The World Series of Poker Main Event is the one tournament on the poker calendar that lures out every single poker player of note into the Rio, be they seasoned cash players or online hermits. Some may be rare visitors to the the tournament felt, but if they only play one event the entire year, it'll be the $10,000 Main Event.
Field size often correlates directly with with the level of play in poker, and the Main Event is no exception as virtually every pro touts Vegas' biggest fish fest as the best value tournament in town. As an observer, it's hard to disagree as some of the decisions made defy belief considering the prestige of the event and the money required to enter.
However, with Black Friday significantly limiting the number of qualifiers, will the level of this year's Main Event increase. Can we expect to see a handful of pros on every table, shades on and hoods up? With all the increased education available out there through tutorial sites and Boot Camps - and even ESPN were banging on about VPIPs and other HUD stats - is this the year that even your Average Joe knows how to play optimally?
Early signs would suggest not. Only the other day, I witnessed someone get 30,000 in preflop during the early stages with 7-5… and get there. Meanwhile, a pro made a standard raise to 300, only for the big blind to move all in for 30,000 and then show aces, as if it say, "Yep, I had it." Of course, you'll always get the occasional nutcase who's on day release from the asylum, or some dude who's bet his friends that he can get it all in first hand, but, in general, I think it's safe to say that the WSOP Main Event still holds the title for weakest event of the year.
Then again, I've never played the Main Event, so I thought I'd ask the pros if they agreed with me:
World Open Champion Sam Trickett...
"I've played it twice, and I thought the standard was terrible, but I've run really bad on Day 1. The first year, I got set-over-setted in a three-bet pot, and the next year, I played bad, mainly because I was exhausted from a long World Series.
"There was one guy who completely owned me the whole tournament. He'd min-raise every single hand and then bet 10,000 on ever flop, which made it so hard to continue any hand. I just started spewing off to him trying to hit top pair. The implied odds were massive because you're playing 10K on every pot.
"I'd never seen a guy like it. He was huge value, but if you can't get a hand against him then it's pretty difficult if you're card dead. He was a one-off."
Double WSOP finalist Chris Moorman...
"I would probably say it's similar to one of the $1,000 events. Normally, there's maybe one or two guys you know from online or something, and then seven or eight randoms. I don't think the standard is that great, but I can't really abuse them too much because they've bashed me up so far; I've basically lost every pot I've played in it over the last five years.
"I think if you can get a stack through to Day 2 and Day 3, then you can make your own luck in the tournament as you're always so deep-stacked. The key is to get off to a good start and hopefully I can achieve that this year."
EPT winner Arnaud Mattern...
"Except for the Italian tournaments, this is definitely the best value field in poker because it's so big, and attracts many weak players. Having said that, the level of play has improved dramatically, but still, I'd say that at least around two thirds of the field don't know exactly what they're doing."
GUKPT winner Stuart Rutter...
"I've had a strange experience as I've often had really tough tables. The thing that will always be true is that it will be incredibly mixed, and that is what makes it so unique.
"Some people play the first day literally just to try to make Day 2. In 2008, I remember a woman tanking for seven minutes towards the end of Day 1 over a preflop all-in call and eventually calling with aces! She just wanted to make Day 2 so much that she only called because she had the other guy covered!
"Having said that, I actually think that there will be far far less of that kind of stuff going on this year. People are overestimating the softness of the field and will get a bit of a surprise."
Bracelet-winner James Dempsey...
"This is my second time playing the Main Event. I had some completely clueless people on my tables last year, but overall it was pretty tough with some good players who knew what they were doing. Laurence Houghton was at my table and some DeucesCracked instructor.
"This year, my first table was insanely soft - they were all just happy to be there and kept making some basic mistakes such as missing value on their hands and not being too sure about what they're doing. I moved table pretty quickly, and the new one was the complete opposite - like an EPT table and everyone seemed pretty competent.
"The event is still soft, and having looked around the Amazon Room, I think I was on a bad table compared to everyone else."
Schedule/Results page...
WSOP Content:
Vegas 11: Operation Bracelet
Vegas, Baby - Jerome Bradpiece
Vegas: Advice from the Pros
Paint It Black - Part One: Wassup With WSOP?
Cashing In; Where to Play Cash in Vegas - Sam Razavi
Snoopy's Top 10 Las Vegas Tips
For the Love of Ivey
Interview: Ashby Going for Bracelet #2
Richard Ashby Finishes Fourth in Event #11
Cody, Perrins & The UK Upsurge
Vegas 11 - Meet the Team
Chufty Makes Second Final Table
Paint It Black - Part Two: The Wait to Regulate
Meet the Mansion
Interview - Jared Tendler
Two Blue Belts; Two Cashes
3 Yellow Belts Win $13K Packages
Vegas 11 - Live WSOP Coverage
Ashby Denited Hattrick in $10K PLO
The Variance of Vegas
BBP/WSOP in Pictures
Ladies Saga; Orange Belt Cashes
Three of a Kind; Wooldridge Hits WSOP Final
Warren Wooldridge Finishes Third in Event #54
Moorman Talks Numbers
How to Approach the WSOP Main Event
Vegas 11 Interviews:
Richard Ashby
Jerome Bradpiece
Adam Latimer
Warren Wooldridge
Jamie Burland
Kevin Williams
David Docherty
Vegas Cherry Articles:
Hugo Martin
Jamie Burland
Kevin Williams
Barny Boatman
Blogs:
A Happy Median - Snoopy
No Novacaine; It Dulls the Senses - Neil Channing
TiLT, Clowns & A Small High
Moving House is Stressful - Warren Wooldridge
Unjust Action - Adam Latimer
Form - Kevin Williams
Lucky Number Seven - Snoopy
Colemas, Cork & Changing at O'Hare
Starting High - Richard Ashby
Keeping the Faith - David Docherty
Escape from L.V - Snoopy
Who's the Boss? - Neil Channing