If you’ve got an open mind, a pocket full of cash, and a desire to see the Olympics, then listen up. Here are 6 helpful hints to get tickets on the day of the match. OH, quick note, speaking Chinese yourself or bringing a friend who does will facilitate the ticket process.

• Go to the venue

• Sometimes it helps to go to the shady areas just beside the entrance

• Keep your eyes open

• Look for groups of people

• Look for people holding a lot of tickets, smacking them on their hands and looking around

• Don’t be afraid to bargain, but don’t get greedy

Go to the venue
Ok so the alternative ticket distributors buy a ton of tickets to resell to buyers. Since the events have already started, the sellers are going to take the tickets to the venues on the day of the event and try to get rid of them. Word on the street is that if you go like 5 to 10 minutes after the start of the event, you can get tickets for a lower price than if you buy them before the event. I haven’t tried that yet though. However going to the venue totally works. My friend and I caught a train to Tianjin and after 2 minutes at the stadium we had 2 A level seats for only 50 kuai more than they’d cost at the ticket booth. Also, my friend and I went to Worker’s Stadium north gate and in like 20 minutes we had 2 soccer tickets for 200kuai a piece.

Shady spots
So buying tickets from random folks is illegal. Go figure. So what better way to find people doing shady things then in shady areas? Usually these areas are very close to the entrance of the venue or at the entrance to where only people with tickets can go.

Keep your eyes open
When looking for the distributors, keep your eyes open. I know that sounds obvious, but it’s not just looking around. When you make eye contact with a scalp…I mean Alternative ticket distributor, they will usually hold contact and either wave you over, ask you if you need tickets, or come to you. Sometimes you’ll need to ask if they’re selling tickets.

Look for groups of people
Often times, if you see a cluster of people, probably in a shady place or off to the side, there are tickets being sold. The best thing to do is to first walk passed the group and peak in to see what’s going on. If you see tickets, join the group and ask questions and look to buy. Questions should be like “what times do you have?” and “are these seats together?” not like “are these real?”or “is this legal?”

Ticket stacks in hand
Sometimes when you see one lone person with a stack of tickets in hand they are distributors, but other times they are people waiting for their friends and family. However asking doesn’t hurt.

Bargain
So you’ve found your ticket person and the ticket you want. The ticket seems a little expensive. Try to bargain it down, but once you get to a price that’s reasonable don’t push it. Remember, you are buying tickets the day of the event. Imagine buying plane tickets the day of the flight. Same thing. Come with a price in mind and try to get the ticket for that price.