How does one go from playing online at home to WSOP?

Just wondering... Im 22, just graduated from college, and have been playing poker for 7-8 years now with my friends and for free online, but recently started playing on partypoker with the 20$ bonus I got using a code from cardschat. When I play with my friends and online I usually do SNGs not so much ring games. I REALLy enjoy the competitive aspect of poker especially like at the wsop. Ring games are just not as exciting to me because its more about the grind and making those +EV's. I read books and retro-analyze my plays as well as watch professional players for practice. I am really inspired to one day play at the WSOP or any other big tournament but I have no idea how to go about starting. So my question is.. where do I start? how do I qualify for such an event? And what are some ways one can bypass the 10k or so buy-in? or do I have to make it playing online? How about playing at casinos? Do they offer SNGs? or are they mostly ring games?

If you guys can clear these things up for me I will be super grateful!

Bovada poker offers WSOP packages, you have to win and they will send you to vegas with 2000 cash and a WSOP ticket, its just to expensive for me to try and qualify, they have steps though if your good enough.

You really shouldn't think about going from playing small tournaments online to playing the WSOP Main Event.

I have been playing live tournament series for about 4-5 years - playing 3-5 times a year including every summer during the WSOP. At this poing I consider myself a pretty experienced live tournamanent player - and I have still not played the $10k Main Event.

I don't know where you live or how close you are to live tournaments venues - but you should start off playing tournaments in the $100-200 range and move up as you can afford it and you get some decent wins under your belt. If you turn out to be good enough you could post packages in the staking forum and sell 40-70% of yourself so that you can player some higher events.

But unless you can satellite in to the Main Event very cheap (that is very difficult to do) or you have a filthy rich relative to put you in it -I wouldn't even think about the Main Event for a very long time.

Interesting... I just played my first freeroll tournament online at partypoker and finished 1st! out of 120. I know it doenst mean anything but I just have this drive to do tournaments now. Im definitely going to look into live tournaments near me. And Bovada ha? Ill definitely look into that! Thanks for the feedback guys !

paramount to play a big tournament like the wsop .. is to have money, and it would be more advisable to play online trying to put together a good bankroll for depues out to play live with that money. luck

You work your way up, like Dakota is saying, BUT somewhere along the way you really need to get experience playing large fields. Preferably live, but more easy to find online (FREE ROLLS DO NOT COUNT).

Don't know where you live, but definitely get to the casino for some live tourney action. Maybe you can find a mentor like I did.

There are several poker tours, including WSOP, so search the net for tournament tours coming near you to play in.

But your number one consideration is BANKROLL, BANKROLL, BANKROLL. Learn it, love it, live it.

Lots of poker rooms offer WSOP packages. I remember last year Microgaming had a lot of these packages to win, starting from freerolls. I wouldn't reccomend trying to win the WSOP package if you are not experienced though, cause the skill level of players just sky-rockets up.

why not keep dreaming??
Few other people made it that way, and why not you to?

I am thinking if you good enough, and with some lady luck, you could do it, may be in the next one.
Try to find one of those big poker sites and win some cheap seats, it's pretty much long shot but ....
Anyway, I wish you good luck and may be we see each other on the next wsop main event

It really depends: do you want to just play in the WSOP, or do well in it?

If the goal is just to play, then all you need is money. You can try to win a satellite tournament (either live or online) to potentially reduce the price a bit.

If you want to do well in the WSOP though... well that requires practice practice practice, a lot of learning and more than a little bit of luck. Just keep playing, keep asking questions and trying to improve your game, build your bankroll, and there's no reason you won't get there one day.

To get use to live poker tournaments, try to visit some casino's near by. Usually you can find a tournament and a smaller buy-in. Just to get use to the aspect of playing live poker, once you get comfortable playing those I would try to qualify threw a satellite, or just buy in to about 1k tourney