Break time at the World Series of Poker can be stressful — especially when you have to go to the bathroom — and it never helps that the halls are filled with thousands of other people trying to do the same thing.
We've learned a few things about taking care of business on break in what is now the fourth year of the WSOP at Horseshoe and Paris and a primer might be helpful for those who will be jumping into the fray on the Las Vegas Strip this summer. RecPoker's Jim Reid has published a lot of helpful tips so far this year, but there's so much more to learn about the biggest poker event on the calendar.
Ask the Org: What is your GTO WSOP bathroom break strategy?
What to avoid
The most commonly used bathrooms are in the hallway outside the Paris tournament area and just outside of the event center on the Horseshoe side. Paris is a larger room that will usually house several tournaments at the time same and the Horseshoe side traditionally hosts certain opening flights as well as Day 2 and beyond. All bets are off during the final flight of the Main Event.
Unless you can get away for the break early, you will almost always find a line building up right away in the most frequently used bathrooms. It may be intimidating, but the capacity is big on both sides and the line moves fast. The line can get very long on days with larger tournaments, so you may want to have a Plan B, but you should still have confidence in a fast-moving queue.
Some alternatives
If you have the time, you can find several restrooms in the areas just outside where the WSOP is being held. On the Paris side, you can see a bathroom just inside of the casino portion of the property — near the Diamond Check-In desk. It will be on your left after Vanderpump Paris. If you're at the Horseshoe, you can find bathrooms on the right-hand side after the elevators if you are walking away from the Horseshoe Event Center. There are also a few scattered throughout the casino floor and near the Horseshoe's regular poker room.
You can also discover a few secrets if you are mindful of the schedule. If the Horseshoe Events Center is open and there isn't a large tournament going on nearby, the bathroom on the west side of the room is the best choice of them all. It's large and frequently forgotten.
Worst-case scenario
If you're really in a time crunch and the hallways are impassible, head down the escalators on the Horseshoe side toward the food court. You'll find other options down there and you will be away from the crowded hallways. Options are also available at the west end of Horseshoe, near the Daily Deepstack area.
There are fewer options on the Paris side, but the large casino offers accommodation that will never be crowded. One of the closest to the tournament area will be near Gordon Ramsey Steakhouse, to the left of the high-limit table area.
Good luck taking care of business on breaks and remember to be patient and courteous. Most breaks are long enough to accommodate everyone and the lines move fast. Please don't smoke in the bathrooms.
