Whether you want to look like a pro ("Look at me, I play poker for a living, I don't want to work, I contribute nothing to society, cheat on my taxes and probably rolled with your tax dollars through welfare") or have a boy-scout's mindset ("Be prepared!"), you decided to bring a back pack at the WSOP and do not know what to put in it. Fear not! Here is a list of the Top 10 items to stuff your ugly Herschel with (replace Herschel by Jansport if you are above 35, thanks).

1/Headphones - While some awful players wear them, duplicating the behavior of pros but failing to perform as such, headphones are the symbol of poker seriousness. Having a table filled with silent statues who are listening abominable tunes from their smartphones is no fun. Still, there is one good reason to have this item at the bottom of your man purse: the possibility to have a terrible neighbor. The loud mouth kind, who keeps breaking your balls with his bad beat stories and who has questionable hygiene. In that particular case, it is fine to get the headphones out and stuff them in your ears. It should shut him up!

2/Hand sanitizer - I read an article about a lab that tested casino chips, and they found substantial amounts of wonderful things like snot, feces, and urine on the chips. Whether you are OCD or believe germs are myth created by corporations to sell us more soap, you have more chance to survive a nuclear holocaust than touching your face after playing with those nasty chips.

3/Snacks - Days at the WSOP can be a real grind. You will be playing 12-14 hours if you are lucky enough not to bust. Having a power bar or a banana in your pocket is almost like having an ace in your sleeve.

4/Water - Waiting what seems an eternity to get a mini water bottle from the waitress, and having to tip a dollar for it, is unbearable to most. To remedy it, bring your reusable water bottle. You will be able to refill it at one of the fountains, it will make you look like a yoga hipster and will give you the impression that you are saving the planet. That should give you the higher ground on your opponents.

5/A pen - With a little skill and a lot of luck, it is possible that you are going to survive the day. If it happens, all your chips will go into a bag. You will have to mark it with your name and the precious chips accumulated during the grind. Most of dealers should be handing pens, instead of begging for one, you can use your own! Then refuse to let your annoying neighbor to use it (he shouldn't be at your table the day after anyway) and go get some rest.

6/TR Rewards card - During the WSOP, this card will be a true gem. First, you need one to register to the tournaments (plain and simple). Second, you will rack up points on it. You will be able to redeem this points to buy over-priced sandwiches in the poker kitchen at the break, or buy a snow globe from the gift store for your wife.

7/Mints - Have some mercy for your neighbors. After serving yourself 3 plates of roasted garlic lamb at the buffet, have a mint. Or two.

8/A sweater - Yes, Las Vegas is in the middle of the desert. Yes, the WSOP are in June. Yes it is 100F out there. But inside the Amazon room, it isn't warmer than the mini-bar fridge of your hotel room. Not having a sweater can make your day as pleasurable as loosing with AA at the money bubble. Also, you don't want to be one of the suckers who go buy a WSOP sweater at the gift shop because they forgot theirs at home.

9/A phone charger - Chances are, you are going to be card dead for most of the day. What are most people doing when it happens? They look at the emptiness of their Facebook feed 3 times, watch videos of cute puppies on YouTube and play Candy Crush. If they have an average than usual IQ, they might read the news on CNN (but still click on the latest updates about Queen Elizabeth's health rather than why Tech rallies put Nasdaq on the verge of exiting bear market). Anyway, if you want to spend a good amount of time on your cherished device, you will need to recharge it at some point. Another perk: you will be able to act like a total snob and arbor a look of judgement on your face when seeing someone seating on the floor next to the power plug (or when the pushy sales guy in the Rio's hallway harasses you to buy his junky chargers).

10/Your buy-ins for the day events - Did you know there is an entrance fee on those tournaments?

And you, what do you put in your backpack?

Laptop, Advil, Vitamin C (who wants to get sick when its 115 outside ?), band-aids/blister patches, comps (if applicable).

All of the above plus condoms.

Stay away from my table, please

You put your weed in there... and some TP for your bunghole

Adderal

At the WSOP
Logo pens, thumb drives, eye glass cleaner kits, Purse Hangers (they make perfect card protectors) Pens with built in level and calibration etc....

Yes I am a veritable Santa Claus at the table -- Helps to justify the marketing tax deduction for my partial sponsorship.

The vast majority of poker players don’t need these.

ZING!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I didn't when I was 16 either but I still had one in my Wallet
Hope springs eternal !

posted this in the otehr thread,

serious note

im going to WSOP for the first time. i never traveled by myself before.

I think im bringing a backpack with phone charger, wallet, hand sanitizer, a snack and of course a bottle of water. all in my backpack.

what is this rewards cards you guys are speaking off? any any tips for those who have been there before?

I think i ll stuff long pants and a fleece like 3qtr zip jacket in my backpack since ever since I was a kid reading on these forums people have said how it feels like a freezer in the room

You have to have a Total Rewards card to enter WSOP tournaments. Total Rewards (or TR) is Caesars loyalty/comp/promotion program.

https://www.caesars.com/total-rewards

If you search the 2+2 forums for "WSOP tips" or something along those lines, I'm sure you will find a ton of threads with lots of good advice.

chapstick -- amazing how lips can get dried out.

nail clipper/nail file -- for some reason I always chip my nails during poker tournaments and end up picking or ripping . . .

Glasses cleaner (but not sunglasses)

Gum (not at the table, but during breaks)

Gel packs (quick energy buzz, no mess)

Multi-outlet for phone charger (so you can share)

arbys

wait DO I have to own one?

so if I fly there day before and try to register they won tlet me register the trouney unless I get this comp card?

Correct. But there are Total Rewards desks in a few spots within the Rio where you can get one. My recommendation is you will want to do so as soon as you can to avoid any last minute lines or hassles. Also, if you’re from the U.S I believe you need to show a license or other form of ID and provide an address and email. Folks from abroad may have different requirements. I would guess it’s spelled out somewhere on that site I linked

Gummy worm edibles and $50k in cash.

Great list and additions by others. Here's my additions.

1. A piece of paper w/ my name and contact info b/c I'm a moron after donking out and sometimes wander off w/o my pack. Figure it may help me get it back one day.

2. I always throw one of my hotel hand lotions in my bag (or pocket) - hate playing w/ dried out hands.

3. Related to the phone charger, I bring a USB rechargeable battery.

4. I also pick up structure sheets for the events I'm playing and put them in there.