- bring a sweatshirt or hoodie. It can get very air conditioned and down-right chilly in certain rooms. Much better to be comfortable sitting on a chair for hours on end. If you aren't cold, just don't wear it.

- slow down on your action when it's your time to act. There are lots of good reasons here, but the main one is that THESE DEALERS CAN BE VERY NEW AND MAY GET CONFUSED OR MESS THINGS UP. Here's a real life example: Player A had the nuts on the river. Player B bets, player A goes all in, player B looks like he called, player A immediately flips over his cards victorious, player B calling is in question, long story short, and this isn't even a dealer thing per-se, but the floor rules that it was not a call. Just slow down, confirm actions and make sure things are right on the table, and then make your play.

- bathroom lines can be crazy. have a plan.

i'm sure there are tons more tips, keep them coming and help newbies out.

Good thread idea.

-Is there a way to pre-register for events remotely? Or do you have to do that in-person? How long before an event starts can you register for it?

-How far is the playing area from the casino entrance? Is there a separate entrance for WSOP people?

Do not use the casino entrance, unless you like to walk a lot . Vegas casinos are all bigger than they look, and that applies inside as well. The back entrance leaves you right where all of the rooms and registration area is.

Depending on which room you are in, it is best to walk back towards the casino for bathroom breaks; that goes against what I just said, but the lines are shorter, and after 2 hours sitting, not so bad to stretch your legs.

There are some good eating options across the street at the Gold Coast; eating at the Rio is expensive, and not as good.

Be prepared for hawkers in the hall to sell your phone chargers. There is usually a D&B stand that has their entire library, if you want to buy a book or 2.

There is a tax consultant, who is also a poker player for foreign withholding issues. Clayton financial is a local firm (that I use) that specializes in gambling as well.

There is at least one set with a 25K chip that looks like smaller denominations. Check your chips and denominations before you play.

If you cash in a very large event, that payout lines can be quite long; once you have your card with your finish, you can come back later (this was true in 2019, CHECK to make sure this is still correct).

Lines for registration are also quite long. Remember, you need your player card and ID to buy in. You can register for more than 1 event. I think you can register for any event up to the last, once the first opens.

You can put money in an account for buy-ins; not sure how this works, I don't do it.

In the past, all the other casinos ran series simultaneously; if you are here for longer than a few days, consider playing elsewhere, especially if the event doesn't suit you. If you want to just stay at the Rio, they always have cash games, and sat's running.

Wynn is the best for other series, Venetian is good, but higher rake, Orleans has a bunch of mixed games with 3 figure buy-ins and soft fields.

You can pre register remote via BravoPokerLive. You have to do a line one time to verify the card that is linked to your WSOP account. Registration lines arent too bad during the week but expect to wait an hr or two on big weekend events. You can preregister events.

Long hike to WSOP area from parking garage. If you drive past parking garage or come in from backside there is a large outside parking lot that leads in near the tournament area.

For food, All American Daves has healthy food and does meal plans. Not 100% if they do walk up orders but I think so. WSOP Cafe is pretty solid. I like the salad stand, and theres a few other basic things too.

For bathrooms, I like to hike into the casino to stretch my legs, get some exercise, and not deal with long lines. Theres an outside area where the All American Daves truck is and there are several porta pottys. Long line but it moves quick, nasty things though, no sitting down or privacy so sorry ladies.

Bart Hanson did a podcast on WSOP where he talked about how you can pre-register for any number of flights and if you make it to day 2, you can cancel the buy-ins for the rest of the flights. I don't recall the exact method to do this but worth looking into to save time.

I have been to WSOP many times as a recreational player.

My advice is off the top of my head is:

1) For large tournaments, register the night before. Don't wait until 11:30 to register for a 12pm $1500 event. You might not get to play until 1:30 or later.

2) If you have to go to the bathroom you should leave 1 minute before the break. Miss that one hand and go the bathroom and avoid the lines.

3) It's good if you can bring a bag or fanny pack with some items such as (chapstick, eye drops, cough drops, aspirin, backup phone battery, etc.) - sort of like a mini medkit. This will be helpful

I played in like the last 5 WSOP Senior events and a couple of Mains.

