There are many things we don't miss about the WSOP at Rio.
The old home of the WSOP from 2005-2021 had overgrown hallways, limited food options, and the occasional airborne disease. We are mostly happy to leave all of that behind.
But it also had a lot of parking. Around 4,500 spaces, depending on whom you ask, with two different garages and lots of exits. It wasn't perfect — there were a few long, hot walks on the busiest weekends, and a sprinkling of security problems almost every year. But it was free, and access to your car on dinner break kept your options open.
Growing pains
When the WSOP moved to Horseshoe and Paris on The Strip, parking was one of the first concerns. Would there be enough? How much would it cost?
Those frequently asked questions were answered quickly as part of the preseason WSOP hype in 2022. Tours of the new digs pointed out over 9,000 available spaces for WSOP players, with garages in every direction. No one was particularly worried about the issue once things got going. It would be $18/day or $100/week. (Cash only for weekly passes.)
Daniel Negreanu, one of WSOP's most vocal luminaries, expressed optimism for the change and a parking garage that "literally takes you straight to the Paris ballroom right down an escalator."
Allen Kessler, who would be the first to complain, jumped to X on June 3, 2022, with a positive experience.
"For those concerned about parking, yesterday was one of the busiest days at the WSOP. I drove in and easily found a space on level 2. There are 9 levels, and it can't possibly sell out."
Compared to later years, 2022 was relatively smooth. Most complaints centered around the $18 parking fee, but the post-COVID crowds prevented mayhem, and parking gates were left up after a lot of the big events.
Paris honeymoon over
The vibe shifted the following year with an onslaught of problems with players' cards, machines that didn't work, and F1 traffic.
Faraz Jaka expressed his frustration on X at the end of a long night in 2023. "Finish at 12:30am, parking garage is jammed up, spent 12:35-12:55am trying to get out of the garage."
It was a growing issue in 2023, even for Jeff Platt.
"The parking has to be fixed," Platt posted. "I know and understand that Caesars wants to make $$ off parking. But those machines are pretty terrible overall (feel like it’s always 50/50 on my card working) and could use a total overhaul."
Platt now finds himself as an employee of WSOP, and he's been fielding a lot of the 2026 complaints on X. The loudest this year, perhaps, from the normally docile Adam Hendrix.
"This @WSOP parking garage is getting dangerous," Hendrix said this week. "People are busting tournaments, losing their minds waiting at the parking gates. As the summer progresses wouldn’t be surprised if some bad incidents that happen."
Platt has been actively addressing the issue on X on this and other threads.
"I promise my individual experience has been much better this year," he said on Hendrix's thread. "No bullshit. I fully acknowledge I may just be running hot. But clearly can see based off Adam’s post and others that this is a MAJOR issue still."
Platt posted a video of his own troubles later.
What can you do?
It's a longstanding issue. In 2024, our own Terrance Reid called getting out of the garage a "one-outer" and Joseph Cheong wished terrible things on people who were "cutting thru parking spaces making things worse." Player's card issues continued in 2025, and Mike Holtz joined others in calling for a permanent attendant.
Local pro Shannon Shorr even offered up a hack last year.
The same problems are still cropping up in 2026. David 'ODB' Baker was stuck "at a dead stop for 20 minutes" and Eric Mizrachi tallied a 40-minute exit time. VIP parking hasn't been much help either.
Poker players have even tried to just do whatever they want, but Chris 'Big Huni' Hunichen had his car on a tow truck after one parking attempt.
Will it ever get better? It may, and Jeff Platt is doing his best, but this isn't a WSOP problem. Sure, the WSOP can pass along the issue to Paris and its team of managers, but that's about all they can do. WSOP employees are parking in the same garage and dealing with the same problems. It's mostly not their fault. This requires action from Caesars and its operations team.
So, what can you do about it? Well, it's the sixth year at the venue on The Strip, and there has been marginal progress. Perhaps it's time to park somewhere else. You have options at Bellagio, Planet Hollywood, and the large open lot behind Paris.
You can even park at one of the many casinos along the Monorail and take our version of public transportation. We also have buses that serve the entire corridor in every direction.
Honking, cutting in line, and yelling at Jeff Platt are getting us nowhere for now.
