playing in Main Event...how long should I book hotel...buy roundtrip?

[rainonacongadrum]

I'm playing the Main Event and am confused about whether I should go ahead and book my room from July 5-17 or whether I should just book it for a few days since I don't know when I'm going to get knocked out. Same dillemma with the plane...don't want to buy roundtrip and have to wait around for a week if I get knocked out on day one...but I don't want to get ripped off on a ticket either. What's everybody doing?

Also, if I book from July 5-17 will I just be able to cancel if I want to leave on the 11th or something?

[Transcend06]

Buy one way ticket. If you get knocked off early you're not stuck. If you last long enough to money then it doesn't matter on the ticket cost. Same goes for hotel.

[redfisher]

If I really cared, I'd buy a refundable ticket round trip and book the hotel direct through the hotel website. Just make sure you understand the early departure penalties for both land and air.

I don't really think that I'd leave right away. Why would you leave when they're about to cut loose a few thousand poker players who just busted out of a 10K tourney in 1 day? They can't all have been cold decked. Some of them must just suck at poker. I'd recommend finding them.

[rainonacongadrum]

I'll stay for a bit. Where do you find refundable round trip tickets? I can get one way to Vegas from here for 179 or so.

[sarahbellum]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll stay for a bit. Where do you find refundable round trip tickets? I can get one way to Vegas from here for 179 or so.

[/ QUOTE ]

Southwest Airlines

[redfisher]

[ QUOTE ]
I'll stay for a bit. Where do you find refundable round trip tickets? I can get one way to Vegas from here for 179 or so.

[/ QUOTE ]

They will be more, but you can get refundable tickets from any airline. You may find that a non-refundable ticket + a oneway return is less than a refundable round trip + change fees. Just hit the SWA website and Orbitz and figure out what you need to do.

[rainonacongadrum]

So with a refundable round trip flight you can change to pretty much any available flight whenever you want to go. Eg. if I my return flight is scheduled July 12 and I want to leave the 10th or 13th I just call Southwest?

[MEJG2]

I travel all the time for my job...

Most hotels do not charge any additional fees if you leave early, as long as you stay the first night (and it's not a big holiday weekend or some special package). I have left vegas hotels early a number of times and have never had a problem, just checking out early. So you can book the hotel for the whole time. If you want to play it safe, check with the hotel first on their policy.

Most airlines will let you standby for free. Which means you show up when you want to fly home and they will change your ticket if they have an open seat. I usually call the airline and find out if they have a lot of open seats or if the flight is booked before I leave the hotel. If it has open seats, I go and ride standby. It's important that you use the word "standby" or they will try to charge you a change fee and the difference in fare. Some airlines charge a $25 - 50 fee for standing by. If you can't get cheap 1 way tickets, just book it for the majority of the main event and take the standby approach.

I booked my flight home for the night of the 13th. If I am there longer, I sure won't care about the cost of a flight change, if I am out earlier, I will just go home standby.

[phifediggy]

Side note: if you're looking at places to stay, Vegas.com appears to be the best place for hotel rates (better than the actual hotel sites themselves)

[olieovie]

I booked for a weeks stay starting on Saturday night (first day Sunday). As others have said, leaving early is little problem for hotel and I'd just fly standby for the first flight I can get back. Leaving later might be more of a hassle, but by the time it becomes an issue I'll have guaranteed myself a six figure cash so I probably won't be too annoyed about any extra fees.

[stephenNUTS]

I just booked my return trip to Vegas this morning,leaving on July 4th-17th to play in the WSOP and Bellagio Cup lll Main Event's(obv. hoping I am still in the WS).The RIO is def.short on rooms as per the reservations desk at the poker rate(i dont gamble in the pit,so I am not a commodity),and I also booked Southwest Air as well.

As to your above question of the Southwest return date, I had the same issue of "when" I would be leaving Vegas.I booked round trip out of Islip/Macarthur,N.Y,as it worked out cheaper,than if I book ONE WAY,and then call up on a days notice from there.........and then buy another ONE way ticket back home.If I leave earlier I will just have to pay a small service charge to change to an earlier available flight
If I were to break the flights in half,there is not much savings,and in my case the seats are very limited due to the July 4th Holiday week rush,so I didnt want to take a chance.
Even if I cancel the whole trip prior ,the complete cost is credited for one year in full for any subsequent Southwest flight.

Good luck,
~stephen

[CincyLady]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm playing the Main Event and am confused about whether I should go ahead and book my room from July 5-17 or whether I should just book it for a few days since I don't know when I'm going to get knocked out. Same dillemma with the plane...don't want to buy roundtrip and have to wait around for a week if I get knocked out on day one...but I don't want to get ripped off on a ticket either. What's everybody doing?

Also, if I book from July 5-17 will I just be able to cancel if I want to leave on the 11th or something?

[/ QUOTE ]

Book it for the whole time, as you can always check out early and you won't be charged for the other days. Only the first day is what you pay your deposit for.

As for the airfare, well most airlines at most only charge you a $75 to $100 fee to change your reservations.

I'm planning on playing in the ME myself (gotta win the seat first though), and I'm taking the whole time off of work with the thought I'm going to make it all the way.

No sense in making it deep into the event, and then having to scramble to find accomodations and a return flight home (not to mention needing more time off of work) at the last minute.

One more thing to add, if you're planning on making the final table, then I'd book your hotel check out and flight back home, for the 18th of July.

Now that's what I call ... positive thinking! /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[kutuz_off]

[ QUOTE ]
No sense in making it deep into the event, and then having to scramble to find accomodations and a return flight home (not to mention needing more time off of work) at the last minute.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, I only booked reservations through day 3 (wednesday the 11th). If I make it past that, I'll have to extend my stay, change the flight back and inform the employer that I need to extend my vacation. At that point I will be in the money, and the likelihood of it happening is less than 10% anyway.

[stephenNUTS]

[ QUOTE ]


[/ QUOTE ] No sense in making it deep into the event, and then having to scramble to find accomodations and a return flight home (not to mention needing more time off of work) at the last minute. [ QUOTE ]


[/ QUOTE ]

Now thats positive karma!

Good Luck

~stephen /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[CincyLady]

Thanks Steve! /images/graemlins/smile.gif I truly believe that if you are prepared to win, you usually will win.

This is because if you think about it, if you set yourself up for failure, your subconcious mind will set you up on the path to acheive that goal. The same thing holds true, is if you set yourself up to win, then your subcouncious mind will look for paths of opportunity to win.

How many times have you ever considered, when by normal means, the odds were against you to achieve or win the impossible, but you had this 'for sure feeling' it could be done.

I remember the time I won my first major event with a 10k prize for winning it (a Charity event in Dayton Ohio).

I had a good feeling about the whole thing, and about halfway through it, a guy walks by me, looks me straight in the eye, and with a confident look announces 'I know you're going to win this event and take home the money and the trophy', and I believed him, even though at the time he said it, I was short stacked.

Sure enough, just a little bit after that, it seemed I couldn't lose, pot after pot, I took it down, and I also played so much better than I had to date.

Plan to win, and you usually win, plan to lose and you will do that too.

As for me, I am planning on winning, so I booked the whole duration in Vegas, and planned the time off of work (3 weeks in total).

In other words, I put action behind my words and beliefs.

/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[sarahbellum]

[ QUOTE ]
So with a refundable round trip flight you can change to pretty much any available flight whenever you want to go. Eg. if I my return flight is scheduled July 12 and I want to leave the 10th or 13th I just call Southwest?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep it's this easy, provided they have a flight on the 10th or 13th that isn't sold out. You can also do it online, without ever having to talk to anyone.