The WSOP bathroom thing is a big problem near the poker rooms. However, its about a five minute walk (if you can walk quickly through a crowd) to the center of the Rio where there are a couple of bathrooms. The lines will be relatively short there.

I would not recommend leaving early for bathroom breaks. There will be at least 3 players either leaving early or only playing QQ+/AK. So its a good time to steal (from anywhere).

I stayed at the Rio one year and just walked to my room and used the bathroom there.

The breaks are typically 20 minutes in the very large events because of the bathroom lines. So the long walk is worth it and good for stretching and exercise.

I will typically register late at night or early in the morning but typically a day in advance. The lines even then can be almost a half hour. As was said before do not try to register within an hour of a tourney. If you win money in a tournament you can use the earnings to register for another tourney then and there (if I am not mistaken).

You can also charge a tourney on your credit card in advance for an additional 3% I think. There is a special reception desk that you have to clear the first time you do this with a photo ID.

If you go for the Senior and/or Super Senior events typically the Aria, Binions. Golden Nugget (GN), Orleans, Venetian (V), Wynn, and Planet Hollywood (PH) are also running Senior events within a week or so of the WSOP events (or at least they were before Covid hit). Some of them start on Day 2 or Day 3 of the WSOP Senior or Super Senior events because like 5,000 of the 6,000 entries will have already bounced.

Before Covid there were a bunch of casinos (mentioned above) running all kind of events during the WSOP for between $300 and $1,100. They may cut down now especially because the WSOP is running more $500 to $1,000 tourneys.

The Venetian deepstacks are probably the best because levels are 40 minutes whereas at the Wynn, Planet Hollywood, Aria, and Orleans it is mostly 30 minutes. Though Binions had a $1,100 NL tourney with 60 minute levels and the Golden Nugget (GN) had a Senior tourney for $1,040 and a $600 NL tourney with 40 minute levels day 1 and 60 minutes Day 2.

If you are thrifty (my children call me "cheap") the Silver Sevens (SS) is a dive that will probably cost less than any other hotel near the strip that is a $2 bus ride (on E. Flamingo) to the Rio main entrance on W. Flamingo. The same bus can take you to the strip in like 5 minutes and it is only a ten minute walk from there to the V or Wynn and virtually no walk to PH. The Orleans is a mile or so from the drop off at W. Flamingo. But there are shuttles which run from the Gulf Coast (next to the Rio) and Harrah's on the strip (at least they used to - but maybe its now Ceasar's) that go to the Orleans. There are no fridges in the SS rooms but you can pick up jelly containers in the dining room at breakfast if you make PB&J sandwiches for lunch every day (as I did this last trip). There is a mini-mart across the street at the gas station where you can get bread, water, donuts, Doritos, and PB. No room safes either but you can get a safety deposit box at the main cage for no charge and no privacy. There is also a Chase bank on E Flamingo about a half mile from SS.

If you have been to the WSOP before and/or can convince them you are playing in some WSOP tourneys you may be able to get rooms at the RIO for basically the same cost as SS. They may even throw in some free days if your stay extends over weeks. Also it is likely that at the end of the strip the Stratosphere or Circus Circus (I stayed here once) could have low end deals. They are a reasonable walk to the Wynn and V but would require a ride to the Rio. Buses are more expensive on the strip so I would take an Uber or Lyft. The Orleans might also have low rates.

The Ubers and Lyfts were much cheaper than cab rides in 2019 but in 2021 they often weren't. And they sometimes took 15 minutes or more to show up.

Because of the $30 to $50 per day resort fee in las Vegas I am looking at staying in Henderson, NV at a motel and renting a car. I'm told its like 20 minutes to get into Las Vegas.

I typically walked to the casinos I played in (with a water bottle and finding shade on the way) so it took me 30 to 40 minutes anyway. If you walk to the Rio from SS though you will run into a bunch of homeless people sleeping on the walkway overpass. I have found that the homeless rarely interact with me. They act like they want their privacy. Though one woman this last trip asked me for some change and I was glad to give it to her so I wouldn't have to carry it around. You will see a lot of homeless people at bus stops (because they have overhangs that generate shade) acting like they are waiting for buses.

