Seen here, playing slots outside the poker room at the Palms: Annie Shea (right) and her not-quite ready for Zynga Poker friend Rene Knapp — passing time while waiting to attend the afternoon Annie Duke poker school. Ms. Shea is one of 500 Zynga players who got into this event, which sold out days ago.

(I almost don’t get it … don’t they know about the new trend for late registration!?!)

Shea comes into this event with 7.5 million play-money chips in her bankroll.

Pokerati Mincast: Montana Zynga People

[audio: http://pokerati.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/zynga-people.mp3]

The Zynga Pokercon is underway at the Palms. Right now some 500 people are packed in to an upstairs ballroom attending “Zynga U” — a mini poker boot camp for Zynga players — with Annie Duke as the lead professor. I think they’re at the part where she teaches them why Q4 is a bad starting hand against a raise and a re-raise in early position.

Perfect time for me to “work the hallways” … also perfect time to kick off my experimental “Pokerati Mincast” — a super-short audio and/or video taste of what this weekend is all about.

Sure enough, I found this lovely lady (I thought she was selling cigarettes) who was kind enough to explain to me one of the “games” they have here for players this weekend.