D
Dantigua
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Hi Guys,
I recently posted asking if anyone was attending the WPT Bootcamp at Foxwoods and some of you replied asking that I post about my experience.
Well it has now been almost 2 weeks since I attended the course.
We covered mainly the basics:
starting hands
position
betting
post flop play
pot odds/card odds
tells
tournaments: early, mid, late stages; online
Although this seems pointless to many, myself included because I am not a beginner, the discussion and demonstration of these topics was useful and solidified what I already knew and helped me tighten areas where I was making mistakes... namely hands in relation to position.
There was a mixed reaction from my fellow students, some felt it was not teaching them anything, one guy had attended after completing the cash camp, so you can take from that what you will.
The instructors were good particularly Nick Brancato and Rick fuller. Nick is highly mathematical and relies 95% on the statistics, he is also a predominantly online player having only recently really branched out into the live poker world. Rick is a much loser player and whilst teaching ABC, TAG poker, his playing style is not close to that at all. TJ Cloutier was our star instructor and I feel that I learned very little from him. He was late every day, he was not well briefed and did not spend much time on breaks with the students. If you wanted to learn abbout the "old days" of poker... then TJ was the perfect instructor. Our 4th instructor was Bernard Lee, he placed 13th in the wsop of '05 and was the local professional. His stuff was pretty good and he is an enthusiastic lecturer.
There was a lot of contradiction in what each of the pros said, mainly as they were speaking from their own experiences and playing styles, so its important to identify with an instructor and take from him/her the more anecdotal information.
The bonus was the extra labs on Monday. Ok... this was at an extra cost, however 7 of us spent the day with Nick and Rick playing out hands and discussing the betting, the position and reasoning why certain things are done. We covred pot odds particularly well here.
All in all... the Monday labs made it for me. that was where I learned the most. In terms of post camp success? Well I haven't won any 100k guaranteed tourneys yet... but I am reaching further. I have noticed an improvement in my SnG game. Incidentally. I won an SnG at Foxwoods the first night of the camp, using a lot of what had been taught the first day.
I am attending the cash camp in Vegas next week.... this has worked out well since Nick and Rick are two of the instructors again. I will now have the opportunity to follow up and ask questions.
If you're considering it... I personally think its worth it provided that you take exactly what is taught. I was amazed to see people playing in tournaments and sngs after the class resorting straight back to their old habits of playing A9 from an early position etc.
My final feelings? I am not disappointed with the course, I don't feel it was a waste... but I didn't leave with the expectations that I was hoping for. Perhaps more reading might have served the same purpose.. but you don't have the opportunity to discuss with the authors.
Hope that helps, I can maybe answer specific questions provided it doesn't go into specific teaching... you will need to pay your own $1800 to find out those answers!!
I recently posted asking if anyone was attending the WPT Bootcamp at Foxwoods and some of you replied asking that I post about my experience.
Well it has now been almost 2 weeks since I attended the course.
We covered mainly the basics:
starting hands
position
betting
post flop play
pot odds/card odds
tells
tournaments: early, mid, late stages; online
Although this seems pointless to many, myself included because I am not a beginner, the discussion and demonstration of these topics was useful and solidified what I already knew and helped me tighten areas where I was making mistakes... namely hands in relation to position.
There was a mixed reaction from my fellow students, some felt it was not teaching them anything, one guy had attended after completing the cash camp, so you can take from that what you will.
The instructors were good particularly Nick Brancato and Rick fuller. Nick is highly mathematical and relies 95% on the statistics, he is also a predominantly online player having only recently really branched out into the live poker world. Rick is a much loser player and whilst teaching ABC, TAG poker, his playing style is not close to that at all. TJ Cloutier was our star instructor and I feel that I learned very little from him. He was late every day, he was not well briefed and did not spend much time on breaks with the students. If you wanted to learn abbout the "old days" of poker... then TJ was the perfect instructor. Our 4th instructor was Bernard Lee, he placed 13th in the wsop of '05 and was the local professional. His stuff was pretty good and he is an enthusiastic lecturer.
There was a lot of contradiction in what each of the pros said, mainly as they were speaking from their own experiences and playing styles, so its important to identify with an instructor and take from him/her the more anecdotal information.
The bonus was the extra labs on Monday. Ok... this was at an extra cost, however 7 of us spent the day with Nick and Rick playing out hands and discussing the betting, the position and reasoning why certain things are done. We covred pot odds particularly well here.
All in all... the Monday labs made it for me. that was where I learned the most. In terms of post camp success? Well I haven't won any 100k guaranteed tourneys yet... but I am reaching further. I have noticed an improvement in my SnG game. Incidentally. I won an SnG at Foxwoods the first night of the camp, using a lot of what had been taught the first day.
I am attending the cash camp in Vegas next week.... this has worked out well since Nick and Rick are two of the instructors again. I will now have the opportunity to follow up and ask questions.
If you're considering it... I personally think its worth it provided that you take exactly what is taught. I was amazed to see people playing in tournaments and sngs after the class resorting straight back to their old habits of playing A9 from an early position etc.
My final feelings? I am not disappointed with the course, I don't feel it was a waste... but I didn't leave with the expectations that I was hoping for. Perhaps more reading might have served the same purpose.. but you don't have the opportunity to discuss with the authors.
Hope that helps, I can maybe answer specific questions provided it doesn't go into specific teaching... you will need to pay your own $1800 to find out those answers!!
