Few poker players know what it takes to sail better for tournament grounds that someone who has twice reached the final table of the main event of the series of poker World Series of Poker.
Last month, Kenny Hallaert joined a small exclusive group of players who did exactly that. Hallaert finished in fourth place out of 9,735 players for a payment of $ 3 million.
In 2016, he finished sixth in a field of 6,737.
What are the keys to its success? Hallaert sat with Deadspin to share the most important qualities that a poker player should have to perform deep cheap shopping in large tournament grounds.
1. Patience
The deep races of the main event do not concern rapid departures or early fireworks. It is a question of cringing days of play, waiting for the right opportunities and not to force the action.
“Patience is a key factor for all of this,” said Hallaert. “You cannot collect all the tokens in none of the first nine days. It just won’t happen. It is good to let go of a few marginal places and try to avoid playing big pots.
“I had a sixth of a starting battery somewhere on day 1 this year. I still had 20 big blinds and I never panicked. ”
2. Experience
The two -hour levels of the main event change the situation. Players with years of experience in this format, like Hallaert, understand the pace and can remain calm in places where others lose their composure.
“Because I have been there several times, the experience is definitely helping,” he said. “There is not a single tournament that has a similar structure.
“With 20 big blinds in the main event, if you died for the next hour, you will always have an feasible battery. In just about all other events, you would be in danger.”
3. Emotional control
Bad rhythms are inevitable. The players who go deep are all those who can accept variance, abandon frustration and focus on the next hand.
“I focus on the things I can control and I completely don’t know the things that I cannot control,” said Hallaert. “Emotional control is certainly a key factor for shopping in the main event.
“In the history of poker, I do not think that shouting a specific card has helped the results of the table. Everything that will happen will happen.”
4. General skills
Technical skills are precious in poker, but general skills can pass a player to the next level.
“To be a good poker player, you don’t just need to be good in poker. There are a lot of general skills, such as patience, perseverance, banking management and self -control,” said Hallaert.
“There are so many great players better than me, but they just can’t manage emotions, and sooner or later they get out of the game. My general skills have helped me create a path in the world of poker.”
5. Endurance and preparation
Two weeks of poker require endurance similar to a marathon. The best players plan to rest, keep energy and know how to punctuate themselves.
“It’s a long version. Your brain has done overtime, especially the more you go deep,” said Hallaert. “I never take days off from poker (during the summer), but I take a day off between day 2 and day 3 of the principal each year.
“As you arrive on day 8, you have been playing for six days in a row, and you are still not at the final table. There is certainly a certain fatigue. Many players in the final stages do not sleep as much.”
6. Passion for the game
In a game where the variance is brutal and the drops are inevitable, passion and love for poker are what brings the players back.
“If you don’t like the game, you are not going to survive. It’s impossible. You have to be passionate about it,” said Hallaert.
“Poker has resumed so much of my life and I always appreciate it. As long as I have a few tokens and a few cards in front of me, I am a happy guy. ”
Hallaert offered this last advice for new arrivals playing their first main WSOP event:
“Obviously, you will have the dream (to win) if you play it for the first time, but it will be difficult to win it during your first trip.
“Take advantage of all the experience. Do not be sad when it’s over, but be happy because it happened.”
