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.
Alex Fitzgerald is one of the most sought-after small to mid-stakes cash game and tournament coaches in the game. He has written five best-selling poker strategy books, including the most recent title, Improve Your Poker Now! A Guide For Serious Amateurs, available at D+B Publishing.
'Don't debut new material at Carnegie Hall'
What are you looking forward to most at the WSOP?
Vegas is one of my favorite cities on earth. I love playing in big tournaments. I love playing the Main Event. I enjoy getting to focus on my craft for a few days. Typically, I have lessons, emails, the gym, and so much going on every day. It's great to have a good reason just to play cards for a whole day.
Are you doing the full summer?
I spent six weeks at the series a few years back and realized I just can't do that anymore. I have too many commitments off the felt. I'm probably going to be there for a couple of weeks.
What do you recommend people do to prep before the series?
I'll give you what I do to prep — it's a little eccentric. First of all, when it comes to exercise, I typically love lifting heavy. But during that time, I stop lifting as heavy and start repping it out. I also start doing a little more cardio because endurance becomes more of an issue. It just gets harder as you get older. I recommend eating as much real food as possible and not as much sugar and junk. The grains slow you down; be careful with them. Eat some eggs before you play, eat some tomato slices, you know, basic stuff. Don't get hungover, don't eat 20 pancakes at IHOP, just the fundamentals.
Strategy-wise, don't debut new material at Carnegie Hall. Have your plan down. Know the most important thing to consider in every scenario, and do not try anything new. Just focus on what you're good at and apply it relentlessly.
Any advice for the mental side of the grind?
You’ve got to know how much money you're willing to lose. When you buy into these tournaments, know how many bullets you’ve got. Be prepared to use them because the only way you win these tournaments now is if you're really willing to pressure other people. Also, ask yourself if a min-cash means anything to you. Ask yourself whether an eighth-place finish means anything to you. Make those decisions before you play.
If you realize eighth place or minimum cash will not change your life, you have an asset that the pros don't have. The pros play so much that they have to acquire as many min-cashes as possible because if they neglect them, that will add up significantly on their bottom line by the end of the year. You don't have that problem. Do what you set out to do. And if you go through those bullets, be content with it and be done with it. Don't do another one. Stick to your guns. Stick to what you decided at the beginning.
'Let's start telling people to hurry up'
Who would you swap 5% with?
Faraz Jaka. I don't know if he'd do that. I don't think he should, but that would work out best for me.
What positive change would you like to see at the WSOP?
Let's start politely telling people to hurry up a little bit more. Let's encourage that just a bit more because there are a few people that need to hear it.
You’ve written two best-selling poker strategy books in the past year. Share some advice for players looking to go deep in huge field events.
One of the plays I like to utilize the most is what I call the 3-4 hour syndrome. After playing three or four hours, people start getting attached to the game because they don't want to tell their spouse, “I was in the card room all day, and I didn't make any money.” People want to cash. So once they've played for three or four hours, they will hold onto their chips a bit more preciously.
That's when you really can run some of the big bluffs. If somebody caps their range, if somebody just calls out of the big blind with 70% of the deck and then check-calls you on a board with a flush on there, and they would have check-raised a set or a two-pair, take a look at their stack. If it's 50, 60, or 70 big blinds, and you think they have primarily mediocre pairs, start setting up some triple barrels if the turn and river are bad for those mediocre pairs. And you know what? If you bust, there's another tournament tomorrow.
But I guarantee you, many people who have been looking forward to their WSOP event for a whole year and are sitting there holding third pair will not want to call you. And if you're not going to bluff when they have fourth, third, or second pair, when will you bluff? I would ask yourself that before you play.
What do you still love about the game?
I love that I get to be a criminal profiler every day on the job. I get to look at people and make my best guess as to their true human nature within 15 minutes. And I get real quick feedback on whether I'm right or not. You can give yourself a lot of titles in this life. You can buy yourself a lot of degrees. You can kiss a lot of asses, and you can get a lot of jobs you don't deserve. But you're either right or wrong when you call a man on the river based on your read. There is nothing in between. Those are the moments I still love.
For more from Alex Fitzgerald, follow him on X and Instagram, and check out www.pokerheadrush.com where you can subscribe to his free daily strategy newsletter.
The 2025 WSOP starts on May 26 and runs through until July 16, when the Main Event champion will be crowned.
