... pack a lunch and bring a chair. You will be waiting 6+ hours to buy your seat.

I recently learned that the WSOP is coming to town, and I was warned about The Great Canadian Casino's reputation for being a disaster by virtually everyone I consulted, including a poker dealer I recognized from the CNE. It wasn't until I went to purchase my tournament seat today that I understood the severity of the situation.

Originally, I planned to rent a car for three hours to drive to the casino and buy my ticket. However, I was unprepared for the reality that it would take 6 hours to process 200 people. To put things in perspective, the main event ticket costs $2,000, with $250 allocated to administrative fees. With an expected turnout of 1,200 players, this translates to $300,000 in fees alone for the main event, excluding the revenue from other tournaments.

My question for Matthew Anfinson of Great Canadian Entertainment is: How can you justify these exorbitant administrative fees when people of all ages, including some in their 70s, are made to stand in line for six hours? Why were staff seen idly standing by empty slot machines while only two employees were assigned to player registration? The extensive setup for a queue of 400 people suggests an anticipation of the crowd size, yet there was a clear lack of effort in managing it efficiently. I earnestly hope the WSOP tournament does not reflect the dismal registration experience.

PS: Thank you to the stranger who bought a pizza and shared it with our section of the line