I won a '25 ME seat via the POKERGO Sweepstakes:
I came home from work a few weeks ago and saw this email in my inbox:
Spoiler
On behalf of PokerGO, I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected to receive entry to play in the 2025 WSOP Main Event, currently expected to be in July 2025, at the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of the PokerGO Shop WSOP 2025 Main Event Seat Giveaway. The prize package also includes an assortment of PokerGO merchandise (retail value of approx. $500), and [$1,500 provided in cash (or cash equivalent) to cover travel and lodging expenses, which would be provided after the first hand is played at the 2025 WSOP Main Event.]
Please reply to this email within the next 72 hours to confirm your desire to accept the prize and your eligibility to win (e.g., that you are at least 21 years old and reside in the US). After we have received your confirmation, we will also need to collect a declaration of eligibility and information for tax reporting purposes (these forms will be provided to you after we receive your confirmation). It’s important that you contact me within the next 72 hours, as we will need to disqualify you and move on to an alternate winner if we haven’t heard from you.
I understand that in today’s world with scams and phishing emails happening all the time, you may be hesitant to respond. I can also understand how this email might look like a scam. Hopefully you’re familiar with the WSOP Main Event and you’ve seen that PokerGO has been promoting this giveaway, and you can get some comfort from the fact that this email is coming from my PokerGO email address. If you’re looking for even more confirmation that this email is legitimate, we could have you call the official PokerGO customer support line (Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CT, holidays excepted) which is listed in the Terms and Conditions posted on the PokerGO.com website at: https://www.pokergo.com/terms-and-condit..., and provide some verification that way. If you’re going to do that, let me know so I can connect with our customer support team and let them know you’ll be calling.
Bottom line, we want you to get comfortable that this is a “real” prize and that you “really” won it, because it’s an amazing prize. More info regarding the WSOP can be found at: https://www.wsop.com/, and the official rules for the giveaway can be found at: https://wsop-main-event-seat.pokergo.com....
Congratulations again
I legitimately entered a few weeks earlier on the behest of my son who wanted to watch the ME live streams... I spoke to one of their booth commentators and just sent in my W9 to PokerGO so it is legit.
I consider myself a micro cash game hobbyist because I have a life. I admittedly survive on rakeback. I'm aware of all the tools, books and coaching sites but for the most part have stayed away from them (I loved cardrunners and was a huge fan of TIMEX, Apestyles and Janda back in the day)...
I posted in my longtime home cash forums in the LCNC threads and got some good advice as to how to prep (GTO Wiz, Faraz Jaka, Pads). But TBH I don't know if I want to drop a ton of bread into all this fancy software and elite coaching... I am tempted to approach this next year by simply playing tourneys while my kids are at Sunday School and spending the week studying the spots with the tools I already have: PT4, Flopzilla,referencing the free GTO WIZ preflop charts (especially since short stacked mid and late stages tends to be a preflop game anyway), and of course relying on the invaluable 2p2 wisdom here.
That said, I am curious... given my background... how would you proceed?
♡♤◇♧nss
4 Replies
I think a few months sub to GTOwiz pro edition is mandatory so you can take the full beginner crash course and practice tons of hands in chipev and ICM sim against the trainer. I would try to study vs. Trainer for at least a few hours a week and try to implement some of what you've learned in the local tournament. Once you consistently score 85% or higher vs the trainer and have mastered the common pre flop and post flop spots then you can just coast or keep studying depending on how motivated you are and how much time you have on your hands.
I think a few months sub to GTOwiz pro edition is mandatory so you can take the full beginner crash course and practice tons of hands in chipev and ICM sim against the trainer. I would try to study vs. Trainer for at least a few hours a week and try to implement some of what you've learned in the local tournament. Once you consistently score 85% or higher vs the trainer and have mastered the common pre flop and post flop spots then you can just coast or keep studying depending on how motivated y
That’s probably good advice, but let’s be honest here. OP, you are not likely to go from essentially beginner level at tournament poker to being able to seriously compete with the top tourney pros in the time between now and your ME. The best you can hope for is to learn a decent fundamental tourney game and hope to not embarrass yourself. Maybe you can get lucky and make a bit of a run - that can happen to anyone. But it’s going to take a good bit of luck for you to go from where you are now to even cashing in the ME.
If it were me I’d just brush up on basics as much as I had time for, hope to get lucky, and just enjoy the experience. Good luck to you!
I think a few months sub to GTOwiz pro edition is mandatory so you can take the full beginner crash course and practice tons of hands in chipev and ICM sim against the trainer. I would try to study vs. Trainer for at least a few hours a week and try to implement some of what you've learned in the local tournament. Once you consistently score 85% or higher vs the trainer and have mastered the common pre flop and post flop spots then you can just coast or keep studying depending on how motivated y
Thank you for this reply ... I appreciate it. My current plan is to squeeze every last out of the free GTO WIZ pre charts and input them into FLopzilla - then use my flopzilla skills to practice my post flop analysis knowledge - and at that point I think I will sub a month or two just to "fact check" my analysis from Flopzilla.
do you think the gto icm tool is better than holdem sources andor icimizer?
That’s probably good advice, but let’s be honest here. OP, you are not likely to go from essentially beginner level at tournament poker to being able to seriously compete with the top tourney pros in the time between now and your ME. The best you can hope for is to learn a decent fundamental tourney game and hope to not embarrass yourself. Maybe you can get lucky and make a bit of a run - that can happen to anyone. But it’s going to take a good bit of luck for you to go from wh
Yes! This is where I am at essentially. I'm a winning micro cash grinder, and I used to play a fair amount of tournaments before my kids were born and have been to the WSOP - over ten years ago at the RIO - but just looking at the play and commentary on PokerGO - and the pf charts <20bb on GTOW the game has really changed A LOT from a ChipEV perspective; I assume ICM is probably the same.
ty again everyone...
