The countdown to the 2025 WSOP starts here. 100 bracelets. All the poker players. And PokerOrg will be on the floor from start to finish.
Matt Salsberg is a former WPT Player of the Year and a regular on the poker circuit. He took down the WSOP-C Main Event at Commerce Casino last fall for $286,134.
What are you most looking forward to this summer?
The WSOP Main Event is always the one you look forward to the most unless you're deranged or too rich. It's not just the WSOP, though. There’s a slew of seniors events in the first three weeks, starting with the Wynn $1,600 and $10,000, then the Venetian. And finally, the WSOP has $5,000 and $1,000 seniors events. I like those because they’re obviously better value — and the seniors play much faster than the tanking kids.
I hope to play a full schedule this summer. There are amazing tournaments running for seven straight weeks, so hopefully, I don’t burn out or have any issues.
You won a WSOP Circuit event in November. Are you playing in the upcoming WSOP-C event at Commerce in May?
That was a wild win and a fun ending to a good year, but given a few years of battling stressful health issues, it felt like a dream. I look forward to seeing if I can go deep again in the spring WSOP circuit. I ran very well to win in November.
How do you feel about the Tournament of Champions being in LA and not in Vegas again this year?
I’m one of the few who probably is happy about the TOC being in LA. I’ve never played it before.
What will be the big story at the WSOP this year?
I think an old legend who hasn’t been around for a while will show up and win a big event. Maybe a Carlos Mortensen or Hasan Habib. Failing that, it will be when I final table the Main Event and get one-outed with three left.
Christina Gollins is not a fan of the food situation at the WSOP. What do you make of it?
I agree with Christina. One key to preparing for success is to figure out what works for you, whether it’s bringing your own snacks or skipping dinners and taking walks. WSOP could help by letting you pre-order something within a 15-20 minute walk. Otherwise, you’re relegated to unhealthy or expensive options like Nobu, which is pretty good but not easy to hit on dinner breaks. My go-to quick spot is Sbarro in the food court at the Horseshoe — a chicken caesar is acceptable enough. Bring your own avocado, and you’ve got a reasonably healthy meal.
What's the one change you'd like to see the WSOP make?
I heard they took out the King’s Lounge from the Paris room. If they can get more tables in there, it would help because the Horseshoe room is shitty compared to Paris. The smoke outside that room and the stampedes on breaks are hazardous and unbearable.
You've been a successful live MTT player for many years. What's your secret to longevity?
I’m just a sicko. I missed the game when I didn’t play for three years. It's just part of who I am. I still love playing poker because you just get better with experience. Your results don’t always reveal that, but I definitely make significantly fewer mistakes now than I did 10-15 years ago.
Do you think Hellmuth will play the Main Event?
He does have a point. But I bet he shows up, not as a stunt, but because the FOMO will be too much to resist.
The 2025 WSOP starts on May 26 and runs through until July 16, when the Main Event champion will be crowned.
