How Do I Get My Money?

"How Do I Get My Money?"

The first feeling that many of these players feel upon being eliminated from the Main Event is one of deep disappointment. Maybe they got their chips in good, maybe not, but the stark fact is that the dream of a deep run is over.

At the podium, the recently departed gives in his or her TotalRewards card and photo ID. As one supervisor enters the information, including place of finish, into the computer, another announces the name and hometown of the busted player over the PA system in the Amazon Room. After this process is completed, the player receives a small slip of paper with his or her name and place of finish on it. The slip is initialled by one of the floor supervisors.

The runner then takes the player out of the Amazon Room, across the hall, and down a side hallway to the payouts room. The payouts room feels like the waiting area inside of an unemployment center, with a front desk, several waiting chairs behind it (in case of a high volume of bustouts) and several computer terminals and printers behind that. The player gives in his "finish slip" and TotalRewards card again at the front desk, is asked for a taxpayer ID number, and then is directed to one of the computer terminals.

Another Harrah's representative is waiting at each terminal. They provide various tax forms that have to be filled out and also create a tournament payout receipt showing the player's name, address, certain personal identifying information and the amount of money the player has won.

Once all of those forms are completed, there's one more stop -- the payout cage, located inside the same room. There, at one of five barred windows, players can elect to receive their winnings in any combination of cash, chips, check, wire transfer and/or front money deposit at the Rio.

It's a long process, but there is a certain comaraderie in the room. Everyone who is in there has arrived in the same condition -- busted out of the largest, richest poker tournament in the world. Once the initial feelings of disappointment evaporate, many swap stories with each other, congratulate each other, and begin the celebration of a five- or six-figure payday.