The countdown to the 2025 WSOP is on. 100 bracelets. All the poker players. And PokerOrg will be on the floor from start to finish.
Chance Kornuth has always been a player to watch but looking back at the first two weeks of the 2023 and 2024 World Series Of Poker, he was nothing short of phenomenal.
Two years ago, Kornuth banked over $2,000,000 during the first two weeks of the 2023 WSOP with deep runs in the $100K and $250K events.
Last year, the first two weeks of the series brought him a hair’s breadth from a fifth bracelet, finishing second in the $50K NLH 8-max and then capturing fourth in the $100K NLH days later. And once again, cashing for over $2,000,000 during the first few weeks of the grind.
PokerOrg caught up with Kornuth to pick his brain about how he preps for the WSOP and to get a sneak peek at the special three-day online event his training company, Chip Leader Coaching, has planned on May 2.
What kind of prep are you doing this year to prepare for the grind at the WSOP?
This year is significantly more physical regarding preparing for the WSOP, such as workouts, mindfulness, meditation, and other things.
I’m also spending as much time with the family as I can. It’s one of my big priorities since my wife and daughter are going to China for three weeks at the beginning of the series.
What kind of prep do you do to fine-tune your game during these few months?
Most of my study prep is inside our training site, Chip Leader Coaching. It's a busy time for poker coaching products as players prepare for the WSOP.
Alex Foxen, Kristen Foxen, and I are preparing for a Bracelet Hunter Bootcamp launching May 2. That's obviously a lot of work. We will share more about that with PokerOrg soon.
Teaching is always one of the best ways to learn.
Yes. Whenever we're creating poker content for students to ingest and learn, it is a great reminder. Because oftentimes, they'll say something beneficial to me and my game, and vice versa.
I prepare for the game's physical and mental aspects by doing other work.
Can you give us a rundown of your schedule this past week?
I was successful for the entire week with my 5am wake-up goal. I worked out for four days, then returned home daily for breakfast and family time before my daughter went to school.
On rest days, I still wake up at that time, go for a walk, and then read some business-y books.
Can you share your meditation practice? Perhaps many players can benefit from how you approach that time.
When I first got into meditation, I had a specific morning practice with a meditation bench and pillow. I would like to sit and do breathwork and stuff like that.
Nowadays, it's just trying to be as present as possible. With so much social media out there, it's easy to get distracted and open X or Instagram when I'm with my family.
Do you spend much time on your social channels?
I do my best not to. It’s easy to lose focus and have your attention pulled to other stuff, and then it's harder to focus on what's important.
The Eastern term would be mindfulness, and the Western term is the power of now. A book came out some years ago by Eckhart Tolle on the subject, The Power of Now, that I read.
The stronger that muscle gets, the more focused you can be. I will try to strengthen it more before the WSOP.
Lately, Alex and Kristen Foxen have been kicking ass at PokerGO events. Do you get any FOMO from watching your friends run deep and win tournaments?
Yeah, I've had a lot of FOMO this time around. I don't always, but this time I did.
Kristen’s game has really grown in the past few years, and she’s so exciting to watch. What do you think has been one of the primary keys to her success?
I think that one of the essential things for any poker player that Kristen specifically does incredibly well, is a great understanding of how others perceive her.
That allows her to get bluffs through if people think she's tight and get paid if people think she's too loose. One of the biggest steps we try to teach all our students is understanding how people perceive you, which is imperative to any player’s success.
You’ve shared some poker wisdom tidbits for the past year on X. They’ve gotten great feedback. Do you enjoy working on those?
Honestly, I enjoy seeing the replies. Many people message me regarding how much it helps them, and growing my following is also one of my goals.
Why do you think you’ve been crushing at the beginning of the WSOP?
It would be incredibly egotistical of me to say it wasn't very fortunate, right? It doesn't matter how good you play and how good the reads you have on your opponents are, cashing seven figures in the first two weeks of any WSOP will always be a lot of good fortune.
What’s your favorite event?
It’s definitely the Main Event; I feel like that's kind of a cop-out as an answer. But this year, there’s a new unique tournament: the $25K half PLO and half NLH. I saw that on the schedule and am excited to play it.
Who would you pick to swap 5% at the series?
Alex Foxen is the only person I swap with. We swap about 5% on everything.
Alex is finally paying me out on swaps for the first time in years [laughs]. So I love to see it. I much prefer paying him out in swaps; I'm not going to lie. But you know, it's been nice to get a little rake back the last four or five months.
What would be one suggestion you would offer the powers that be at the WSOP that needs to be changed this year?
They need to ban phones on the table’s rail. With the advances in technology (micro cameras) and the increase in buy-ins, the incentive and ease of doing something shady is increasing.
It’s one of the simplest things that Triton does, and the WSOP does not. You're not allowed to have your phone on the rail in their events.
That's just such a no-brainer and an easy fix for the WSOP. And frankly, I think it's just lazy that they haven't already done it.
Phil Hellmuth told PokerOrg he won’t be playing the Main Event. What’s your take on his stance regarding the long event and brutal hours?
I actually have a lot of insight into that question. I recently recorded a YouTube podcast with Hellmuth but haven't posted it yet.
In the podcast, he dives deep into the why. Honestly, it's a battle of attrition, and I get it. The 12-hour days and the physical and mental fortitude it requires are grueling for anyone, especially as you get older.
His logic is that the Main is not a testament to who the best player is because it takes so long. It's more of a testament to stamina. I think that’s pretty viable.
I always try to take a day or two off before the Main Event to prepare for the grueling grind. And yeah, I see his logic, but I also don't see a way for WSOP to solve it.
Sign up today for the Chip Leader Coaching online 3-Day Bracelet Hunter Bootcamp beginning May 2 with Chance Kornuth, Alex Foxen and Kristen Foxen. Stay tuned to PokerOrg for more info coming soon.
You can follow Chance on X and IG. Follow Chip Leader Coaching on X.
Additional images courtesy of Drew Amato/PokerGO.
