With the 2010 World Series of Poker just over a month away, I know I’m not the only one sitting at home, watching re-runs of the 2009 edition and thinking, “Why can’t I go?” or “I wish Norman Chad was my uncle.”  The thing is, you probably can.  With a bit of expendable cash, there are plenty of World Series options available and they don’t all have to include the Main Event.

Last year’s introduction of recession-inspired $1,000 buy-ins significantly improved the options for low-cost WSOP tournaments.  While $1,000 may not initially seem like huge drop from the previous low of $1,500, it certainly a decent reduction for those cash-strapped (or tight-walleted) individuals deciding whether to play.  Not only is it a 33% reduction in cost, it also means that you can book a flight, and buy yourself into a tournament, for the same price as the cheapest event would have cost you prior to 2009.  If you saved a measly $150/month over the last year you’d have had enough to fly down, get a hotel, play a $1,000 event and maybe treat yourself to a buffet and Miller Light while you were at it.

But of course, nobody aspires to win a stimulus special.  We all want to be Jerry Yang, right?  It’s no secret that there are a ton of ways to satellite into the Main Event, but with so many options, it can be hard to narrow down the best value.  Any online poker site worth its weight in rake will have plenty of options for you.  Take some time to figure out how much you want to spend, how many people you want to play against, and what kind of package you want.  From steps-style sit-n-go’s to high-stakes re-buys, there is something for everyone.

Of course you can always just book yourself a flight to Vegas in the days or weeks leading up to the Main Event and try to earn your way in through a live sattie.  The Rio has a ton of official satellites running.  More information on those can be found here.

As for me, I’ll be there in one capacity or another, but not with enough time (or money) to be playing for any real bracelets, save for maybe the media-only event.  But find me on an off day playing $1/2; I’ll be the guy with a pile of chips in front of him.  Dill pickle.