(Sorry if this post is misplaced, but I couldn't figure a more appropriate forum.)

My web searches have only turned up last year's promos on WSOP.com, or their on-line tournaments which give me: "Since you're not in Nevada or New Jersey, you cannot play WSOP.com poker for real money." I don't want to play on line anyway!

I want to win a seat by playing in a live tournament in Las Vegas. There have got to be such tournaments! Got to! But last time I was up there asking around at Bellagio and Aria, nobody knew anything about 'em.

It seems to me that it would be easy enough to find, a few times a week, ten players willing to chip in $1100 each to play down to one --or something like that. Especially now with the main event only seven weeks out.

These are not really popular. Better grind cash in those places you mentioned and just win it urself..easy! :P

Go to Rio and play mega Satellite on July 4 or they'll be single tables running for 1050 or so just as you suggest.

Yeah during wsop from what I remember there's 300/500/1k mega's every day and 1k sit 'n goes.

Wouldn't ask at Aria or Bellagio for the obvious reason they're not Harrah's, if there are wsop satties outside the rio I'd expect them at ceasar or something.

Rio Megas will have the most people and they run every day of the WSOP. There will also be $1060 SNGs that pay 10k lammers that will become more popular closer to the Main, but will run all WSOP. Planet Hollywood is doing a $300 Mega on July 4 that pays $10k cash awards.

the rio obv

Thanks to all who replied.

I called the Rio (702) 777-7777 and learned of a WSOP number (702) 777-6777, but when I called that I just got a machine saying to leave my name, phone number, and Total Rewards number with my question. So I did all that a week ago and (predictably) got no response.

So I drove up. Here's the scoop: there are satellites running all the time at the Rio with the following entry fees: $1030, $525, $275, $175, and $125.

The $1030 one usually runs for about two hours, according to the dealers and players that I spoke to. If you come in second place, you get nothing. As one of those began, I saw players chipping in $100 each as a consolation prize. (Not sure how they planned to divvy it up. Maybe second-place gets the whole wad.) The winner gets $10,000 in "lammers."

Come July there will be "mega-satellites" in which several players at a time will win a main-event entry instead of just one.

I've played in a ton of these STTs at RIO. The cash people are passing around are just last longer bets. The casino is not supposed to allow these bets but they basically let them happen. The last player involved in the last longer bet wins everything, but I've almost always seen the players chop the last longer bet once there are only a few people left. You can expect last longer bets to range from $100-$300 for a $525 tournament and there's usually at least one player who will not do it. The benefit of these bets is that they have no rake.

In the case of the $525, the winner wins $120 cash and 10 $500 tournament lammers. Tournament lammers are basically chips you can use to buy into tournaments. You can not get change for a lammer, but you can buy into multiple events with one lammer. If you go to the WSOP tournament registration line, you can usually find somebody to buy the lammers off you at full price or very close. In these STT, when it gets down to 2 people, you will often see the players agree to a chop. I never chop unless I have less chips or close to even stack. If the other player can't bust me, I usually keep playing until we are in a spot where the other player can bust me.

I highly suggest you play it out, even if you split the winnings. For example, you could agree that winner gets the $120 cash ( which often will go to the dealer as tip ). I like the opportunity to play heads up at a big poker table with a dealer. Really good practice in case you are ever in a situation where you are playing for a real title.