There are 2 hour wait times to register for these tournaments? That’s wild. I guess ill figure out how to register online.

Especially the big tournaments like Colossus, Milly Maker, Monster Stack, all of those will have gigantic lines

I have never played the Colossus, so I can’t speak to the length of lines for that, but have only seen gigantic lines for the other premier events when you show up right before the tournament. Early in the morning, or better still... the night before, the lines are not that long at all.

I'm flying in for a week and—while I have my eye on a couple of $1.5k events—I'm not comfortable buying into them directly.

Are the morning $185 Mega Satellites definitely worth playing if I'm trying to roll up some comfortable $1.5k entries? Seems perhaps too crapshooty, even for someone competent with shoving at the right times?

Or, assuming I'm roughly as competent at these other games: is it just a better use of my time to play cash or single-table Rio satellites?

(My rough gameplan is to spend the first few days of my trip trying to conjure up some $1.5k entries somehow, then—within a separate budget—play smaller-stakes tournaments around town and maybe cash if I'm not in the bracelet events. So, to be clear, I'm fine with losing ~$1000 in a day or two if the potential is putting together $3k for two $1.5k tournaments. I just want feedback on the most sensible way to approach it, given the Rio's daily offerings and such.)

The $185s are very crapshooty. If a $1500 buyin is painful for the bankroll, I don't think you will be happy busting $185 on a 10 min level turbo. They are kind of fun though, and people are just horrendous at Mega strategy!

But I think in your shoes the SNGs are likely a better/smarter choice to give you a bit of bang for the buck. They do play fairly fast also but you can play $125s as well there.

Look at it this way. If you can qualify for the 1500 with 7 tries or less at the 185 STG you will be saving money.

If you need to ask if there's a quick way to make a 400% ROI+ in multiple turbo sats with no variance, you're probably better off not playing $1.5ks haha

Least variance: $200-$500 NL cash games. Most variance: High rake turbo sats.

Thanks Black Aces & Utah.

I mean this respectfully: that's definitely not what I meant to ask. It's more about the best use of my time when on a pretty short schedule and similarly short bankroll.

Strictly speaking, I'm pretty seriously underrolled for everything I'm planning for this whole trip (other than maybe $1/$2 NLHE downtown, but even that's high RoR), but if I'm trying to get on the good side of variance in general (and specifically to have some "heavily discounted" bracelet event entries), I just want to make sure I'm using my time as well as I can.

Like, there's no universe in which I realize my true ROI in $185 Mega Satellites in a week and then depend on that for taking shots at bracelet events.

A trip like mine is always going to be somewhat of an exercise in short-term-ism, even if I'm also focused on making +EV decisions.

I'm just trying to avoid the worst uses of my time/money and put myself into the best position to enjoy my trip (with the full realization that, again, my RoR is super high; I know this and I've made a carefully-budgeted plan to enjoy myself with both poker and other things for every day of the trip... and this budget includes satellites that I'm prepared to lose).

Anyway, it's sounding like the Rio STTs are probably a bit more sensible (and I was going to play some anyway; I may just play more now at the expense of Megas). If nothing else, chops and last-longers make those things a little gentler in the short term, and a competent player's chances certainly won't be significantly lower.

I realize I'm coming across as pretty nitty but I assure you that none of this is "scared money" territory (that's what me buying directly into a NLHE $1.5k directly would end up being). Just trying to be practical in bringing an ultimately recreational bankroll to the WSOP/etc.

This is true for Colossus, as well. The first year they did Colossus, virtually the whole field pre-registered and the wait time in line was 3-4 hours during peak and 1-2 hours at any given time late night or early morning. It was crazy. The second and third years went much smoother with little to no wait time. I’m not sure why someone is suggesting a two hour wait time when that just isn’t the case anymore. Unless, as you said, you show up right before a big event and try to get in.

Link to 2018 rules is below:

https://www.wsop.com/2018/2018%20WSO...nt%20Rules.pdf

How many Tier Credits/Reward Credits do you receive for Colossus and $1000 events?

From a quick google search, it appears that the cheapest/closest hotel options for the WSOP is the Gold Coast Hotel...does anybody have any experience staying there?

Spent a few nights there for the 2015 WSOP and I'm returning there this year.

It's totally acceptable if you aren't expecting much.

It's super, super close to the Rio and considerably cheaper, so it's not a bad move if you're in town for WSOP and you're looking to spend the minimum on lodging.

stayed there multiple times in 2012/2013.
for me it was perfect...
good price, close to the rio, relatively quiet place with all the super seniors staying there.
Comfort isnt high end, but who needs with 24/7 action next door?

