WPT Boot Camp Part 2 : Poker Player

What I Learned At Camp (WPT Boot Camp, That is...) – Part 2

In the last issue (WPT Boot Camp Part 1), I discussed the WPT Boot Camp that I attended in June at Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. The two-day seminar was taught by Jules and Crispin Leyser, online gaming professionals, and Karina and Chip Jett, top professionals in the poker world.

I knew the basics of poker going into the class, but the lessons I learned over the course of the weekend, such as pot odds and correct position plays, were eye-opening. I had a newfound confidence in my abilities and felt ready to put my education to the test.

When I spoke to Jules about the proper way to test my skills, I asked if I should play some online games sans real money. "No!" she said emphatically. "You want to play for real money, even if it's only $20 in a sit-n-go game. When your own money is on the line, you have more motivation to do well."

This made sense to me, especially thinking back to the times that I had played online with no real money at stake; it was fun to bet hundreds of dollars knowing that it wasn't real and to play every single hand. Playing recklessly was entertaining but taught me nothing about proper play.

The Online Gaming Experiment

I started out with $50 at a site at which I had not previously played, so the entire experience would be fresh. I searched all of the tournaments and sit-n-go tables, ultimately deciding to simply pull up a virtual chair at a regular $.50-$1 limit hold'em table.

I opted to play with the entire $50 in order to feel like I could measure up to the other players at the table, all of whom had similar amounts. I began my play immediately, anxious to show my new style - aggressive!

What I found was that several other players at the table were also aggressive, and when I became embroiled in big pots with them, I was unable to control myself and let go of hands that were no good after the flop. A few times, I sucked out on the river to make my shady hand or won the pot with a weak hand when the other player(s) tried to bluff with nothing. However, most of my hands lost because I simply couldn't let them go.

At one point in the game, I had a run of good cards. I had also been paying close attention to the betting habits of other players and picked a few who bet on every hand before the flop but folded to any bets after the flop. I targeted those players when I had position on them and was able to take some pots with this strategy.

Despite my moments of good play, however, I ultimately lost my entire $50 in less than four hours. After I sat staring at my $0 balance for a few minutes, stunned and irritated, I read through my Boot Camp workbook and notes, and I pin-pointed two key lessons upon which I must improve.

Emotional control – I simply must get this, learn this, train myself to have this. It is of the ultimate importance in poker! And I must not feel desperate when I'm short-stacked, but should probably sit out a few hands or lay down all but premium hands for a while.

Patience – I'm not even sure what this is, but I need to get some of it. Seriously, I tried to take my time to calculate pot odds and pay attention to the betting patterns of other players, but online play is fast-paced, and I felt it necessary to keep up. Thus, I sacrificed my money to players who are more familiar with fast online poker, on hands that were probably not mathematically correct.

In retrospect, I did begin to put some of my WPT Boot Camp lessons into practice, but my follow-through left much to be desired. I thought back to something Crispin told me during the camp. "It's all not going to sink in immediately. You can look at the workbook and some of those concepts, practice some of those exercises, and one day, it will all click and make sense."

Obviously, I still have some practice to do! I will attempt another online session soon, but I am also anxious to see if my live game improved. In the next issue, I will report on my results.

A Fellow Classmate's Success

During my WPT Boot Camp experience, I met Henry Blaskowski. He sincerely wanted to improve his poker game, and he attended the Boot Camp with an open mind and the willingness to learn.

Although Henry e-mailed me only a few weeks after the course to say that there had been very little change in his results, he contacted me again in mid-July to let me know that his game has improved greatly. Between the lessons learned at Boot Camp and the help of a popular online poker forum where he posted hands for feedback, he seemed to have found success.

"I am now progressing much further in tournaments, I regularly win sit-n-go's, and my cash game is much better," Henry wrote. "I am on my way to my best month of poker ever."

While he attributes his improvements to several factors, he admits that Boot Camp "was vital." He adds, "Certain bits of the class pop into my head at key moments to help me make the right decisions."

Congrats, Henry!


The decision-makers at WPT Boot Camp have planned the ultimate Boot Camp experience!

The multi-day WPT Boot Camp Caribbean Conference seminar/tournament is scheduled for December 4 – 8 at Nassau's Crystal Palace Casino in the Bahamas. The cost of $3,995 includes five nights at a Cable Beach Resort, airfare from Florida to the Bahamas, all meals and VIP parties, and buy-in for the tournament.

The first of five days will include a VIP reception for all students to mingle with pros like T.J. Cloutier, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak and Jennifer Tilly, Mark Seif, Clonie Gowen, Marcel Luske, Michael Mizrachi, and Karina and Chip Jett – all scheduled to appear. The second day will focus on instruction for tournament play, and the final three days will be dedicated to actual tournament play. Throughout the trip, cocktail receptions and meals will provide ample time for students to interact with each other and the pros.

The most exciting news about this conference pertains to the tournament prizes. The grand prize to be awarded the winner of the tournament is a package of buy-ins for 15 WPT main events, including the WPT World Championship. The package is worth nearly $160,000. They're not kidding!

Even second place through fifth place prizes each include a buy-in to a WPT tournament. And all of these prizes include travel vouchers to make the trip to your free WPT tournament hassle-free.

Don't miss out on this one, folks! Visit WPTBootCamp.com for more information.

Written by Jennifer Newell.

Printed with permission from American PokerPlayer Magazine.