WSOP Academy announces cash-game seminars

Tournament play may bring instant fame and a large dump of cash all at once, but most players earn their living playing cash games.

Just look at Doyle Brunson, for instance. The poker legend is known for his stints in Bobby's Room at the Bellagio.

He said in a recent blog post, "I still play poker because it energizes me and keeps me thinking young. I like playing real poker for real money and tournament poker for me is a second choice."

With that in mind, the World Series of Poker Academy is shifting gears a bit in the New Year and offering interested players some camps focused on cash-game play rather than tournament strategies.

"The WSOP Academy has successfully helped players make it to the final table and win bracelets by teaching tournament strategy, but to become an overall winning poker player you must also become a consistent cash game player," said Brandon Rosen of Post Oak Productions, which produces the WSOP Academy.

"Your cash game skills and results will likely determine your success and more importantly, your longevity as a poker player. With this in mind, we created the Cash Game Academy."

The first Cash Game Academy will take place at Harrah's Atlantic City Jan. 24-25. The second academy will take place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas Feb. 7-8.

The Harrah's Atlantic City camp will feature instruction from poker pros such as Mark Seif, Paul Wasicka and Alex Outhred. Seif and Outhred will return for the second camp in Las Vegas and be joined by Michael Gracz.

"Our pro instructors have a proven track record of being winning cash game players. They know that a successful poker career is determined by your 'staying power' and your ability to win at the cash game tables," Rosen said.

"Now, much like they have done for our Tournament Academies, the WSOP Academy instructors will impart their knowledge and expertise for cash games."

The academies will provide two days of intensive poker school dedicated to No-Limit Hold'em cash-game play.

The academies include in-depth seminars, live-play workshops, video analysis and cash-game competition. The camps are designed for all skill levels, be they beginner, intermediate or advanced.

The new Cash Game Academy features all-new materials and teaching methods different from the WSOP Academy events from the past. Some of the topics to be covered include:

• Transitioning from tournament play to cash-game play
• Development of reading ability and putting opponents on hand ranges
• Bankroll management
• Sophisticated plays and strategies specific to cash-game play

Each event will also offer video analysis of cash-game play, with the instructors dissecting hands and situations and discussing alternative lines of play. A key component of the academies will be a cash-game competition on the second day of the camp.

The cash-game competition will pit the academy participants against each other to determine who made the correct decisions and managed their bankroll the best during a simulated cash game. The winner will get an all-expense-paid trip to Caesars Palace Las Vegas for the WSOP Academy Tournament of Champions just prior to the start of the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event.

The Cash Game Academies will cost $1,899, with a payment of $499.75 required to secure a spot. The additional tuition payment will be billed each month for the three following months.

Space is limited for the WSOP Academy events and both of the Cash Game Academies are expected to sell out in advance.

For more information about the academies, visit WSOPAcademy.com.

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