We asked Team LearnWPT to give us their best advice on how to prepare your poker game to stay in the zone all summer in Las Vegas:

❝ What advice would you give poker players when preparing for the WSOP and summer poker season in Las Vegas based on the time before the start of their first event? ❞

We’ve assembled their answers along with FREE videos, strategies, and tips that will have you playing at your peak if you have 30-60 days to prepare before playing your first World Series of Poker tournament. Get focused on making sure you are ready to crush starting hand 1 in Vegas with expert advice from Team LearnWPT's Tony Dunst, Michael Gagliano, Eric Lynch, and Johan Schultz-Pedersen. ⤵

➧ Tony Dunst:

❝ While it’s never a bad idea to form study habits, I think trying to change too much about your game or approach to poker 60 days before the summer is probably overkill. But if you’re someone who mostly plays and doesn’t study, I think it’s smart to use this time to start gradually building the habit of studying 30-60 minutes a day several times a week. Studying poker is kind of like working out, where nothing dramatic happens in one session but if you build it into your routine, you make consistent progress over a long period of time. ❞

➧ Michael "Gags30" Gagliano:

❝ Two months before playing in larger live events is the perfect time to work on your game and put in some study time. A lot of players wait until the final days before an event to study, but you really want to make sure you give yourself time to digest what you're learning and also take some time to practice your strategies so you're comfortable with them. If you're going to try anything new or make any larger changes to your game, this is the time to do so. ❞

➧ Eric "Rizen" Lynch:

❝ If you've identified the event(s) you want to play, then how you prepare will depend somewhat on the event types/structures that you want to play. If you're playing a huge field event that moves fast like the Colossus, you probably want to focus your time studying sub-30BB (or even 10BB-20BB) play, as the structure is fast and most of your critical decisions will be made with a smaller stack size. If you're playing something like a WSOP/WPT Main Event structure, you'd want to focus more on ~50BB play as the structures for those often have the average stack in the 40BB range throughout the tournament. So, identify the types of events you want to play and what sort of decisions will be most critical in that tournament format/structure, and develop a study plan that focuses on those items. If you already feel strong at the key stack level of the event(s) you're targeting, move on to the next most important skill you would need for the event. Focus on the things that will come up most often first (for example, preflop play if you need to work on that, then playing heads-up single raised pots, heads-up three bet pots, and so on), then focus on things that come up less frequently. ❞

➧ Johan Schultz-Pedersen:

❝ A month or two before the first event starts, I recommend playing a few online sessions to get back into the rhythm of playing. Online poker allows you to play many more hands in a short amount of time compared to live poker. ❞

➧ What To Focus On Now:

If you’ve got at least 2 months to prepare your training should focus on strengthening fundamentals while plugging leaks. These LearnWPT Strategy Episodes are a great place to start:

➥ Episode 305: First-In Hand Ranges [Watch + Get Charts Below]
➥ Episode 463: Big Blind Defense
➥ Episode 405: Button Defense
➥ Episode 525: 3-Betting Strategy Part 1
➥ Episode 530: 3-Betting Strategy Part 2
➥ Webinar: WSOP Prep With Rizen and Gags

Join now for just $5 your 1st month of Membership to watch all of the Strategy Episodes linked above. No contracts, cancel anytime.

➧ Watch Now: First-In Hand Ranges

Here are a few points from this video to remember...

Think in Hand Ranges:

• A range includes all hands a player may have in a given situation
• Avoid trying to put your opponent on a specific hand
• Position, action, and stack depth help determine ranges
• Analyzing hand ranges is best done away from the table

These charts will tell you what hands to play when you are the first person to put money into the pot at the poker table. They'll keep you on very solid, profitable ground and ensure that you aren't playing bad poker hands.

You'll develop Muscle Memory for preflop play by simply reviewing the charts and putting them into practice at the table!

Quick Tips For Using the First-In Hand Range Charts:

• Use the Position Graphic to determine your position at the table and reference the appropriate chart for your seat. Always count backwards from the Button ("dealer button") to determine your position
• You should raise with all hands highlighted in PINK. Do not call the minimum bet amount - RAISE!
• Your raise sizing should be 2.5 times the big blind amount. For example if blinds are 100-200 in a tournament and you elect to raise first-in to the pot, your total bet amount should be 500
• Stay consistent with your raise sizing. If you raise a larger amount with a specific hand and smaller amounts with others, you will be easier to read at the table (IE don't raise to 600 with AA, but 400 with 99)

Remember, these charts are intended for use when you are the first person to put chips in the pot before the flop aside from the blinds (forced bets). If someone else has already voluntarily put chips in the pot before your turn to act, these charts do not apply.

Not a LearnWPT Member? Join now for just $5 your 1st month and gain access to more Strategy Episodes and downloadable tools.

🏷️ Save 50% With Code SUMMER50

With 6 to 8 weeks of prep time, LearnWPT Tournament Courses are also a perfect way to get a complete overhaul for your game and make sure your mindset is in peak form to dominate the summer.

➥ LearnWPT Launch Tournament Strategy Course
LearnWPT Launch is designed to help you learn new strategy concepts and put them into play fast whether you're an online grinder or love to play live tournaments. This 4 part (10 hour) course is loaded with in-depth strategy from WPT Champions and WSOP Bracelet winners featuring Tony Dunst, Michael "Gags30" Gagliano, Johan Schultz-Pedersen, Eric "Rizen" Lynch, and host Adrian Naggy.

➥ Mental Game Tune Up For Tournament Poker With Jared Tendler
Mental Game strategy is as important as any poker technique you can master which is why Jared Tendler is trusted by top professional poker players to help them maintain focus, get in the zone, & bring their A-game to the table. Jared's step-by-step guide prepares your mental game for sustained success during the WSOP, WPT World Championships, or a series at your local card room.

Purchase a LearnWPT Course today at half off with promo code SUMMER50 and get lifetime access to the course videos, downloadable worksheets, quizzes, and interactive Discord

➧ Stay in the Zone With Team LearnWPT

We’ve got the strategies to help you play better poker this summer no matter how much prep time you have before your 1st tournament. Click below for more FREE tips and strategies:

➥ Prep Time = 30 Days Click Here
➥ Prep Time = 7 Days Click Here
➥ Prep Time = 1 Day Click Here

If you are a member of the LearnWPT Family and will be here in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker we want to cheer you on! Let us know what you are playing or share your success at the table. Tag us on social media or email [email protected] with your photos and updates from the felt.

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Good luck and good playing,
- Team LearnWPT