basically what the thread titles says , ive been seriously considering moving to vegas. my only concern is leaving the games out here in fl and coming to ( nitty) reg infested 1/2 2/5 out there ( if thats the case). games in Florida are always amazing and im kinda afraid to leave them lol.

i wanted to go for a change of scenery really and maybe some opportunities outside of poker. not depending on poker to live and have an income outside of poker.

so basically im wonder about the state of your mid to low stakes Nl games

I live in the Tampa area, if your running good at the Hardrock grind away and make the money while its here (or elsewhere in florida). Vegas will always be there. But at least your being realistic with getting a real job and not depending on the vegas grind for income. Thats a good approach, but I would stay in Florida and build up an egg so you feel less pressure IF/When you go to Vegas. Good luck!

Games are definitely tougher in vegas, but I think they are definitely still beatable. I just went to vegas 2 weeks ago and played 1/2, 1/3, and 2/5. I found plenty of juicy 1/2 and 1/3 games. I only played 2/5 once at bellagio and was shocked how tough the game was. Its possible it was just small sample size but it felt like I was playing against people who play just like me.

I think you can find decent 1/2 1/3 games in most rooms except for the wynn. Its a nice room but if you like money I’d stay away from it.

I grind 2/5 in Vegas and the games are definitely beatable for a good win rate. The problem is the games from the east coast compared to Vegas are different and you have to be honest with your poker skills with being able to adjust to different game dynamics.

Multiple calling stations, 3 bet 90% of hands in position players. Multiple old man coffees who can bluff and also like to limp call with QQ+

If you know how to play against different player types you'll be fine. If you don't you'll get eaten alive

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Even though I dont live in Vegas, its definitely not what it used to be. I'm mainly a PLO player but when I used to go out there in my early 20's, the 1/2 2/5 games were so easy anywhere on the strip. Now, you kind of have to table select a little for 2/5 games and target weekends and evening sessions imo.

I have two friends that used to grind 2/5 here in Las Vegas. One moved to grind Hard Rock Tampa and the other went to MGM National harbor. Both are happy they made the decision.

During my travels, I would not have described the $2/5 games as being something that was "nitty, reg-infested" as a general truism.

Are there games infected with the non-social hoodie, headphone wearing types? Sure. But there are also plenty where you will see three and four to the flop even with PF raises pushing upwards of $100 (saw this at Bellagio while waiting on my $5/10 seat).

The $1/2 and $1/3 games were filled with the 'everyone limps for the $2 or $3' but a raise to a nominal $7 or $11 might just take the pot right then and there.

The PLO games in Vegas are very reg infested. Even the 1/3 game has numerous regs in it. These games are tougher than they were just three years ago. This is all at Aria since it’s pretty much the only room that runs PLO daily. Two years ago I jumped in the 5/10 NL game at Aria, and it was full of pros like Tony Dunst and others. Again, four years ago, the 5/10 game was juicy there, but not anymore. Are there times when they are? Of course, but not overall.

The different regions of FL have different poker environments, IMO. The closest thing I would compare to the Vegas card rooms would be the Broward County scene--Hard Rock, Coconut Creek and Isle of Pompano. The tourists/seasonal traffic through these rooms is the closest thing you will get in FL to the heavy tourist rotation that comes through the Vegas scene.

Daytona/Jax and the Tampa area likely offer stiffer or nittier competition than your average 1/2, 1-3 or 2/5 NLHE table in Vegas.

One thing that is nice about Vegas, when you are a local, is the proximity of the games. If you are sitting in a crappy game at Venetian, and it looks like Wynn is popping--walk next door. The wait list is longer than it showed on Bravo at Aria? Take the tram to Bellagio, or walk across the street to PH. Tired of the Strip or just want a different environment? The soft tables at Red Rock or Green Valley are just a ride on the 215 Beltway away.

Switching rooms won't always help you, but it does provide one with a ton of choices in the 1-2 to 2-5 NLHE range. Speaking of proximity, consider that Flamingo, Bally's, Caesars Palace, Bellagio, and Mirage are within a brisk 15-17 min walk from one-another at the farthest point. Also, don't forget Freemont Street, where properties are even closer together (but table selection is worse). The Orleans has a very active room, and if you are the self-loathing type, you can sit down for the occasional 4-8 O8B session to know what it is to feel hated.

This is one of the things that interest me about vegas , all the diff. rooms. as far as the florida rooms id have to agree with you accept Jax. jacksonville doesnt get mentioned much but is a really nice room and im not sure if ive every played anyone there who could beat 50c/1 online. plenty of mistakes and fun players but ironically enough ive run horrible in that room but stop by whenever i can.

if you enjoy playing with people that wear headphones and stare at their phones and ipads at the table move to vegas.

The Jax rooms are nice and well-run for sure.

