For those of you heading out to the WSOP, here are three other survival tips you might not otherwise think of. (If you have others, chime in): 

Think Layers: Thousands of body heat-generating players come together each day to test their poker skills at the WSOP. To compensate for the pending crowd, the venue is super-cooled before each day’s play. As a result, there can be large temperature swings over the course of an event. A T-shirt, long-sleeved shirt and hoodie should be part of your daily clothing repertoire.

Go Smokeless: During event breaks, smokers have to coin-flip between a bathroom visit and a nicotine fix. Instead of opting for adult diapers, consider smokeless nicotine solutions like the patch or snus. Both offer an even distribution of nicotine over time, making sure you stay focused on your hand and not your nicotine Jones. Check out Dr. Snus for everything you need to know about this smoke-free tobacco alternative.

Find Your Ten-Pin Zen: Poker is a solitary endeavor. Bowling with friends is a near perfect yin to poker’s isolating yang. In close proximity to the Rio, both The Orleans and the Gold Coast have ample and cheaply priced lanes. And if you have a hankering for something on the campier side, consider a trip downtown to the newly opened Drink and Drag. The club has 12 lanes and is staffed by “America’s best drag queens.”

November Nine – Naming Names (Ep 2) by taopokerati

Dan and Dr. Pauly discuss the November Nine players, or rather, Dan’s lack of care to learn who made the final table. But Dan has a cheat sheet — the live chip count list — that appears on a big screen adjacent to the stage. A nice improvement to the WSOP set-up.

Seriously, not lying when I say I’ve played virtually EVERY DAY of this Series, probably not going longer than 36 hours without logging on — at least to redeem a gift that expires in 1 hour. I’m too embarrassed to be seen playing at the Rio, which is why I stay home … But still, when I am playing, I can’t help but think about the World Series of Poker going on just down the road, on Twitter, on Facebook, on iPhones, via livestream … not to mention the personal text messages and deluge of PR emails … pretty much anywhere with wifi there is Zynga — er, I mean WSOP. To play Zynga you only need 3G.

How rich is this screenshot? To set up the hand, I’m playing Fast-Table 5-handed $100/$200 No-Limit Hold’em on my iPhone. It limps around and I call from the small blind, but fold when the BB makes it $1.9k to go. I probably shoulda called, because if anything Zynga is a workshop in implied odds … but dream flops for naughty hole cards aside, zoom in and you’ll see that Sasquatch gets around.

Meanwhile, to show you yes, I may have a problem but I can handle it …

I find about 9 things in this shot rather fascinating … some indicative of why Jack Link’s probably isn’t the only one paying attention to Zynga’s forthcoming IPO … and one because I have screenshots from when I’ve made quads.

2011 WSOP – Episode 16: Brickless Cash Games Reprise (3:22) – Dan and Pauly recorded a quick follow-up to their previous episode while they hang out on the rail of the high-stakes cash games. They spot Eskimo Clark, “Cowboy”, and other broke dicks lingering around seeking handouts from the high rollers.

For more episodes, visit the Tao of Pokerati archives or subscribe to the Tao of Pokerati feed.

2011 WSOP – Episode 18: Mothership Stench with Timtern (2:43) – Pauly and Timtern are in the press section inside the Mothership, while sweating the final table of the Donkament. Timtern shares a story about a couple of railbirds who put him on mega-tilt, including the guy who took off his shoes. Pauly also describes the sketchy, yet pungent scene inside the Mothership.

For more episodes, visit the Tao of Pokerati archives or subscribe to the Tao of Pokerati feed.

But what I didn’t expect as a top story that now is .. the non-bracelet daily “deepstacks” at the Rio — specifically the $235 2pm event. Say what you will about the value in playing in a tournament with 20 percent rake … this event has more people talking about it, multiple times a week, every week, consistently, probably moreso than any other at the WSOP. It started off with a few hundred players each day (nice), and soon began drawing more than 600 (kinda wow) … and then 800 (for sure wow) and then just a few days ago (OMG!) 1,100 — a record field size for such a non-bracelet event at the WSOP. The suits, we can suspect, are practically speechlessly giddy.

There’s an old axiom in poker room operations that “action breeds action.” To some extent, the whole World Series is testament to the concept … and these Venetian Deep Stacks Knockoffs show it in microcosm. No wonder Caesars eventually began catering to “smaller” customers wanting a low-cost taste of the WSOP while playing for more than just satellite tokens.

