2005 WSOP Report
Today was the first day I was able to go to the Rio and check out the WSOP. I was dragging along my parents (who didn't understand my excitement), so I didn't get to stay as long as I would have liked. I'll be back on my own more this week.
Anyway, my initial impression was that it's really not anywhere near the atmosphere that the Horseshoe had. The tourney is being held in a giant conference room. It's freaking huge, poker tables as far as you can see. There doesn't seem to be any organization. Cash games going, satellites, and the WSOP event of the day all in the same room. The featured table looks weak, and spectating will become very difficult during the larger events. It was chaos. There are no ropes holding people back from the tables, and the players seemed to be visibly shaken by the proximity of the fans. Players I saw today included: Seidel, Juanda, Matusow, Negraneu, Raymer. Devilfish was in a cash game, and I saw Sam Grissel (sp?) walking around bothering the pro's. I hope there will be more organization when the big day comes.
One really cool thing about the WSOP this year is the hospitality rooms. Full Tilt has their own conference (hospitality) room for fans, players, etc... Today, I walked in and Chris Ferguson was signing autographs. I got an autographed glossy (for free) and we talked about the Heads Up championship from a few months ago. (Mostly his MP3 player sunglasses.) There was no line, and everything was easy going. They had an open bar for fans, and they were giving out t-shirts, posters, etc... I guess they're stepping up the marketing campaign.
I didn't see any signs against photography, so I'm gonna run by with my digital camera within the next few days. Hopefully, I'll be able to provide you all with a few pictures. |
