My RIO WSOP Adventure

[Michael J. Sykes]

Being a casino employee, and having finished in the money in the first WSOP event last year, I decided to make the trip again this year. I started the morning of the tournament by walking the strip to take the Harrah's shuttle to the Rio, where another trek awaited to get to the tournament area. Although I was thirsty, I could not quite bring myself to pay $3 for a bottle of water when I would soon be sitting at my tournament table with complementary beverages. Big mistake!

I reached the tournament area at 11:15 and joined the first long line I saw. Nobody around me was quite sure what the line was for. Some people were there to register for the $500 employee tournament and others were there to register for future tournaments. There were no announcements or signs to guide people, and none of the Rio employees who wandered by knew anything. After perhaps 5 minutes waiting on this line with minimal movement, I decided to switch to another long line that was not moving after a fellow customer expressed the opinion that the other line was to register for that day's tournament. The registration area was uncomfortably warm and I was becoming increasingly thirsty; it did not help watching Rio employees push around large carts full of water and other beverages which I believe were intended for seated tournament players. I stopped a passing suited Rio tournament drone and suggested that they give water to the tournament players standing in the registration lines. He said he'd see what he could do and continued on his way.

As time dragged on, most people in the line speculated that the start of the tournament would be delayed, but no announcements were made and no passing Rio staff knew anything. After another 30 minues or so, the Rio staff apparently decided to add another employee to the registration desk and form a second line. I watched as people ahead of me in line were directed to form a second line. The line in front of me was now considerable shorter than the newly formed second line when a Rio/tournament drone ordered me to go to the end of the new line (despite my objection)! Over the next 25 minutes or so, I could watch as people who had been directly behind me in the first line were registered while I continued waiting in the second line. When I got near the registration desk, I was handed a one page release form to sign and give to the registration worker. It was about 12:15 when I reached the worker, who did not know whether the tournament had been delayed. I gave her my form and driver's license, and she gave me a registration card and told me to take it to the cashier in the tournament room to pay my entry fee.

After entering the massive room, I saw another long line in front of the cashier. I also saw that the tournament had not been delayed. It seemed I would be blinded off for most if not all of the first round before I could be seated. Since I had sold a piece of myself, I felt it would not be quite fair to my investor to enter the tournament late (and not in the best frame of mind), so I decided to leave. I resentfully purchased one of those $3 bottles of water during my trek back to the shuttle bus.

If anyone plans on participating in a WSOP event, I suggest arriving a few hours early and with a supply of water!

-MJS