Exactly the answers I was hoping for, thanks guys

Tier? Probably next to nothing that you won't get playing video poker for 1 hour lol.

On a poker budget of around $2,500 I would definitely play some on WSOP.com; play some 1 table sats ($175 to $325 with another $50 to $100 cash for the last longer bets), mix in a WSOP deep stack and a $200 to $400 buyin event or two at some other property. Personally I also mix in some PLO or Big O 1/2/5 at the WSOP cash tables since those have been good to me. Using this approach over the last 6 years I have managed to win my way into several bracelet events and ran pretty deep in one last year for a five figure score. YMMV.

Stayed there many times, as recent as last year. Rooms are comfortable. They have a table and chair. Bathrooms are decent sized. I have never had any noise issues. The elevators to your room are close to the entance, though at night (or I should say early mornimg 1-3am) there never seems to be security on duty to check for room keys before getting on the elevator. Uber pickup is right outside the front door, so no need to leg it to some far off destination to get to your uber. I have never experienced a line when checking in to the hotel. There is also a 24hr subway inside that gives you something moderately healthy to eat at all hours. There is also a 24hr tgi fridays. And it is a very quick walk to the rio, right through the parking garage and across the street. They added a mid street cross walk a couple of years ago to make it easier.

So the GF is coming along and she hates the Rio , so booked at Cosmo/ph . I have two queens bed room at Rio from 6/4- 6/8 for a minimal price. (I'm thinking 50 a night INCLUDING taxes and resort ). Let me know if anyone wants it (preference to those posters I interact with ) , otherwise I'll be cancelling later on this week. If this is the wrong forum , please move it. Gl all.

[QUOTE=I'm just trying to avoid the worst uses of my time/money and put myself into the best position to enjoy my trip (with the full realization that, again, my RoR is super high; I know this and I've made a carefully-budgeted plan to enjoy myself with both poker and other things for every day of the trip... and this budget includes satellites that I'm prepared to lose).

Anyway, it's sounding like the Rio STTs are probably a bit more sensible (and I was going to play some anyway; I may just play more now at the expense of Megas). If nothing else, chops and last-longers make those things a little gentler in the short term, and a competent player's chances certainly won't be significantly lower.[/QUOTE]

Don't be fixated on the $1500 WSOP bracelet events if you're worried about bankroll. Those events are multi-day grinds with typically small starting stacks so if you're playing scared you're at a serious disadvantage. Think about the $400 or $600 on-day events at Venetian or Planet Hollywood -- which have big enough fields to have nice payouts, but which have larger starting stacks and shorter blind levels. Or even the Daily Deep Stacks at the Rio for $250 or $365 -- again with larger starting stacks and one-day structures. You can play several of these for the price of a $1500 bracelet event and likely have much longer stays at the tables. If you cash once, you may break even or even go home ahead.

I'm kind of in a similar boat, I haven't really focused on my poker game in years but I'm planning an 8-day WSOP trip in June in which I'd like to primarily play tournaments. I typically play between 10-15 live events a year with an ABI of ~$300 and I'll likely exceed that over the course of this one trip, so ideally I'd like to get the most bang for my buck.

That being said, I've planned the trip around the WSOP Monster Stack and I'm going to play it no matter what happens during the rest of my trip. I think if you have your eye set on a certain event, you will most likely be disappointed when if you look back on your trip and didn't play in it because you thought you were under-rolled for it or didn't satty into it. Of course, you may feel differently if you're planning on going back next year with more money or something like that, but if you're going for the experience then you should just take the shot.

Personally, I'm planning to play some lower-BI events and satellites to warm up in my first few days (Planet Hollywood, Venetian, Rio satellites to $1500 events, DDS) before taking my shots. If I'm able to win a satty or make enough prize money to cover the $1,500 events, great. If your only consideration is making the most +EV choices, maybe consider either grinding cash or playing some PH/Venetian events instead of satellites. As long as you make the money to buy into your $1,500 event, why does it matter how you did it? It seems like the satellites at the Rio aren't going to be very satisfying to you.

They switched the cash game and STT areas for some reason.

Also, be aware they got rid of the 25/25 level on STT's. So the $70 STT with starting t800 went from horrible to downright brutal.

Have you played one yet? I can’t imagine it lasting more than 30-45 minutes tops. Interesting about the area switch, wonder what the reasoning is?

They removed 25/25 and added 75/150. Same thing in terms of level progression. 25/25 was zzzz

Replacing 25/25 with 75/150 is a great improvement.