Qualifies for:

WSOP Main Event Qualifier

Seats to next level:

One ($70 for 2nd place)

Okay, it’s not cheap, but if you’re serious about WSOP qualification this probably represents your best shot to the $650 Main Event Qualifier, where poker skills will outweigh luck. Win this nine-man table and that’s where you’ll be heading.

Traditional sit-and-go tactics will serve you in good stead here, although you need to be aware that no-one is going to be playing for place. The $70 second prize doesn’t even cover your entry fee. It’s not a turbo, so blinds are going to go up steadily giving you time to observe the table like a hawk while the blinds – and pots – are relatively low. It’s not a cheap $5 sit-and-go, so don’t expect bags of action at this stage. Try to split the players into conservative and aggressive types, and play different hands against each group.

The aim is to keep your chip stack relative to the leader and certainly above average for the table. There’s no point playing ultra-tight and makinf it down to the final three or four with the short stack. By the time you get down to this shorthanded stage you need to ideally be chip leader, or at the very least in touch.

At this point you’re likely to find most players playing a lot tighter, which gives room for you to make some positional steals. It’s unlikely that someon’s going tp try and bluff heavily (unless you’ve already earmarked them as hyper-aggressive) so anyone that fights back at you is likely to have a good hand. Bet your strong hands heavily and, if need be, to the max.

Difficulty rating: ♥♥