World Series of Poker Registration FUBAR

ADB Fold'em wanted to play in the first event at the World Series of Poker, the $500 Casino Employees tournament on Friday, June .. He did everything right: registered in advance on the WSOP Web site, sent in a cashier's check for entry fee payment, and got a confirmation. It ought to have been straightforward for him to get his seat assignment, sit down, and play. It wasn't:

Now I get in line. The line does not move. Many folks are just walking up to their buds and joining the line in that manner. After an hour, the line has moved maybe 20 feet. We are assured by a Harrah's employee that "We'll come get you if it gets close", sort of like the airlines do to get folks through security in time to make their flights. OK.

Another hour passes. The line has moved maybe another 40 feet. Several of us in line point out to a Harrah's employee that we have preregistered and we ask if there isn't some other place we should go, rather than in the main line. The employee then says "Let me go find out, I'll be right back." This from 3 or 4 different employees. None ever return. I am becoming concerned about the speed of things. I can see that the line, which is 3-4 abreast in the hallway becomes about 10-12 abreast as it makes the turn toward the tourney area. A co-worker from CSP comes by. Apparently he stood in line for 4 hours that morning and has his seat. He offers to go into the tourney area and try to find out if there are alternatives. He returns and says I should get in a line inside the tourney area. OK.

I get in the new line inside the area, jumping maybe 500 others. Now I can see the cashiers' windows as folks register. The lines into the windows are not single file, but about 2-3 abreast, so it's difficult to detect any line movement in this new line either. It appears to take about 5 minutes for each person at the cashier. It's announced that the event is being put back an hour to 6PM. OK.

My line doesn't move at all. There are at least 40 people in front of me headed for the the one cashier at the end of our line. Hundreds of others are also waiting in line. The loudspeaker announces that players should take their seats, the event is starting. A massive chorus of boos erupts from all of us still trying to get to the cashier. Despite help from a friend who works for Harrah's, who tried to get me on a faster line, I could see I was more than an hour away from getting a seat. At 6:45, having stood on line for 4 1/2 hours, I finally gave up and left. NOT OK.

The WSOP has begun. Are we having fun yet?