The dream of every ambitious poker player should be the World Series of Poker (WSOP) – to participate in the most important tournament in the world of poker is the greatest dream of poker pros and amateurs alike. When participating in the WSOP you can not only become rich but also famous. Of course, that doesn’t mean that participation is too difficult to achieve. After all, about 50,000 players are participating in the mega event every year. However, what do you have to bear in mind, when playing at the WSOP for the first time?

The Tournaments of the WSOP

The tournaments of the WSOP change every year. So please do not determine too early which tournament you want to play – the list of the previous year is no clear indication which poker tournaments will take place this year. Wait until the tournament schedule is published in spring. Then you can decide about the tournaments. The range of tournaments is suitable for every poker player: the buy-ins varies between $1000 and $50 000! In addition to this, there are more than 50 different events and all poker variants there are in the world of poker.

Arrival

The WSOP is attracting thousands of players and spectators every year - Las Vegas is crowded with poker fans coming from all over the world. That’s why you should book your flight and your hotel early enough in advance. Otherwise it can be a very costly process. Because most of the tournaments start around noon it’s best to arrive the day before your chosen tournament – in Las Vegas there are many places worth visiting without having to play poker all the time. The return flight is a thing slightly more difficult, since you do not know when you will drop out of the tournament. You should book your return flight on the last day of the tournament at the earliest. If need be, you can go on holiday for a few days in the area surrounding the city. In all cases, you should choose a flight where you can alter the booking.

Registration

There are two ways of registration: Either you register on the spot the day before the tournament begins or you can download a form from the WSOP website beforehand and you can send this form to the indicated address, attaching a copy of the transfer voucher. If you register on the spot in Las Vegas you have to anticipate long queues. If you register via mail beforehand you are also not allowed to be too late – so please send the letter early enough, so that it arrives at least two weeks before the begin of the respective tournament.