When I stayed at the Westgate I used to buy water at 2 pints for $1 when i hit the strip when I was walking, and was glad I did one day when a guy walking the opposite direction looked thirsty (so I gave him one). Also at the overpasses on Las Vegas Blvd (the strip) there are usually guys selling cold water. I met one of them on a bus at the end of the day (I had bounced out of a tourney - he was going home for the day) and he told me about how he couldn't land a job until he came to Vegas and started selling water. He told me he made decent money and had been doing it for years while I was buying like 5 bottles for $2 for some kids on the bus (and myself) who were thirsty.

There is also a monorail that quickly gets you from one end of the strip (Near Circus Circus and Westgate) to the other.

One last thing I found out the hard way. I have to take days off. At least one day off every 5 or 6 days and/or get knocked out of a tourneys early. Until I played at the WSOP and other series in Las Vegas I was mostly playing 3 days at a time or 4 at most and then going home and recovering. But because there are so many great tourneys available and there is a substantial daily cost, the first few trips I tried to play a tournament every day for up to 3 weeks...

I also stopped playing in the evening tourneys because when you do well they end at like 4am. Though if it wasn't for the Aria 7pm tourney my last day of my 2015 WSOP trip I probably wouldn't be playing poker now...

edit - answers to some of Eggs questions: You can register by credit card early (before you go) but there is that 3% charge and you do have to show up the first time in person on a typically long line (30 minutes) the first tourney you get you seat assignment for that year (so they can verify its you).

You can register for any event at any time prior to the event. So if you know you are playing in 3 specific events you can register for all of them when you get to the Rio as long as the WSOP has started.

The WSOP entrance is very close to the registration and poker rooms as was noted earlier. When you take a cab, Uber or Lyft they will drop you off there (a short walk up some steps and a ramp). Just tell them you are playing poker so they don't take you to the hotel main entrance. The public bus will drop you across the street from the main hotel entrance and the Gulf Coast shuttle means you have to walk a ways to even get to the Hotel Main entrance...

One last thing... No matter what hotel you are staying or playing at, there are guys trying to sell vacation discount packages. Its like $100 for 3 nights and 4 days. But there is a catch they won't mention. If you are married or have a girlfriend they have to come with you to a real estate presentation of like 2 to 3 hours. The first one I bought I knew about it, my wife said that would be fun, they threw in free comedy club tix and then my wife a year later decided she hated Vegas and wouldn't come. Then at the Rio I bought one for $100 where the guy told me I didn't have to bring my wife! That turned out not to be true. So this year when the guy at the Venetian guaranteed me that my wife didn't have to come and even offered me a $200 Visa Card to match the $199 advance, I said no. The fine print kind of indicated my wife would have to be there...

What measures are taken to account for your chips when you leave the table for breaks?

The dealer stays at the table while you are away. Nothing else, really. You can take a picture of your stack, I guess. Never had a problem, personally.

Dealers are the only ones allowed in tournament area during breaks and there are cameras everywhere.

Still good practice to count your stack before and after the break just to be sure, but if your stack is missing chips they will find out who swiped them.

Gonna disagree with you on this. For tournaments like the main event on day 1 and day 2. It's a marathon. You are going to be playing for 10 hours. The first day usually will go from 11am to 12am (or 11:30pm). But the point is that it is a marathon. If you are rattled after losing a big pot or have trouble focusing or whatever and need to step away for 10 minutes early on, do it. Don't worry about a few hands when the blinds are 100/200 and you have a 60K stack.

It's better to miss that one hand before one of the early breaks or before the dinner rush and be able enjoy your break and recharge and do whatever you have to.

Thank you for the answers about breaks.

Haven't flown in years. I'm just going to take a carry on piece of luggage. Can I also take a small backpack on the plane, kind of like a sling bag?

Also, I won't have wheels in LV to go grocery shopping, so I planned on packing some healthy snacks in the carry on - jerky, dried fruit, energy bars, etc - will TSA have a problem with that kind of stuff??