When all is said and done, more than a football stadium worth of people will have dropped a couple hundred bucks into mini-WSOP events that are becoming less and less mini … whether that be in spite of, or because of, all the similar such tourneys — Venetian Deep Stacks, Caesars Palace MegaStacks, the Golden Nugget Grand Series, Binion’s Somethingorother Classic, the WynnSOP Whatever … I think I’m even missing a few others — that came before what’s currently going on at the Rio.

Action breeds action. At the WSOP and all over Vegas … Click below for more detailed numbers about how the Rio’s 2p $235, 6p $185, and 10p $135 have grown by the day:

(Special thanks to Heath @WSOPIntern for the data help. Can you do 3-D graphs?)

. tournament date field size prize pool 1st place . 10p Rio 135 5/30/2011 26 $2,730 $1,366 . 2p Rio 235 5/30/2011 114 $22,230 $5,899 . 6p Rio 185 5/30/2011 57 $8,550 $2,740 . 10p Rio 135 5/31/2011 94 $9,870 $3,163 . 2p Rio 235 5/31/2011 135 $26,325 $6,982 . 6p Rio 185 5/31/2011 117 $17,550 $4,657 . 10p Rio 135 6/1/2011 90 $9,450 $3,028 . 2p Rio 235 6/1/2011 245 $47,775 $11,723 . 6p Rio 185 6/1/2011 200 $30,000 $7,358 . 10p Rio 135 6/2/2011 167 $17,535 $4,657 . 2p Rio 235 6/2/2011 372 $72,540 $17,426 . 6p Rio 185 6/2/2011 217 $32,550 $7,992 . 10p Rio 135 6/3/2011 155 $16,275 $4,321 . 2p Rio 235 6/3/2011 500 $97,500 $22,442 . 6p Rio 185 6/3/2011 263 $39,450 $9,674 . 10p Rio 135 6/4/2011 155 $16,275 $4,321 . 2p Rio 235 6/4/2011 577 $112,515 $25,905 . 6p Rio 185 6/4/2011 325 $48,750 $11,721 . 10p Rio 135 6/5/2011 - - -

. 2p Rio 235 6/5/2011 599 $116,805 $26,885 . 6p Rio 185 6/5/2011 300 $45,000 $10,818 . 10p Rio 135 6/6/2011 174 $18,270 $4,850 . 2p Rio 235 6/6/2011 575 $112,125 $25,809 . 6p Rio 185 6/6/2011 360 $54,000 $12,972 . 10p Rio 135 6/7/2011 170 $17,850 $4,737 . 2p Rio 235 6/7/2011 653 $127,335 $28,688 . 6p Rio 185 6/7/2011 289 $43,350 $10,635 . 10p Rio 135 6/8/2011 175 $18,375 $4,878 . 2p Rio 235 6/8/2011 631 $123,045 $27,711 . 6p Rio 185 6/8/2011 279 $41,850 $10,268 . 10p Rio 135 6/9/2011 163 $17,115 $4,544 . 2p Rio 235 6/9/2011 715 $139,425 $30,708 . 6p Rio 185 6/9/2011 277 $41,550 $10,193 . 10p Rio 135 6/10/2011 170 $17,850 $4,737 . 2p Rio 235 6/10/2011 750 $146,250 $32,201 . 6p Rio 185 6/10/2011 317 $47,550 $11,428 . 10p Rio 135 6/11/2011 223 $23,415 $5,748 . 2p Rio 235 6/11/2011 463 $90,285 $21,232 . 6p Rio 185 6/11/2011 464 $69,600 $16,368

. 10p Rio 135 6/12/2011 183 $19,215 $5,104 . 2p Rio 235 6/12/2011 392 $76,440 $18,359 . 6p Rio 185 6/12/2011 384 $57,600 $13,841 . 10p Rio 135 6/13/2011 193 $20,265 $5,379 . 2p Rio 235 6/13/2011 874 $170,430 $36,696 . 6p Rio 185 6/13/2011 360 $54,000 $12,972 . 10p Rio 135 6/14/2011 182 $19,110 $5,073 . 2p Rio 235 6/14/2011 890 $173,550 $37,349 . 6p Rio 185 6/14/2011 291 $43,650 $10,707 . 10p Rio 135 6/15/2011 201 $21,105 $5,184 . 2p Rio 235 6/15/2011 806 $157,170 $33,827 . 6p Rio 185 6/15/2011 390 $58,500 $14,062 . 10p Rio 135 6/16/2011 212 $22,260 $5,465 . 2p Rio 235 6/16/2011 702 $136,890 $30,153 . 6p Rio 185 6/16/2011 419 $62,850 $14,785 . 10p Rio 135 6/17/2011 213 $22,365 $5,492 . 2p Rio 235 6/17/2011 480 $93,600 $22,025 . 6p Rio 185 6/17/2011 520 $78,000 $17,963 . 10p Rio 135 6/18/2011 197 $20,685 $5,490 . 2p Rio 235 6/18/2011 600 $117,000 $26,354

