Campero Turns WPT Global Freeroll into WPT World Championship Cash

Andres Campero

WPT Global Qualifier at the 2023 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas

WPT Global: Tell us about that last level you just played. We saw you in a lot of big pots. How do you keep your composure when you're getting that much action all together?

Campero: I have worked on it, and I was very deliberately telling myself to keep my composure. On the hands where I was beaten I still got the lead. It's easier to keep composure when you're running well.   

WPTG: How did you get your ticket to this event through WPT Global?

Campero: I played several bullets, there was a promotion from one of the ambassadors for the WPT so I played six or seven times in the $1k tournament. The one ticket I did get was awesome because it was a freeroll. It was a promo called the scavenger hunt so you had to do different things. And when you did them you would get entry into the freeroll. In that freeroll I won a $55 ticket, and in that one I won a $220 ticket, and in that one I won it, and only one player won so it was pretty good.

WPTG: Would you ever imagine that you would be sitting here on Day 2 with a huge chip stack after all of that?

Campero: I was hoping for it. I'm using my once-in-a-lifetime tournament rungood, because I'm quitting after this tournament if I do good.

WPTG: What would a deep run mean to you in this tournament?

Campero: It would be really amazing. I would have to run really lucky, but it would be incredible. Life-changing of course. 

WPTG: How do you keep your focus playing in a long tournament like this.

Campero: I've never played in a tournament this long. I just focus on it every day.

WPTG: WPT Global has been really catching on in Mexico as of late. Have you noticed that growth among your community of local poker players back home?

Campero: You guys have made a deliberate effort to generate that to get them into WPT Global. You organized a big WPT tournament earlier this year.

WPTG: You played a big hand with A-2 heading into the break, and hit a deuce on the turn for a set. What were you thinking there as you put a lot of thought into that decision?

Campero: Well, I always try to put the same amount of thought into all of my decisions. I was small [blind] against big [blind] and I had A-2 suited. I think the GTO play was to check and then jam for 30 bigs. Especially since we were close to the bubble, so I figured that's what I wanted to do. He checked, I jammed, he called with kings, and I had A-2 suited. That's why it's a good hand, because I have equity even if he has two kings. And I did hit two twos so it was great.

WPTG: How has your tournament experience been here at the Wynn?

Campero: It's really awesome. The Wynn, the tournament, the dealers, even the bathrooms, everything is just amazing and I'm really happy, really high quality.

WPTG: Would you recommend other people do what you did, and go to WPT Global to win their way into bigger events with a lot of money on the line?

Campero: It was a great opportunity, a lot of the tournaments had overlays with the promos that you had. I basically had to grind a lot, and I think it's plus EV to do that. And much better than playing other tournaments on other platforms.

WPTG: So what is your plan to try and make it into the money and retire on top?

Campero: I have the chip-leader stack at this table, so I think it's a good place to be obviously this close to the bubble. I can open up my opening range, and after that just play well and try my best.