The countdown to the 2024 World Series of Poker is on. Each day until the start of the series on May 28, we'll bring you tips and insider info from some of the biggest names in the game.
Barny Boatman is co-founder of The Hendon Mob website, has been cashing in tournaments since 1998, and got his biggest score earlier this year when he won the 2024 EPT Paris. Barny is also a PokerStars Ambassador.
How do you prep for the WSOP summer grind?
I've always wanted to get into the USA a good week before the WSOP and rest. I did it on one occasion, and I stayed with a very good friend who lives in Canada. The home was on a beautiful little island where he and his wife lived off the west coast of Canada. I spent a bit of time swimming and canoeing. It was great!
But usually, each year, it's never really like that. What happens in reality is that I get there the day before I play, or I give myself a one-day break. Then, I try to adjust my sleep patterns. That never works. Then, I try to clear the decks of other stuff that's going on in my life. That never happens. But once I'm there, I look for events that start early in the day for small buy-ins. I try to ease myself in.
Often, there are tournaments I'd love to play, but they start in the afternoon, and it's already midnight UK time for me. It's not so much how I prepare but how I dovetail myself once I'm there, which is so important. I've gotten better over the years.
I eat quite well at the WSOP, as I do most days now. I'll have a sort of hearty-ish kind of breakfast, some eggs, beans, toast, and a bit of avocado. I eat as close to when I start playing as possible. When you get the dinner break, I'll often have something like sushi, something relatively light. It's typically two meals a day, which is better than I usually do at home.
I also have very little alcohol during the trip. I have a nice beer when I get back to where we're staying, sit by the pool, and have a beer, but very little alcohol. There is a lot of tea early in the day, but not a lot of tea or coffee throughout the day.
I give myself every chance to sleep, be healthy, and not be too carved out at the WSOP. But I'm still old and knackered, really. I like to swim, but I don't go to the gym. I try to swim in the morning before breakfast. It's not a bad life, actually. It's quite a healthy life. If only I could sleep more, it would be perfect.
What event are you most looking forward to playing?
I always look forward to the Main Event more than any other tournament. It's something I've never missed since I started playing in 1999. The worst moment in poker is when you get knocked out and realize it will be another year before you can play it again. I’ll never get over the feeling of being like a kid at Christmas when the Main Event day comes around. One of the reasons I always play Day 1a is that I can't wait any longer.
I want to go deep enough in the Main Event that I can't play anything else. But the chances are there'll be one or two more things at the end of my trip.
What's the biggest event you're going to play?
The event I'm most looking forward to playing this year is the $25K PLO. That is, if my schedule works out. That's been going on for a few years now. Every year, I promise myself I'll jump in and play that tournament if it's going well enough because it looks like a really good event.
I still didn't think it was justified to put $25K into an event where it could easily all go in one hand. I've always been disciplined about that and not allowed myself the treat of playing it. But this year, I will give myself that treat because I've just had this huge win.
Check out the full schedule for the 2024 WSOP and plan which events you're going to target this summer. If you're looking at the lower end of the buy-ins, check out The Rec's guide to the WSOP. If you're looking for action with a bigger budget, follow what Jennifer Tilly is doing.
Images courtesy of PokerStars