. 6p Rio 185 6/18/2011 565 $84,750 $19,515 . 10p Rio 135 6/19/2011 245 $25,725 $6,316 . 2p Rio 235 6/19/2011 874 $170,430 $36,696 . 6p Rio 185 6/19/2011 280 $42,000 $10,303 . 10p Rio 135 6/20/2011 232 $24,360 $5,984 . 2p Rio 235 6/20/2011 1110 $216,450 $43,887 . 6p Rio 185 6/20/2011 358 $53,700 $12,910

Pauly published yesterday, and even though we’ve got a fancy autofeeder here at Pokerati, I did not … but LOL(ish) … this episode was next in the queue:

2011 WSOP – Episode 8: Eskimo Yes, Jesus No (4:22) – Dan and Pauly try to pinpoint which pros are noticeably absent (Clonie, Jesus, Howard Lederer), while Eskimo Clark sightings have been rampant. They also try to figure out where the old Bat Beat Bar and Lounge went and why its been replaced by a oxygen bar.

For more episodes, visit the Tao of Pokerati archives.

Glitz. Glamor. Excitement. So far, the 2011 WSOP has had none of these things, and honestly, I’m finding the whole thing kind of sad. It’s not the World Series of Poker we all know and love… it’s more like the World Series of Meh.

The thing is that after spending a number of hours wandering around the Rio during the first week, it’s hard to put a finger on what’s different about this year’s event. Maybe it’s fallout from Black Friday and the fact that sites like PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker don’t have their usual suites. Maybe it’s the fact that the first week’s events were tailored more toward professional players and featured more mixed games and higher buy ins than the casual player is comfortable playing.

Or maybe I’m just jaded.

The halls feel emptier, the rails aren’t as jammed, and people just seem more serious than usual. Event numbers have been good, but no one appears to be having any fun.

Still, jaded or not, the fact remains that the Rio just doesn’t have the same excited vibe that I’m used to feeling during the first week of the Series. The halls feel emptier, the rails aren’t as jammed, and people just seem more serious than usual. What makes the feel of this year’s Series even stranger is that the event numbers have been good. People are playing cards, but no one appears to be having any fun.

So, is there anything that the Rio and WSOP staff can do to loosen things up and pump some more excitement into the proceedings?

Unfortunately, I don’t really think so. Throughout the first week, the staff has seemed as attentive and responsive to players as I’ve ever seen, and I feel like they’re really working to make this year’s series something special. Sure, the much-hyped grudge matches fell a little flat in real life, but those can be fixed in post. And they took place on that massive, mothership feature table set, which should look awesome in high def. (I fully expect someone will figure out how to replicate the last five minutes of Close Encounters of the Third Kind on that thing before the Series is done.)

Bright lights and forced drama aside, it just feels like Caesar’s is fighting an uphill battle against forces that are out of their control. I mean, when the biggest story of the week is about the player who’s boycotting the WSOP as a big FU to his sponsor, you’ve got some problems on your hands.

It’s way too early to label this year’s WSOP a disappointment, but my hunch is that the suits behind the scenes are getting a little worried about how this year’s Series is going to play on TV and in the press. Without some big names making some deep runs in the next few days, it’s going to be hard for them to convince the general public to pay attention to what’s happening on the felt rather than looking behind the curtain to focus on what’s happening in the courts.

So come on people, lighten up. Sure, you’re playing for a shot at fame, glory and life-changing money, but really, do you have to take things so seriously?

Seen outside the Rio today, this high-performance Mustang either being offered up as a gift by someone trying to recruit WSOP exec Ty Stewart over to the WPT or it’s probably the ride of an appreciative WPT champion at the WSOP going after a different brand of bracelet.

