Countdown To The World Series of Poker

Slightly less than one month from now, thousands of poker players from around the globe will gather at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino for the 36th Annual World Series of Poker. The simple mention of the title "World Series of Poker" sends a shiver of anticipation up the spine of every rounder, whether a grizzled veteran or a newcomer to the game, as it is, and has been for nearly four decades now, the pinnacle of success in the poker world.

A World Series bracelet is the crowning achievement of many a poker player's career and playing at the highest level of poker competition is what all players, whether amateur, recreational or professional, strive for to think about before heading to Las Vegas from June 25th to August 11th. In the first part of this series, we'll take a basic look at what to expect when you come to Las Vegas for the World Series.

While some of the things here may be obvious, they will be things that have to be considered. If it will be your first trip to the desert in June, July or August, you can forget bringing any jackets or sweaters (this may sound simple, but surprisingly many don't think of it!). The only spot that these items will come in handy is inside some casinos, which can be cooled down to the point where you'll see your breath (this shouldn't be a problem at the World Series, where sheer numbers of people will counteract this).

Temperatures in Las Vegas during this time of the year routinely hover in the 100-degree zone, making it more likely that you'll be swapping one air-conditioned location for another rather than spending any time outside! The evenings can still be a balmy 90-degrees plus, but it is the best time to even think about walking around the Strip. Have a good supply of water if you are going to spend any length of time outside, as in these conditions, you'll need it. When it comes to driving, that is something else that you may want to do without. Whether you drive yourself to Sin City or rent a car, traffic in Las Vegas is highly congested (especially on the Strip) and, unless you have prior experience as a New York cabbie, difficult to navigate.

Rather than taking the funding from your poker bankroll for the rental car, set some aside for cab fares or the Strip trolley and leave the driving responsibilities in someone else's hands. Walking, unless you were born on the sun (look back to the last paragraph), isn't a recommended mode of transportation. With the weather and traffic reports out of the way, let's take a look at the thing that will be drawing everyone to the Rio?the World Series. At the World Series website (worldseriesofpoker. com) there is a complete listing of events for the six weeks of competition.

While the first event is for casino employees only, Event #15 is the Ladies' No-Limit event and Event #19 the Seniors (50 and older) No-Limit tournament, every other tournament is an "open" event. You do have to be 21 years old to play in the tournaments, so if you are an online player who is under that magic age and you're trying to satellite your way into the Championship Event, please stop.

There were a handful of hopefuls last year who could not play in the $10,000 tournament because they weren't old enough to legally step in the casinos in Las Vegas and, as such, had to railbird the action that they wanted to be a part of.

May 27, 2006
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com    Previous Page | Internet Gambling | Top Online Casinos | Submit News!

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