Energy drinks at the WSOP

ENERGY DRINKS!
why Red Bull hasnt just decided to go ahead and take on the moniker OFFICIAL ENERGY DRINK of poker, I have NO idea! For the last two years we have been inundated by OTHER energy drinks, who think, for some reason, that they are going to bring poker players over to the dark side. NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

Rio, and Harrahs has got to be the biggest sell outs in the history of sports. First it was Old Milwaukee...who due to their presence in the sponsorship scene make it IMPOSSIBLE to get a decent beer anywhere in Rio. Coors Light? Bottle? FORGET IT! You will get draft beer and draft beer only.

So for this years event we get to deal with ALL IN energy drink, and oh, ALL IN water, which is fine. Afterall, water is JUST water. But this energy drink is gawd awful. I have yet to meet ANYONE who likes it. So what do they do to top this disaster? Hey, I know...lets run a poker tournament! Sounds like a great idea!

Johnny Chan is behind this joke of a product that I guarantee you will seize to exist once the World Series leaves town. From the first day we arrived they had this blonde hair surfer looking dude running around the halls pimping (selling) entry into a $400 tourney that was promising a prize pool of $500,000...would get you 16 cases of either energy drink or water (no brainer) sent to your house...a party at the Palms the night before the tournament that was supposed to feature food and free drinks...a $1000 bounty on 30 chosen pros, and a CAP of 1000 players.

When buying in, they gave you a badge that was supposed to get you right in. Here is how it actually went down: Monday night, me and all of my house mates went to the party at the Palms. First thing we noticed was that there were NO COOL PEOPLE THERE AT ALL! NONE! Second thing we noticed? Drinks were all $10 a pop. NICE! Food? No food! We stayed for about an hour, then departed to go to a club, then to go see some of Las Vegas' most fabulous naked girls.

In between, me and my fiance, known by most as Squirrel...decided to go get married! yeah, we have been engaged since December. We thought it would be fun to get married out here...then at the big event at the Beau Rivage have a huge reception then...since all of our friends would be there. Well, they no longer do 24-hour a day weddings in Vegas. Guess it stopped 3 years ago. So I am still single.

The following morning we all made our way to the Rio one hour before the ALL IN tourney was to begin. We walked in and found a line about (no exaggeration) a quarter of a mile long...all people waiting to get a SEAT assignment for the tourney! NO WAY! And the cap of 1000 players was clearly a LIE! I found that out when I had to find my name on their sheet to get admitted, even though I was WEARING MY BADGE!

I saw 1458 names on the list! Real nice. By the time we finally got our seat....they were 20 minutes into the first level. Maybe the worst-organized event I have ever been a part of. I drew a table where everyone decides it will be fun to raise $275 every hand with the blinds at $25/$50. Great. I am picking up hands like AQ/KQ/A10/44/ calling their stupid raises with my paltry $2500 starting chips. Finally on the 8th hand...donkey behind me riases $250...I call with 77. Flop comes 6-3-3.....doofus bets out $650.

I tell him "AK no good pal" and move all in on him. He calls...with, you guessed it...AK....and promptly turns an ACE! Of course. The big winner? ME! I get to leave this circus and head to The Venetian. I buy into the $340....which amasses a record 733 players. Despite being shortstacked all day...going 0 for 7 early with AK....not being able to hit a flop and not getting any action when I DID hit a flop...I somehow managed to squeeze out a 54th place finish and collect $540 for my efforts...essentially my money back plus a tip!

I took that money and bought into a $540 single table satellite for entry into the following days $2500 buy in event there. Getting a big chip lead...I eventually would run my AQ into the always powerful K6 offsuit...getting beat by a four card flush...and walking away mumbling to myself! Nice day!