Is there a convenience type shop in the Rio that sells snacks?

Not sure what the current rules are, but we had a visitor with a carry on piece of luggage that was forced to be checked. It might pay to find out what the standards are for your airline in that regard.

Some airlines make you pay for your carry on. No airlines that I know of charge you for a sling bag. You can certainly bring one of those onboard.

Keep it all sealed (unopened) and in it's packaging and you should be fine.


There are convenience type shops in almost every casino. They are overpriced and the selection isn't great for healthy snacks. Green Valley Grocery is about a 15 minute walk from the main entrance of the RIO, maybe just head there.

Is the standard WSOP tourney played 9 handed?

yes, although they used to have 10 handed during late reg for huge field tourneys like the Colossus or Mini Main. Just for space.

Not sure if that will continue with Covid, 9 handed is standard in Vegas atm.

WSOP Protip:

Wear a Poker Diaper

Pi$$ and $hit in it

This is a really great post.

Assuming you don't mind walking, I'll expand on a couple points (and make some of my own):

*On a break, walk quickly and make a beeline to the casino to piss on a break. I know it seems far, but the breaks are usually 20 mins. If you're a decently quick walker you can piss in literally any bathroom on the Rio casino floor and make it back in time (and sometimes you have to; on really busy events the closer casino bathrooms still have lines)

*Gold Coast is indeed great for dining options. Again, your goal is to start walking quickly that way and beat the crowd -- a lot of people have already figured out it's a good place to go on dinner break so you need to get there ASAP. Walk briskly through the casino past the sports book and then across the road, you should be able to get from Amazon to Gold Coast in 13ish minutes, this leaves you 64 minutes for dinner on a 90 minute break. I dunno if the steakhouse is still there, but they had a sick happy hour pre-pandemic, and you can definitely get in and out in 64 minutes.

*If it's hot and you're walking from the strip, walk through Caesars and leave from the side entrance, close to the diamond lounge, to minimize time outside. I've made it from inside of Caesars to inside the Rio in 12 minutes.

*There's a massive difference in field quality between weekend and weekday WSOP events. The Millionaire Maker, Monster Stack etc are absolute fish fries, but a midweek $1500 or $3k NL event can actually be relatively tough, you have all the best players in the world competing for a bracelet and none of the dipshits who come in for one weekend to take their shot. If I have the choice of a Tuesday $500 Wynn or $1500 WSOP I'm taking the former and I don't think it's close in terms of $EV except maybe for the truly elite players.

*If you understand short stack poker even a little bit, play the Rio SNGs, the freest of money

The shop inside Gold Coast might be an option?

They have shockingly competitive prices on wine, I found a few bottles there I was buying cheaper than for what I'd pay at Total Wine. Can't remember if they overcharge for other stuff though.

If one stays at the RIO, is there a room type that is quicker to get to? Has a faster, more private elevator? Or is that just the elite rooms?

Don’t get burnt out. Try your best to keep a decent schedule and make sure you rest.

It’s called grinding for a reason.

There are also a lot of great restaurants off the strip. Check them out.

Enjoy the moment! That’s most important.

I was wondering the same thing. Staying at the RIO when I come out for a week to play a few events.

I know the Masquerade Tower is a hike. If you book it you might be able to make it there and back during a 20min break, leaving yourself a couple mins to use the restroom.

I dont know where the other tower is exactly. Looking at the RIO map those elevators are closer than the Masquerade elevator. Im probably going for a room there, plus a mountain view >>> city view.

I hear the food situation at the RIO is bad and from the looks of it there isnt much around the RIO. What are my options if I want food outside of the RIO and im without a car?

Also, how easy is it to get an uber to and from the RIO?

Is there the food court in the convention area like there is every year?

I always liked the salad stand but there were other things set up in there as well.

Theres Smashburger in the RIO upstairs near the parking garage.

Depending on how far you want to walk there are a # of restaurants on Flamingo. Chick-fila is pretty close, you can possibly walk there, eat, and walk back in an hr.

That smash burger tends to have a very long wait if you are in a big field MTT break. I'd walk to the Gold Coast or Palms, especially as it is not 110 degrees in October...