One of the most popular ways for poker players to improve their skills is through the variety of “poker camps” that are available. Many times, however, these courses can be priced out of a player’s bank account, leading many to bypass the training camps. One of the venerable institutions of the “poker camp” community is looking to alleviate that cost for players who want to take its courses.
The World Poker Tour Boot Camp, established in 2005 and featuring some of the best minds in the game, is now offering payment plans for players who wish to take part in their tournament or cash game courses. “There was a great demand from prospective students who wanted to participate in the WPT Boot Camp,” Jason Bauer, the director of sales for the WPT Boot Camp, stated in an exclusive interview with Poker News Daily. “We have many students who are really working on their games and need a way to get to that next level. Unfortunately, for many of them, their bankroll doesn’t allow them to put down all $1895 up front to take a Boot Camp. We have long been receiving requests from prospective students for ways to make Boot Camp more affordable for them, and I think this new plan really fills that need.”
The new payment plan is fairly simple. By putting down a $495 payment, players can participate in any two-day camp of the player’s choosing immediately. Following that, the player’s credit card will be charged seven payments of $199 per month. “My goal when I came on was to make it affordable for every player to attend a Boot Camp and be able to jumpstart their poker game,” Bauer said. “Lots of players are looking to take their games to that next level without necessarily having the means to do it right now, so this is the plan for them.”
The WPT Boot Camp has many aspects that separate it from their competitors, Bauer believes. “We have a unique approach to teaching,” Bauer pointed out. “Our cash game course focuses not on which hands to play in which spots, but on how to think through each situation and find the right response. Our tournament course tells you how to think through every stage of a tournament.”
“Based on student needs,” Bauer continued, “we have expanded our curriculum to offer several unique advanced courses. There are lab days, where students get lots of individualized attention as they practice their play, and also clinics that focus on hand analysis for cash games and changing gears for stack size in tournaments.”
“I think the biggest thing that separates us from everybody else, though, is our deep commitment to helping our students grow and achieve their goals, even after they attend the camps,” Bauer concluded. “Our instructors give their e-mail addresses out to students, so they can e-mail us after camps with their questions. We are constantly developing new courseware and new camps to continually fill in the gaps in our students’ education. We have a ton of new and exciting things in development all the time, and we are constantly revising, updating, and expanding our curriculum to adapt to the ever-changing poker climate. I am proud to say that WPT Boot Camp is a company that strives for the success of our students and we’re willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that.”
Between May and December of this year, several of the courses offered by the WPT Boot Camp are available for the payment plan. Tournament camps on May 25 (a one day camp) and May 26-27 (a two day camp) are the first available dates, with every camp offered available on the WPT Boot Camp website, wptbootcamp.com, as well as further details.
When asked what it would take for him to call the payment plan option for the WPT Boot Camp a success, Bauer was quick to say, “I would consider this program a success if it helps just one student who wouldn’t otherwise be able to come to a camp. If just one student elevates their poker game to that next level and becomes a successful poker player, we’ve done what we intended.”
$500 will make it more affordable? Then $200 a month after that? I’m not sure he has a grip on what is affordable to most people. I certainly can’t afford that and I’m not poor by any means.
What happened to these training camps?
when does your camps start