I recently asked on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook if they would rather have free WSOP Main Event buy-ins for the next 20 years or play heads-up against a world-class heads-up player for $500,000. Here is my answer:
11 thoughts on “Would you rather have free WSOP buy-ins for the next 20 years or play heads-up for $500,000”
Comments are closed.
Heads Up
I recently heard Alex Fitzgerald say that a world class player in HU is A 55/45 favourite, which means on average I will 225,000. Also, given my age, I may not be around in 20 years. Even if I were a lot younger, there is no guarantee I´d still be playing poker in the future.
I’ll take the heads up for sure. I could get lucky and play someone who’s heads up game is not sound like Hellmuth and have way more than 200,000 dollars equity (the equity of the buy-ins), but the main event field is soft, so the real money equities are probably really close, but inflation makes it an easy choice, 10k in 20 years is nowhere near the value of 10k now. I am a pro though, maybe an amature should play main events and have a chance to improve over time as much as they wanted basically.
Not included is that it is only an assumption that the WSOP ME is going to be 10K for the next 20 years. Possible, but imo not that likely.
…or the assumptions that the WSOP ends or you won’t be able to make it for various reasons.
buy ins for 20 years.. it will give me time to work on my game, improve and win and have fun doing it.
The 20 years also provides an opportunity and incentive to get better and grow and thereby improve your expectation. The heads up is one and done.
buy ins for 20 years. Win just one ME and you are way ahead of the heads-up option. And you get to play the ME every year.
Interesting article Jonathan. Take a look at “Prospect Theory” which is a behavioural economics work by Dan Kahnemann and Amos Tversky (Nobel winners).
It describes how people approach money decisions based on their different starting points. I think you are right – more than half of people would go for the 20xWSOP the way this one is framed
Would take the 20 buy ins in WSOP. If you good enough to beat one of the best in HU, you will surely cash at least 2 or 3 times in WSOP, which would be worth more. Also you could even win it or reach final table which is significantly more cash. WSOP seats over 20 years is worth $200k as time value for money cannot be factored in, because you are buying the same thing in 15-20 as you can today for $10k. Main event may cost $25k in 10 years… but that will be worth the same as $10k because it buys you the same thing..
An entry ticket to the WSOP main event
i would take the 20 year buy in. 20 chances to get into good money verses one chance at money.