World Series Of Poker starts today

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) starts today.

Many people don’t realize that the WSOP is pretty much not a single game, but in fact a month long series.  Check the schedule out.

June 2, Thursday 1 Casino Employee No-limit Hold’em $500
June 3, Friday 2 No-limit Hold’em $1,500
June 4, Saturday 3 Pot-limit Hold’em $1,500
June 5, Sunday 4 Limit Hold’em $1,500
June 6, Monday 5 Omaha Hi-low Split $1,500
June 7, Tuesday 6 Short Handed (6/table) No-limit Hold’em $2,500
June 8, Wednesday 7 No-limit Hold’em w/rebuys $1,000
June 9, Thursday 8 Seven Card Stud $1,500
June 10, Friday 9 No-limit Hold’em $2,000
June 11, Saturday 10 Limit Hold’em $2,000
June 12, Sunday 11 Pot-limit Hold’em $2,000
June 13, Monday 12 Pot-limit Omaha w/re-buys $2,000
June 14, Tuesday 13 No-limit Hold’em $5,000
June 15, Wednesday 14 Seven Card Stud Hi-low Split $1,000
June 16, Thursday 15 Limit Hold’em Shootout $1,500
June 17, Friday 16 No-limit Hold’em Shootout $1,500
June 18, Saturday 17 Limit Hold’em $2,500
June 19, Sunday 18 Seven Card Stud Hi-low Split, 2p.m. start $2,000
June 19, Sunday 19 Pot Limit Omaha $1,500
June 20, Mon. 20 Pot-limit Hold’em $5,000
June 21, Tuesday 21 Omaha Hi-low Split $2,500
June 22, Wednesday 22 No-limit Hold’em $1,500
June 23, Thursday 23 Seven Card Stud $5,000
June 24, Friday 24 No-Limit Hold’em $2,500
June 25, Saturday 25 Pot-limit Hold’em $2,500
June 26, Sunday 26 Ladies Event No-limit Hold’em, 2p.m. start, 1 day event $1,000
June 26, Sunday 27 Pot-limit Omaha w/re-buys $5,000
June 27, Monday 28 Limit Hold’em $5,000
June 28, Tuesday 29 No-limit Hold’em $2,000
June 29, Wednesday 30 Seven Card Razz 1 day event, 2p.m. start $1,500
June 29, Wednesday 31 No-limit Hold’em-Short handed 6/table $5,000
June 30, Thursday 32 Omaha hi-low split $5,000
July 1, Friday 33 No-limit Hold’em $3,000
July 2, Saturday 34 Seniors No-Limit Hold’em, 1day event $1,000
July 2, Saturday 35 Pot-limit Omaha, 2p.m. start $10,000
July 3, Sunday 36 Limit Holdem $3,000
July 4, Monday 37 No-limit Hold’em w/re-buys $1,000
July 5, Tuesday 38 Super satellite day (10a.m./3p.m./8p.m.) $1,000
July 5, Tuesday 39 No-limit 2 to 7 Draw Lowball w/re-buys $5,000
July 6, Wednesday 40 Super satellite day (9a.m./2p.m./9p.m.)
July 6, Wednesday 41 Media/Celebrity Charity Event at 6p.m. (one day event and I’m playing in this one!!)

No-limit Texas Hold’em World Championship Event:
July 7, Thursday 42 Day 1A, The first 1,000 – 2,200 play down to 500-650 $10,000
July 8, Friday Day 1B, The second 1,000 – 2,200 play down to 500-650
July 9, Saturday Day 1C, The third 1,000 – 2,200 play down to 500-650
July 10, Sunday Day 2, Start with 1,500-1,950 play down to 500-1,000
July 11, Monday Day 3B, Start with 500-1,000 play down to 200-400
July 11, Monday 43 No-limit Hold’em, 1 day event $1,500
July 12, Tuesday Day 4, Start with 200 – 400 play down to 100-150
July 12, Tuesday 44 No-limit Hold’em, 1 day event $1,000
July 13, Wednesday Day 5, Start with 100-150 play down to 27
July 13, Wednesday 45 No-limit Hold’em, 1 day event $1,000
July 14, Thursday Day 6, Start with 27 play down 9 @ Binions Horseshoe
July 15, Friday Day 7, Final table @ Binions Horseshoe

(I got the schedule from Tao of Poker: A Poker Blog)

I’m not particular bummed about not being in it.  I didn’t make much of an attempt to qualify, and since I’m not really World Series caliber, I would be way over my head if I won a seat.  However stranger things have happened, and Chris Moneymaker certainly didn’t put in 15 years of practice before getting there and winning the big event, so it’s not entirely out of the question.

But the baby is coming soon, and its not cool for me to be playing poker on the other side of the country while my wife is about to go into labor.  To her credit, when I played an early satellite a few months into the pregnancy, she said, "If you win, you can go."  I lost the satellite and never bothered playing another one again.  I mean, how cool is it that she said I could go?  I don’t need to play this year that badly.  Poker will be around forever.

She’s a good egg.

This year I live vicariously through my friend and poker buddy, Katie.  Katie’s a good poker buddy to have, as I sit and play in casinos next to her and we talk about the hands afterwards.  Her style is really low key.  She doesn’t need to bully you around, raising with nothing to satisfy her ego.  She’s waiting for good cards, and then playing them aggressively.  When I play next to her I have a "Katie effect", where I play fewer junk hands because I’m embarassed to show down the junk when I know Katie’s watching.  It improves my game every time we play together.

Katie’s headed out to play one of the $1,500 buyin limit events, which will probably pay $300,000-$400,000 for first place.  She’s a great player, so I know she’ll do well.  Just playing in her first one is a big accomplishment, as I’m sure she’s putting up her entry fee and paying for her entire trip out of online $10/$20 poker winnings.  How many people can say that?

Good luck Katie!