WSOP 2007

Seeing as how friend of the site, The Yellow Knight, just recently returned from playing in the World Series of Poker, I asked him to give us readers a brief rundown of his experiences in Vegas. The following is Part I of his first hand account of the chaos:

So I decided sometime last year after winning some money from a couple of poker tournaments, I would try to aim higher and see if I could catch a larger prize. What better way than the World Series of Poker, the ultimate poker tournament in the world, paying out some ridiculous prize money for all those who placed. Not only would you win lots of money and be part of history, but you had a chance to be on TV as well! But how would I get there considering the buy ins are from $1,500 all the way to the main event at $10,000. On top of that, there is the airfare and hotel stay. Thats a lot of money, and I didnt want to spend that kind of money on gambling.

Well, thank goodness for the internet. Such a thing as online poker has revolutionized the game and has provided opportunities for low stakes players to play for more money than they could really afford. I actually won a considerable amount from online play, which has provided me the bankroll I need to continue a part time hobby in the sport (yes, poker is a sport now). During the pre-seaon, every online poker website has their promotions for players to win an all inclusive package to the WSOP valued at $12,000. Buyin ranged from $1 all the way to $1000. I played mostly in the $20-30 range, spending roughly a total of $1,500 on various sites, but I ultimately won a package through Full Tilt Poker.

So lets jump to my actual trip to Vegas and what the WSOP was like. So I left for Vegas the morning of the tournament, which allowed me time to check into my hotel (Golden Nugget - yes I know its not on the strip but it was all I could afford with the money they gave me), shuttle over to the Rio where the WSOP was held, and register my name for attendance. Keep in mind, it was 120 degrees outside and it was a desert. As soon as I stepped into the Rio, it was madness. There were cameramen, photographers, reporters, spectators, police officers, players, hotel employees, and company promoters everywhere. After waiting 30 mins in line, I registered my name at my poker site's booth and got my registration card, gift bag, and monogram logo sticker to wear on my clothes.

ESPN had brought in tons of equipment..media vans, motorized cameras, generators, TV monitors, editing stations, wireless microphones, walkie talkies, lighting, and ESPN promotional booth. On top of that, all the gambling websites and publications were among the crowd handing out free promotional items. As much as I wanted to go around grabbing everything I could, I decided to stay focused and not get caught up in the media frenzy. I came here to win and play my best poker.

So when time came to begin the session of play, they opened the doors to the room where the tournament was being held, which is actually not part of the casino as you may have thought. It is actually a banquet hall in the hotel, and they bring in hundreds of tables and setup cameras for easy filming. Once you walk in, it is like a sea of people moving about from table to table. Every table is assigned a dealer, and every 5 tables is assigned a floor manager. I walk around to see if there is any celebrities amongst the mix, and there were none that I could spot within the first 15 mins. The demographics consisted of college kids, middle aged men, and very few females.

To be continued...