At the WSOP, Time Can Be Money – So Now Food Comes to You

^{Who needs a 90-minute dinner break when you can rely on Caesars Eats to find you in the poker room and deliver warm-ish food (inset) somewhat quickly? (Photos: Christina Bradfield / Casinos.com; courtesy of Caesars Entertainment)}

LAS VEGAS – I was standing in line at Lavazza the other day at the Horseshoe waiting for a friend and a cup of coffee. The line was long and the married couple in front of me started arguing in line. The husband was playing the Seniors $1,000 NLH tournament that day. His wife had been unable to reach him during the tournament to bring him a cup of coffee and was irritated about standing in line. His break was 20 minutes, and I didn’t see the coffee happening by then. At least they were holding hands as they bickered.

Getting food at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) can be difficult. But last week, the WSOP announced the release of Caesars Eats, a mobile app that gives poker players a new option for staying nourished without leaving the table. Just try to have more etiquette when eating at the table than Phil Hellmuth.

What’s On the Menu

Caesars Eats offers four restaurant/food options at the Horseshoe, including Lavazza, Flavortown, Nosh Deli, and Jack Binion’s Steak. Each option offers both delivery and pickup, and you can earn Caesars Reward points for everything you order. Beverages aren’t available for delivery, but the WSOP does have cocktail servers roving the floor that you can order from.

Lavazza is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and offers pastries, fruit cups, salads, and sandwiches. I’ve eaten their banana nut muffin – even though it’s $7.99, it’s satisfying and works in a pinch. (A pinch to my wallet.)

 Guy Fieri’s Flavortown is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Their Hangover Burger is $36.99, with an all-beef smash patty topped with cheddar, “super melty” cheese (Caesars never quite explains how it gets “super melty”), smoked bacon, avocado, runny egg, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and donkey sauce. I guess their going rate to cure a hangover is less than two green chips.

If you’re wondering what donkey sauce is, as was I, it’s garlic-loaded aioli. You can eat your burger with donkey sauce as you try and not donk off your chips. The Hangover Burger is served on a garlic-buttered brioche bun with breakfast potatoes and is only available from 8 to 11 a.m. 

Flavortown also offers 18-hour brisket, longer than most heads-up final tables, which, in addition to mac and cheese, slaw, and jalapeño cornbread, has a side of juju BBQ sauce in case your juju is low in poker that day. 

Nosh Deli is open from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. They offer all-day breakfast, including their $17.99 Hangover Sandwich, a Brioche bun with ham, pork sausage, bacon, and white/yellow cheddar cheese.

I’m sensing a theme here. They also offer pastries, salads, and sandwiches.

A multitude of options like steak, prime rib, and seared salmon await you at Jack Binion’s Steak. (Photo: courtesy of Caesars Entertainment)

Jack Binion’s Steak is open from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. They offer a JB wedge salad for $12.99, prime rib with a potato for $59.99, and seared salmon priced at $39.99.  

When Time Is Money

What people outside of the poker world may not realize is that time is a commodity in poker. Time away from the table can cost you chips and potentially the tournament. Each break is precious and usually clocks in at about 20 minutes. 

Dinner breaks can span 75 minutes, which seems like a long time but isn’t exactly worthy of a leisurely experience out at a restaurant. From walking to where you’re eating, to sitting and putting in your order to the server to receiving the meal, it cuts out a lot of your time.

It’s still too soon to know how efficient the delivery personnel are. I’ve had a few players tell me it will take an hour or more to receive your order. Beware that your potatoes might be lukewarm and your broccoli limp. (Poker players can be a salty bunch, especially when they’re hangry. To be honest, so can I.)

If you think you might be on tilt before your food arrives, consider clicking the pick-up option. 

Otherwise, prepare to be patient and hope it’s faster than the time I waited for the cocktail waitress to return with my “free” coffee. By the time she returned, I was out of cards and money and thinking about my next banana-nut muffin.