WSOP-time in Vegas pumps some considerable extra action into the local poker ecosystem. It used to be better years back when you had WPT events at Mandalay Bay, Mirage and the WPT Championship at Bellagio leading up to the WSOP--but it is still good. If you can swing it, consider a trial run May-July to see if the scene is for you. Lots of people looking for roommates who will take month-to-month rent.

I'm from South Florida originally. I'm in a similar situation as you. I'm thinking of moving to Vegas or maybe back to South Florida. I haven't lived in Florida for 10 years so I'm curious if anyone can let me know how the games are compared to Vegas. I used to play at the Isle, Hard Rock and Coconut Creek mostly.

I bet you could find a vegas grinder to do an exchange type situation where you both take over each others place for a few months and try out the other town's games.

Great idea. I'd do a swap for Florida or any other poker location. Not because Vegas is bad, but just to travel.

Games can be relatively tough on average most months, but during WSOP they are the best in the world.

This isn’t even close to true

I made the move out there. Honestly the biggest thing that gets me is the culture out here. It's a crappy place to live in my opinion. Lots of people that you would never expect have some kind of hustle going on and since I'm not in college its made it really hard to meet people, make friends and have a sense of feeling grounded in my community. I got so lonely at one point that I went to a GA meeting at the local church just for the hell of it. Which I always tell people... If you ever feel bad about yourself, go work day labor for a day or two and maybe you're mind will change. I'll add GA meetings to that list.

I can only speak for myself but being on the strip everyday has taken its toll on me and the constant rowdiness with everyone around you on full party mode gets kinda old.

Dating was interesting as well. Lol. I have multiple funny dating stories in vegas. But the one that sticks out is this gal I met buying smokes at a Dotty's in North LV. We texted and chatted for some time. She was taking business at UNLV and I helped her make a financial model of the sorts in excel for one of her projects. We grabbed food here and there and eventually she came back to my place one night after a month of hanging out. One thing led to another and when we finally had our clothes off and I was about to you know... Go all in... She stopped me and said, "if you want to do this, do you think you could give me a couple hundred bucks?" I was like, "Are you serious?"

She was. Lol. I told her she needed to get the eff out, but I brought her from her apartment to my place in my car. She lived on the south side of the strip near UNLV, and I was gonna drive her home. So I paid for her uber ride... Kinda. I sent her 5 blocks up the street lol.

I was so disgusted that I packed my crap right then and there and drove strait back to my home state. I needed a break from it all.

I'll be heading back in May to live there permanently. I'm gonna get a dog this time and I miss the sushi options.

As far as the poker goes, I am a tourny player. So having lots of tournament options was the allure to me moving in the first place. Tournies tend to be softer IMO. But I've held my own in the cash games. I don't notice a difference really in the cash games from my home state, I just have more options which is nice. Granted I've only played poker in two states sooooo.

GL. Come out and visit and see what you think.

I know we're talking about poker but, if you're into sports betting at all, wouldn't that be an added incentive to no to Vegas?

Actually, it would be just the opposite. If you are already into sports betting, you probably already have an offshore account. The odds generally suck in Vegas when compared to the offshore books. Also, limited in game betting, at least at my book. Secondly, if you are into betting some of the less popular sports ie golf, you are really screwed. No full fields, no each way betting, no top 5 betting, no in game betting (you cant generally even bet between rounds). Always bad odds. You get the picture.

Also, if you are into DFS you can forget that because it requires a gambling license, and both Fanduel and Draftkings refuse to get one so you cant play DFS in NV.

Now if you are not into betting offshore, there are several other states that have legalized sports books. I have not looked at these books, but I take a shot in the dark here that the new books like Draftkings arent stuck in the old Vegas ways of doing stuff. And if you are in a state like NJ, you have online poker and live poker as well. The downside is of course the state taxes, which are high in NJ while NV has no state tax.

One other advantage living in Vegas is you dont have to worry about being paid. No book in Vegas is going to screw you and not give you your money. I dont know how big of an issue this is with offshore books, but I've heard stories.

So to sum up, if you are a sports bettor, Vegas would probably be the last place I'd choose. If someone else has a different opinion, I'd like to hear it.

It sounds like you picked the right screen name.
"gal I met buying smokes at a Dotty's in North LV" What did you expect. lol

LV is great for sports betting, not sure what you mean.
If you like golf betting, many have players match ups each week for full tournament and per round in addition to odds to win for the everyone.

You have a few options with matchups. much better selection offshore. And even at Westgate, you do not have the option to bet on every golfer in the field. Westgate always has a field bet where offshore you can bet on every single golfer in the field. And as I mentioned, the odds suck. Westgate is somewhat close, but go to The Wynn and look at their odds for golf. They are horrendous as are every other casino's. So I"m not sure exactly what you mean.

Vegas sucks for sports betting compared to offshore. The ONLY advantage Vegas has, like I mentioned before, is you know you can get your money.

Might be the best post i've ever read on 2+2

tl;dr

“It’s a crappy place to live in my opinion.
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I’ll be heading back in May...”