If you are going to play at this year's WSOP, here are some things you should take with you (first to your hotel, and then down to the tournament itself!)

1) Small backpack. Makes it way easier to carry the things I'll be listing below.

2) Heavy duty cell phone battery pack. Don't bother with those awful "lipstick chargers", which only give your cell phone about 50% more juice. Your cell will struggle, as it will be competing for a signal with tons of other phones in the Rio, thereby making it use up more power. And let's face it -- iPhones have poor battery life to begin with! I recommend this case from New Trent: http://www.amazon.com/New-Trent-Powe...976531&sr=1-20 ... and if you're going to get that, you will also need this to charge the case itself: http://www.amazon.com/Mediabridge-US...4FGRG7Y05W9PBY These two items will cost you less than $50 total. (BTW, if you want to buy these, please click my Amazon at the bottom of the page first, so my site gets credit for referring you. This site runs at a loss every month!)

3) Assorted snacks. You might get hungry before dinner break, which is 6 hours and 40 minutes after the tournament begins.

4) Water. Yes, you can flag down the drink guy during the event, but this can be slow and difficult to find in high-volume events. The Rio will give you free water bottles at the front desk, though it's a bit of a walk if you're not staying there. Many other hotels will do this, too, so ask your hotel's front desk to give you a few waters, and put them in your backpack.

5) Pills, if you need them. I get chronic tension headaches, especially in the summer. If you also suffer from headaches, I suggest you keep at least 4 pills on you at all times. It is very hard to concentrate on a WSOP event if your head hurts.

6) Money for the next event you're going to play. When you bust, you can save yourself hassle and another long walk down the convention hallway by simply buying into the next event you plan to play. I suggest doing this AFTER you bust, so you don't have to unregister if you run deep in your existing event and miss the next one.

7) Your ID and Total Rewards card. You will need these.

8) A jacket. Sounds strange in a place which can top 115 degrees, but the Rio tends to be over-air-conditioned, and sitting in a cold room for hours at a time can really build up on you and make you uncomfortable. Sometimes the room is also hot, so just bring the jacket and hang it on the chair (or stuff it in the backpack) if you don't need it.