WSOP Newbie Questions

[bec1972]

Hello All,

I will be playing in my first WSOP event this summer, #19, and attempted to pre-register last week. The system was completely fried, and, Friday, after talking to a live body, they said that over this past weekend the entire website would be moved to another server. The "body" also told me to try pre-registering on Monday. I see the advantages to pre-registering as the following:

1) Guarantees me a seat (I find this humorous as I doubt they will turn anybody away seeing how the main event is without the largest attended, and all other events have smaller fields)

2) Allow for easier check in, and entry in general. It is my understanding that there are windows available for check in for preregistered players versus potentially long lines for non-PRPs. I am also getting in LATE the night before, so the less hectic the better, because I will go straight to bed the night before with no gambling. (LMAO and ROTFL, man thats funny)

3) A little less cash I have to carry with me overall due to the pre-registration requirements.

Are there any other advantages, or dis-advantages, to pre-registering of which any of you are aware? Do any of you know how the tables are broken up at the WSOP, either for this year or in the past? In some of the pros blogs I have read that four of them flew in last second and registered in person and they were placed at the same table, which would lead me to believe that if they broke up the higher tables, the latest entries would likely be broken up first.

Thanks in advance for your replies. They will be appreciated.

[BigAlK]

Interesting questions. I don't have the answers since this will be my first time playing (also one of the prelim events). However one explanation for the story of the pros being sat at the same table is that they got in as alternates.

There were posts in this forum during last year's WSOP where this was discussed. I don't know at what point they made table assignments and started considering additional entrants as alternates (definitely after the event starts although I assume really at some point prior). I do know that last year alternates were sat in the order they signed up. Once they had enough alternates for a new table they were sat. I'm not sure if this will be changed this year. It obviously has some flaws with potential for abuse of various kinds (collusion and the like). I'm not sure if this applied to preliminaries or just the ME. I believe signing up prior to the event (although the night before is probably early enough) that the seats/tables are randomly assigned. I doubt there is any advantage in this regard to pre-registering via the web versus the night before. Hopefully others have more solid information.

Also ZeeJustin started a thread a month or two ago in this forum regarding seating order and sign up order that might apply if you want to search for it.

[csquard]

There are separate check-in's for pre-registering vs buying in. One major change this year is separating cash game cashier from tourney cashier, which was a major headache on all fronts last year. If you're sure of the event, buying directly in is a no-brainer. Last year for alternates (at Main Event, Event #2), they seated alternates in a new table rather than feeding them in, which may be what you are referring to.

Only other logistical thing I would recommend is if possible arrive the afternoon before the event starts rather than late. This will give you time to get acclimated a bit more to the Rio, the set-up, etc. If you don't pre-register, then I would head to the Rio immediately after you check into your hotel/room that evening just so you can get it out of the way. No real need to get to the event more than twenty minutes or so before start. Many people just wait and wait for the event to start, and you won't be seated anyways until 15-30 minutes before kick-off.

Good luck.