How to hunt like a Baby Shark at this summer's WSOP

Christina 'Baby Shark' Gollins isn’t overcomplicating her WSOP prep.

The first step in the comprehensive plan she shares with PokerOrg is to dial up the volume after some time away from the game.

To sharpen her poker instincts, she’s ramped up her recent playing schedule to three to four days a week in preparation for heading into the Vegas summer grind. 

To cut to the chase to what Gollins is cramming in her backpack this summer, click the video above.

Warning: It gets a little weird.

Sleep is a non-negotiable

Christina has already begun to adjust her sleep cycle to match the brutal WSOP 12-14 hour daily demands. She’s been slowly shifting toward later nights as of late and later mornings to avoid burnout during the day ones of each event.

“I'm trying to sleep at midnight and wake up at around 9am,” says Gollins. “I’m doing my best to get nine hours of sleep at least, But I am such a grandma that I usually go to sleep at 10pm. I have to make a shift. That way I'm not busting out early on day ones because I just want to go to bed. I'm also trying to eat super healthy and workout a ton.”

Christina Gollins plans to have her body and mind prepared for the long days at the WSOP this summer.

Omar Sader

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Let’s get physical

To further lock in on the pursuit of a gold bracelet, Gollins plans to take two weeks off from playing right before the WSOP to ramp up her ongoing daily fitness regimen. The goal: build the stamina needed to handle 12–14 hour days, over the full six weeks of events.

Away from the tables, Gollins also remains dedicated (per usual) to a consistent practice of clean eating and, more importantly, recovery time. 

It’s all in your head

After some time away from her mindset practices, daily meditation will be a key part of Gollins planned routine to prep for the series. 

She also believes in building her confidence through the use of imagination and targeted visualization to mentally rehearse and expect success this summer.

“I'm really trying to focus on mindset right now. I use Michael Jordan as my inspiration. He believed that your mental practice is just as important as your physical practice. You must imagine and visualize success. That is a very important part of my preparation for the summer.”

I use Michael Jordan as my inspiration. You must imagine and visualize success.

 

Keep it simple

Christina’s overall WSOP strategy is fairly straight forward: build endurance, lock in a strong mindset, arrive fresh each morning, avoid burnout, and be prepared for whatever the upcoming WSOP summer throws her way. 

In contrast to PokerOrg’s recent WSOP prep advice from Nicholas 'Dirty Diaper' Rigby, Gollins takes a different approach to what makes the cut in her backpack.

Hit play at the top of the page to see what she’s actually packing; it's probably not what you’d expect.

 Follow Christina Gollins on X and on Instagram.