Could ‘Rookie Events’ work in live poker?


A WSOP-C stop has an event for players with Hendon Mobs under $25k. Should this be the next big thing in live poker?

As I was perusing poker Twitter this morning I saw the legend KevMath bring an event to my attention. 

Looking at the schedule the WSOP-C stop in Hammond does indeed have an event for newbies. It’s a $200 buy-in tournament just for players with less than $25,000 in Hendon Mob earnings. Sadly no guarantee and no WSOP-C ring at the end of it, but a good idea anyway. 

We have Ladies events and I think the best reason for them is because it’s so rare that women get to spend time with other women in poker tournaments. We have Seniors events and they are similar, with the added benefit of them typically not being gruelling long days. A Rookie event makes perfect sense for similar reasons. 

A better way to start in live poker

poker
Technically the author of this article would qualify for this event

A new player in a WSOP-C event is going to be intimidated and most of the time outclassed. That is sadly the way it has to be, the only way to overcome that is to power through, learn, and hope a bit of good variance comes your way.

A Rookie event is a good idea because it will likely be a rare softer event for new players, so they are not being thrown to the wolves. It would also be an event where tournament staff can perhaps take a little longer to explain the rules and etiquette of live poker.

It also might just be more enjoyable for new players, no longer burdened by having to pretend they are more experienced than they are. 

It’s a shame the event doesn’t have a WSOP-C ring at the end of it. We have ‘Junior’ titles in other sports, so why not poker? Why not have a WSOP Rookies event with the bar being $50,000 in Hendon Mob earnings? Given how tough poker is, it makes sense to develop a ‘Minors’ before you get to the ‘Majors’. 

Beyond the obvious exploit of people legally changing their name to play in it, I see no downside to making this part of every major poker festival. I hope this is the start of it. 

Is a Rookie’s Event a good idea? Let us know in the comments:


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