WSOP EVENT #2: Seating disaster

[shaniac]

Despite the 2-hour, multi-step registration process I endured today, the general vibe of mayhem and disorganization at the Rio--the blatant preferential treatment pros receive during the registration process, I remained optimistic.

That is, until dinner this evening (at the overpriced and merely decent Piero's) when my two friends and I casually checked our seat assignments and realized to our dismay that we will be occupying seats 8, 9 and 10 of table 154.

Seems that the organizational geniuses of the WSOP 2005 didn't choose to assign seats randomly, rather giving your seat according to when you registered. Since most people wait on the interminable lines with friends or aqcuaintances, this essentially means that 20-50% of players at EVERY table will have some familiarity with each other.

Perhaps I am overreacting but this seems to me a potentially huge problem, opening the door for softplaying, collusion and pre-conceived non-self-interested strategy building.

My plan is to complain vigorously tomorrow to the management of the tournament to change the seating policy to something random. I urge you all to do likewise.

Shane

[Nick B.]

Wow, that is idiotic.

[nolanfan34]

Ugh. That sucks man. I predict the whole first weekend will likely be a disaster. I hope that's not the case.

[Jedster]

I totally agree with you. I will say that I got a different seat and table than the guy who was just ahead of me in the line. I got table 102 and he got either 97 or 105, I forget. So it is possible they were randomizing at one point and then as they opened up new tables, they just started going sequentially -- which is still very bad.

As for the pros getting preferential treatment in line, I wonder if they are all going to be seated together if they cut the line together? It would be kind of funny to see a table in a 2200 person tournament where there are multiple bracelet winners!

I'll definitely inquire/complain about the process when I register for the PLHE Event #3.

[shaniac]

My friend tells me there are legitimate issues involved with estimating field sizes and selling seats for balanced 10-handed tables, not winding up with even more anomolous situations.

I will try to find the TD tomorrow and explain that random seating ought to be a real priority.

The three of us, upon discovering the situation, discussed it, how it might affect our play and how generally annoying it is to be stuck with two friends at an opening table. We agreed that the best thing to do is play hard against each other as we would any other opponent and let the cards fall where they may. But imagine dozens of other groups of friends having the same dicussion at restaurant all over Vegas and coming to less straightforward conclusions.

Shane

[Equal]

Hopefully, common sense will overcome. Please keep us updated shane. Thanks!

[graydot]

That is really unprofessional... I am sure they are aware of what they did, perhaps maybe it was because of limited room (harder to assign random seats), but this opens alot of cheating.

[Sluss]

I would expect many problems such as these from Harrah's as they still learn how to put on a poker tournament. Stay calm man don't let it bother you. There will probably be several problems during the day. This is a group that has problems with small tourneys, with 2000+ there will be more problems than you can shake a stick at.

GL make us proud. And, uh...I wouldn't mind if you finished in the money and picked me up some points for the side bet /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[fnord_too]

That blows and there is absolutely no excuse for it. It's not like randomly generating a seating chart is a difficult task. Do they do everything on paper or something?

[gumpzilla]

[ QUOTE ]
That blows and there is absolutely no excuse for it. It's not like randomly generating a seating chart is a difficult task. Do they do everything on paper or something?

[/ QUOTE ]

From what other people have said, yes, they do.

[fnord_too]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That blows and there is absolutely no excuse for it. It's not like randomly generating a seating chart is a difficult task. Do they do everything on paper or something?

[/ QUOTE ]

From what other people have said, yes, they do.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good lord, how do competitive, for profit business manage to survive doing things like this? That sounds as bad as the government contracting arena, maybe worse, at least we use computers to facilitate collecting our corporate welfare.

[bugstud]

Barry and Jeff Shulman were in front of me in line. They got the same table in a couple of events but managed to get it changed.

yeah, I was not really pleased with their process one iota.

[gumpzilla]

[ QUOTE ]

Good lord, how do competitive, for profit business manage to survive doing things like this? That sounds as bad as the government contracting arena, maybe worse, at least we use computers to facilitate collecting our corporate welfare.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's a good question. It sounds like Harrah's didn't really think much about this whole thing.

Here's a link to the thread that leads me to believe everything is being done on paper: WSOP Event #2 Nightmare (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=tv&Number=2528619&Forum=,A ll_Forums,&Words=&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Main=24766 14&Search=true&where=&Name=4843&daterange=&newerva l=&newertype=&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post2 528619)

[ptmusic]

[ QUOTE ]
Barry and Jeff Shulman were in front of me in line. They got the same table in a couple of events but managed to get it changed.

[/ QUOTE ]

So.... pros can request a table change?

-ptmusic

[CondoBrian]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Barry and Jeff Shulman were in front of me in line. They got the same table in a couple of events but managed to get it changed.

[/ QUOTE ]

So.... pros can request a table change?

-ptmusic

[/ QUOTE ]

You can *request* one. You just might not get it. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[betgo]

This is strange. Every live daily tournment I have played in has assigned seats randomly.

[sirio11]

I just saw some information about redrawing the seats from tables 154 and up. Maybe they decided to fix it.