prolong our tournament run.
We might just bring along a box of blueberries, too, just in case.
