One of PND’s reporters is on the other side of the news this year. JD is in Vegas for the WSOP, but he will not be conducting interviews or reporting chip counts; he is on a quest to win his first bracelet. We asked him to submit weekly updates of his WSOP experience as part of the field, and this is his first installment of News from the Field.
Hello and welcome to my article series, News from the Field. My name is JD and I’m a part-time poker player and writer who will be in Las Vegas for the next five weeks. I hope to play some poker myself, but at the very least, I’m living with a group of players who will be in almost every WSOP event. Once a week for the duration of my stay out here, I’ll be chronicling the daily routine of a house full of poker players, our World Series of Poker (WSOP) tribulations at Rio and, of course, our nightlife.
I was supposed to arrive in Vegas late on May 28th, but due to a delayed flight out of Charlotte, I actually landed in the wee hours of the 29th. I hadn’t ruled out playing the $1,000 WSOP event, which was slated to start Saturday at Noon, but the late flight made my decision for me, as I was extremely tired by the time I finally got to the house. My housemates Tim, Tristan, and Dan were all playing in Event #2 and had long since gone to bed, so I only got to talk to my friend Brad, who had picked me up from the airport. We chatted for a bit and he seemed excited about the Series and the summer in general, but it didn’t extend any further, as we were both exhausted.
The house was buzzing with anticipation when I awoke the next morning as everybody prepared for their first tournament of the Series. I said hello to my friends Dan and Tim and re-introduced myself to Tristan, who I’d only met briefly in the past. Since Brad was also registered for the $1,000 event, I decided to tag along and check out the setup for this year’s festivities. When we arrived at Rio, the familiar feeling of being at the WSOP came flooding back: the suffocating Vegas heat that grips you the moment you exit your air conditioned car; the cool mist system that offers a moment’s respite from the stagnant air as you walk up the steps leading into the home of the WSOP; the hundreds of poker players nervously milling about as they wait for the day’s event to begin. I took it all in and, even though I didn’t play that day, I realized how happy I was to be back.
We showed up just as the tournament was starting and I soon found myself alone, so I decided to make the rounds and get acquainted with the new setup. I immediately noticed that the Poker Kitchen is much bigger and better than it has been in years past, which is great news. In fact, it even has a new name: Gutshot Grill. It’s not large enough to house every single person in a 4,000 player field, but I have confirmation from Dan and Tristan that Gutshot Grill’s wraps are a solid option. If there’s one thing to know about the WSOP, it’s that Rio isn’t an optimal place to eat during a dinner break, especially without a reservation.
I cruised around for a while – checking out the Amazon Room and making sure registration was still located in the same place (it is) – before I stumbled upon the new Pavilion Room. I always thought the Amazon Room was massive but, in comparison to Pavilion, it seems tiny. In any case, the new room is pretty nice and, overall, the organization this year seems more efficient than ever.
As for poker, our house has made a few Day 2s thus far, but the end results have been disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, deep runs are exciting, it’s just hard not to feel deflated when a friend goes deep to no avail. Dan has cashes in the $1,000 and $1,500 No Limit Hold’em events and Tim busted the $1,500 in 38th place for just over $10,000.
It’s a long series, so the most important thing for us is to stay positive and encourage each other, regardless of results. The guys are going to be playing more than me, but I feel right there with them whether they’re doing well or not, so I try to provide as much support as I can.
While we were at Rio on Tuesday, I registered for the $1,000 event this Saturday (a quick note about registration World Series registration: do it at night and never the day of the tournament, if you can avoid it). I’m not sure how many events I’m going to be able to play, so I want to make sure that I’m fully prepared when I do get the chance. I’m going to eat healthy today and make sure that I get a solid sleep tonight. In huge minefield tournaments, all I can do is play my best and hope to run insanely well, which is exactly what I plan on doing. Let’s just see what happens, shall we?
