The countdown to the 2026 WSOP starts here. 100 bracelets. The world's best players. And PokerOrg will be on the floor from start to finish.
Jonathan Little is a former WPT Player of the Year and founder of the popular training site PokerCoaching.com.
How do you best prepare for six weeks on the road at the WSOP?
I think it's important to get all of your non-poker stuff done. You don't want to be distracted by all the other things that life throws at you.
What are the most egregious leaks you see most players make during the series?
A lot of people just limp before the flop with all sorts of trash, trying to flop well. You'll see that in the $500 buy-in tournaments. And many players will automatically continuation bet on every flop. It's actually pretty easy to play against them once you've trained how to play against that mistake.
Do you have a favorite event you look forward to every summer?
Not really. I just kind of show up and play every day. Every day I wake up, look at the schedule, and do whatever it says to do. I find that I personally don't get too amped up for any tournament in particular, which is maybe good, maybe bad.
How do you think this approach benefits your mindset?
Well, I think it helps me stay very even-keeled emotionally, so I'm not devastated if I lose or overly happy if I win. And I believe that allows you to just show up and continue to play your best.
I'm just not all that concerned if I win or lose – that's what it amounts to. Maybe there will be days when you're not in the best mindset because something in life happens, or you're just a little worn out from poker. But you learn to just get over it.
A lot of people get overly amped up to go play poker. They think that if they lose, they are a failure in life. I'm just not worried about any of that stuff.
So, you're saying being prepared and simply showing up for yourself is a good way to look at the grind?
It is. But I also realize that quite often it's not going to work out.
I remember a conversation with a player years ago. He said that if you play mostly NLH tournaments at the World Series, you'll get a bracelet roughly once every 10 years, give or take. Of course, your volume does make a difference. But he’s probably about right.
I’ve got a bunch of trophies behind me, and each one of them represents something like 100 losses. But you also have to realize you’ve got to put in the volume. You don't really get to pick when you win.
What do you think the impact of ESPN will be this summer?
It depends on how much they actually plan to promote it. If they air it 1,000 times like back in the day, it could be quite beneficial.
I do know they are being relatively strict about letting players wear patches. I'm confused about the rules. I think other people are as well. I wish they would get that straightened out, just so there's clarity.
But all in all, I think the bigger audience you can show poker to, the better.
Jonathan Little: The quickfire round
Follow Jonathan on X. And check out Pokercoaching's WSOP prep challenge.
The 2026 WSOP starts on May 26 and runs through August 5, when the Main Event champion will be crowned.