Then I saw the plate and thought, pfft, dude we so already got that one … but it is a nicer pic, I guess. Just an iPhone, really?

Then I went back to the original post about this specific license plate, also spotted at the Rio during the WSOP, shortly before the main event … and WTF?

There’s gotta be a story here, if not a dead body or at least a prop bet …

Though presumably not involved, the West Virginia variety of this plate original is here.

Corvette-ness makes the hedline seem plausible. Would have to cross-reference Clark County impound records with arrest reports from Las Vegas Metro to be sure … and though the presence of stripper-glitter in the passenger seat could be a telltale sign, windows were too tinted to be certain.

UPDATE: Or you could just check Wikipedia … to be reminded that Layne Flack does indeed hail from the state that some people consider the Oklahoma of Nebraska.

The end of an era is upon us … with Harrah’s finally selling the Rio — that horrendous dump of a property at 3700 W. Flamingo Rd. that reminds us how quickly Las Vegas luxe can deteriorate …

But also a place that the World Series of Poker and so many of us connected to it have long called home — at least for most of our 21st century summers.

More details TK.

Credit @LasVegasMichael for getting the pseudo-confirmation and other info as it emerges.

Our extra-reliable sources at Pokerati confirm as much. Everyone knew it was coming, but supposedly the actual sale went down yesterday. To “one of those name name and ampersand venture capital companies.”

I’ve long held that Caesar’s would be the most likely new home of the brick-and-mortar equivalent of CaesarsCasino and CaesarsBingo dot coms. But early word without having talked directly to all those people we know extremely well and would be the ones who actually do know … Planet Hollywood … that will be the new home.

Again, all of this technically unconfirmed, but place your bets on the wherabouts of the 2011 WSOP-Ho here.

Andy Bloch talking poker and Internet freedom (Photo by BJ Nemeth)

Bloch stated three reasons why they should care, even if they’re not an online poker player: Basic freedom, the implications and side effects a ban on Internet gambling would have and how it could move to other areas of the Internet, and that people need to be organized and actively defend their rights. Bloch related a story about how he was playing a $1 SNG online (not mentioning Full Tilt Poker, but he was wearing a PPA patch) with an individual who was visually impaired. He stated that the person he was talking to, and others like him, would not be able to play in a brick and mortar casino. He also described how the UIGEA was passed in the middle of the night in 2006, attached to a must-pass bill. At the time, the PPA and poker community weren’t as mobilized as they are today in the effort to regulate Internet gambling.

The other two individuals on the panel, James Rucker of ColorofChange.org discussing net neutrality and Amelia Donoley of the Center for Media Justice discussing how Internet freedom affects migrant and Latino communities. Most of the audience questions (which were difficult to hear on the video) appeared to be geared toward the net neutrality issue, with the fear that big corporations would control the flow of the Internet, forcing out smaller companies and non-profit groups. Andy stated that there are big corporations supporting net neutrality, as well as to help regulate online poker.

At the end of the panel, each panelist had one final opportunity to promote their efforts. Bloch brought out a poker chip with a bar code to enter into a drawing for an Ipad. The other two panelists seemed impressed with his offering as they each picked up a chip. To watch the hearing, it’s available below:

Bloch will be part of a panel entitled Internet Freedom: Protecting Rights in the Digital Realm in a section of the Brasilia Room, home of the Bad Beat Bar during this year’s WSOP.

The description of the panel:

Freedom must be protected everywhere it is threatened. The FCC has an opportunity to protect Internet users from telecom interests seeking to exploit them. This session will dissect the fight for an open Internet to this point and share strategies for building grassroots support to achieve real Internet Freedom.

The description of Bloch mentions his work with the PPA as part of a grassroots effort to protect the rights of poker players live and online. How much of that will be mentioned during the panel is unknown, but you can watch the discussion from 10:30am-11:45am PT on Ustream.tv.

(I take it all back, of course, if this car happens to belong to Webber Kang.)

Seen in the WSOP-valet lot at the Rio:

We don’t have a make on this vehicle — “it was dark,” says our Lot C correspondent, who was filling in for Goldfarb — but we can be pretty sure it’s not a Bentley or a Hummer.

Today’s plates were spotted in the valet lot at the Rio. This first one I think I’ve seen before:

UPDATE: We have.
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And thought the license-plate frame suggests otherwise, if this one belongs to Seth Palansky, well, let’s just say he and I need to have a talk about those food comps …