The 2026 World Series of Poker is less than 2 months away and the players who show up ready didn't start preparing with one week to go. Two months of prep time is a gift most players don't take advantage of. Here's exactly how to use it right.

We asked Team Fearless River to give us their best advice on how to prepare your poker game to stay in flow all summer in Las Vegas. We put one question to each of them:

❝ What advice would you give players when preparing for the WSOP based on the time before the start of their first event? ❞

We've assembled their answers along with FREE videos, strategies, and tips plus expert advice from Tony Dunst, Michael Gagliano, Eric Lynch, and Johan Schultz-Pedersen to make sure you are ready to crush starting hand 1. ⤵

➧ Tony Dunst:

❝ While it’s never a bad idea to form study habits, I think trying to change too much about your game or approach to poker 60 days before the summer is probably overkill. But if you’re someone who mostly plays and doesn’t study, I think it’s smart to use this time to start gradually building the habit of studying 30-60 minutes a day several times a week. Studying poker is kind of like working out, where nothing dramatic happens in one session but if you build it into your routine, you make consistent progress over a long period of time. ❞

➧ Michael "Gags30" Gagliano:

❝ Two months before playing in larger live events is the perfect time to work on your game and put in some study time. A lot of players wait until the final days before an event to study, but you really want to make sure you give yourself time to digest what you're learning and also take some time to practice your strategies so you're comfortable with them. If you're going to try anything new or make any larger changes to your game, this is the time to do so. ❞

➧ Eric "Rizen" Lynch:

❝ If you've identified the event(s) you want to play, then how you prepare will depend somewhat on the event types/structures that you want to play. If you're playing a huge field event that moves fast like the Colossus, you probably want to focus your time studying sub-30BB (or even 10BB-20BB) play, as the structure is fast and most of your critical decisions will be made with a smaller stack size. If you're playing something like a WSOP/WPT Main Event structure, you'd want to focus more on ~50BB play as the structures for those often have the average stack in the 40BB range throughout the tournament. So, identify the types of events you want to play and what sort of decisions will be most critical in that tournament format/structure and develop a study plan that focuses on those items. If you already feel strong at the key stack level of the event(s) you're targeting, move on to the next most important skill you would need for the event. Focus on the things that will come up most often first, (for example, preflop play if you need to work on that, then playing heads-up single raised pots, heads-up three bet pots, and so on), then focus on things that come up less frequently. ❞

➧ Johan Schultz-Pedersen:

❝ A month or two before the first event starts, I recommend playing a few online sessions to get back into the rhythm of playing. Online poker allows you to play many more hands in a short amount of time compared to live poker. ❞

Simple advice, but getting reps in before arriving in Vegas can make a significant difference in your comfort level at the table!

➧ What To Focus On Now:

If you’ve got at least 2 months to prepare your training should focus on strengthening fundamentals while plugging leaks. These Fearless River Strategy Episodes are a great place to start.

Let's start with one of the biggest leaks in poker. Many players approach preflop play without clear guidelines and often become too cautious or over aggressive in the wrong situations. First-In Hand Ranges give you a structured way to decide when to play and what to play, based on your stack size and seat position at the table.

In this Strategy Episode, you’ll get a detailed breakdown of which hands you should play from each seat position when raising first-in to the pot, so you’ll start hands with confidence instead of uncertainty.

Here are a few points from this video to remember...

Think in Hand Ranges:

• A range includes all hands a player may have in a given situation
• Avoid trying to put your opponent on a specific hand
• Position, action, and stack depth help determine ranges
• Analyzing hand ranges is best done away from the table

These charts will tell you what hands to play when you are the first person to put money into the pot at the poker table. They'll keep you on very solid, profitable ground and ensure that you aren't playing bad poker hands.

You'll develop muscle memory for preflop play by simply reviewing the charts and then putting them into practice at the table!

Quick Tips for Using the First-In Hand Range Charts:

• Use the Position Graphic to determine your position at the table and find the appropriate range chart for your seat. Tip: Count backwards from the Button to determine your position.
• Raise with all hands highlighted in PINK. Do not call the minimum bet amount - RAISE!
• Your raise sizing should be between 2.3 and 3 times the big blind amount depending on stack depth.
• Be consistent. If you raise a larger amount with a specific hand and smaller amounts with others, you will be easier to read at the table (IE don't raise to 600 with AA, but 400 with 99)

Remember, these charts are intended for use when you are the first person to put chips in the pot before the flop aside from the blinds (forced bets). If someone else has already voluntarily put chips in the pot before your turn to act, these charts do not apply.

➧ Go Deeper: Members-Only Strategy Episodes

With 60 days to work with you have time to go beyond the fundamentals. Members can log in and watch these anytime:

➥ Episode 305: First-In Hand Ranges (Watched Above)

Knowing when and how to defend properly is one of the most exploitable leaks in tournament play, and these two episodes will tighten that up fast.

➥ Episode 463: Big Blind Defense
➥ Episode 405: Button Defense

With 60 days to work with, strengthening your 3-bet strategy is an excellent use of study time. Most players at the WSOP are uncomfortable in 3-bet pots, and these episodes will make you dangerous in them.

➥ Episode 525: 3-Betting Strategy Part 1
➥ Episode 530: 3-Betting Strategy Part 2

Not a member yet? Join now for just $5 your 1st month and get instant access to all these episodes above plus 550+ strategy videos and downloadable tools. No contracts, cancel anytime.

➧ Staying in Flow With Team Fearless River

We’ve got the strategies to help you play better poker this summer no matter how much prep time you have before your 1st tournament. More FREE tips and strategies are on the way:

➥ Prep Time = 30 Days - Coming Next Week!
➥ Prep Time = 7 Days - Coming Soon
➥ Prep Time = 1 Day - Coming Soon

If you are a member of the Fearless River family and will be here in Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker, we want to cheer you on! Let us know what you are playing or share your success at the table. Tag us on social media or email [email protected] with your photos and updates from the felt.

X @_FearlessRiver | Facebook @fearlessriver | IG @fearlessriver

Good luck and good playing,
- Team Fearless River

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