Thursday, July 14, 2011 | 2:05 a.m.
Main Event coverage
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- 2011 World Series of Poker section
Playing poker looks easy on television.
You are dealt two cards, place a wager or fold your hand, engage in friendly small talk with the stranger sitting next to you and hope to catch a miraculous hot streak.
That, however, is only half the battle.
That’s something I learned Wednesday at the Rio while playing in event No. 337 of the World Series of Poker. The no-entry-fee media tournament, where reporters covering the nearly two-month-long series get to try their luck, always makes for a fun afternoon and great column material.
The tournament ante and blind structure was designed to promote quick play, and small prizes were awarded to the top nine finishers.
My luck ran out when I went all-in with pocket 8s only to be called by someone holding pockets aces. I finished 35th in the 150-participant tournament, surviving three all-in bets earlier to hang around longer than my skills merited.
I was simply overmatched from the minute I stepped foot in the poker room, even needing help to find where my assigned seat No. 9 was at my table. Several in the tournament worked for poker trade magazines, giving me the feeling that I was in a home run derby against the analyst crew of Baseball Tonight. Professional Annie Duke, one of the best known female players, just released a strategy book and was playing in the event. That’s fair, right?
Excelling at poker involves a lot of patience and a certain confidence at the table that can only come from experience. I had neither — and it was glaringly obvious to my opponents.
When I finally pieced together a hand I felt confident about, a more seasoned player sensed weakness and pushed me off the hand with a big bet. The helpless feeling of knowing you are getting bullied around is awful, comparable to be dunked on in a pick-up basketball game or making an error on an easy play in beer-league softball. I have experience at that, too.
In the end, my lack of patience was likely my demise. As the ante slowly went from $200 to $500 and my starting cards continued to be weak, my stack dwindled from its peak of $28,000 in tournament chips to virtually nothing. We started with $10,000.
I wish I could report that I bluffed Annie Duke out of a big pot or reached the final table. Instead, there was a small moral victory in lasting until the final three tables and plenty memories. After all, not everyone gets a crack at this experience — a poker fantasy camp of sorts.
Carnival lasts all year at the Rio. With a float occasionally passing overhead and dropping beads while feathered dancers fire up the gamblers below, the Rio tries to keep its 120,000-square foot casino jumping with excitement. Special Brazilian mixed-drinks are also served throughout the casino. The hotel suites tend to be larger than similar priced rooms on the Strip and many offer excellent views with floor to ceiling windows.
The Rio offers some quality shows like "Penn & Teller" and "Chippendales." Many come to the Rio for the nightlife at the VooDoo Lounge, located on the 51st floor, or McFadden's Irish Pub on the casino level.
Others come for a bit relaxation at the Rio Spa or pool area and still others come to shop at the hotel's 60,000 square feet of shops. In each of these endeavors, the Rio attempts to make the experience a bit more fun and spontaneous.
The Rio also offers guests a variety of dining choices from all-American food at the All-American Bar & Grille to Gaylord India Restaurant for something a little spicier and even Carnival World Buffet for the indecisive.
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