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.
Raminder Singh is 18th in the world on the all-time number of cashes list. He has an incredible 92 first-place finishes and 64 major tournament wins, putting him fifth on the Most Tournament Wins list. Follow True Poker Amateur – The Raminator, aka Raminder Singh on X/Twitter.
You've won an incredible number of tournaments. How do you think players should prep for the WSOP grind?
Different players obviously have different goals at the WSOP, which is the true carnival of poker. But the WSOP happens in Vegas in the scorching heat in the middle of summer. Hence, players must do their best to be in a great physical and, more importantly, a great mental state of mind.
Finding good sleep and being able to rest up are keys to success. Many travel from the East Coast with three hours of jet lag, and it's hard to adapt to new conditions and beds in hotel or Airbnb rooms. Also, finding the right food and nutrition is key. Try avoiding lines for hours and mental fatigue by pre-planning for your tournament buy-ins as well as for your meals if you can.
If I have work stress or a family issue, I try to avoid playing in tournaments because no matter how hard I try, I am always distracted and cannot fully focus on poker. Hence, it’s always good to play and perform your best when there’s not a lot going on in the back of your mind. Losing the battle and winning the war applies; this is what I mean when I say it is okay to skip tourneys for a few days to tackle and handle other important issues and then fully focus on poker afterward.
I personally go to Vegas for a few days and face those challenges, especially with clients calling me at 5am Vegas time, which happens to be 8am EST business time.
But later on, it’s important to ensure the curtains are covering the windows properly and there’s a privacy sign outside the door to get some proper sleep before entering the key tourneys. On the days I can’t get proper sleep at WSOP, I play daily tourneys or some other single-day event at the Venetian, Wynn, The Orleans. As you can see on my Hendon Mob profile.
What is the biggest event you'll play this summer?
Let me start by telling you my favorite tourney first. The WSOP Main Event is my favorite tourney by far, for the obvious reasons that it’s the most prestigious one, a freezeout, and also has a tremendously good structure with two hours per level.
You can reg straight into Day 2 if you can’t play Day 1or prefer to go straight into Day 2 with a very playable stack still. Unfortunately, this year I won’t be playing in the Main because I will be traveling overseas with my wife and two kids to see my parents and to celebrate my 50th birthday with my family.
The biggest event for me this year might be playing in a couple of other bracelet events between $1,000-$1,500 buy-ins. For that reason, I’m really looking forward to it. Most of the time, due to my work commitments during the early part of the day, I am able to play mainly in the evening or single-day tourneys. But this year, hopefully, I will be able to play in a few proper WSOP bracelet events.
What's your favorite WSOP moment?
As mentioned above, I'm normally able to play many single-day events or WSOP daily events while I am in Vegas. Many times, my nephews (Team Singh – Harry, Japneet, Sandy, TP, Sarab) are able to join me there.
Playing with them in those smallish and fun events has been brilliant. As a matter of fact, I ended up winning one of those events in 2023 during a short trip to the WSOP with my nephews. That was so much fun with my family there.
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 WPT
