Quote:
Originally Posted by Reggie Steer
I don't know how the organizers could make it work but there will be tons of random walk ins like there never was before. Perhaps, super low buy in events with gigantic trophies for the top three finishers would be highly valued by instagramming tourists that want to brag about how they beat Las Vegas pros at their own game.
The more I think about the next WSOP, the more excited I am about this prospect. As many have noted, the Rio was extremely foot traffic unfriendly due to its location. It's very hard to accidentally find yourself there and stumble into a poker game, even though there still seemed to be some random punters playing stuff.
Going to be a different equation at Bally's/Paris. If Caesars plays their cards right, they can really use that spectacle to hook pedestrians into participating. The Binion's suggestion seems DOA, but they could organize something like this:
Quote:
From January 1949 to May 1949, Dandolos played a two-person "heads up" poker match against poker legend Johnny Moss where the two played virtually every variation of the game that existed at the time. The game, set up by Benny Binion as a tourist attraction, is widely credited as being the inspiration for the modern day World Series of Poker.
Imagine walking down the Strip and you see Ivey/Negreanu/Hellmuth/SHRB regs playing a massive cash game or high roller right out in the casino floor. That's going to be an interesting spectacle.
Even if nothing like that happens, they can at least have signs directing curious people to the action, and you have to imagine that there are going to be a lot more random shot takers trying their hand.
That really underscores the importance of a swift registration process. I had to wait in line for a full hour to get a ticket on a random Sunday evening when I arrived this year, and that will take the wind out of your sails if you're a casual just trying to get into some action quickly. It may be worth it for Caesars to invest in more space and personnel to make this jumping into events as smooth as possible.