Playing live in Las Vegas $1-2NL

1. become a regular at one or two places so you get to know your opponents?
OR
2. go where the tourists are and hope they are as bad as you think they are?

AND

Is there ever any reason to not buy in for the full max?

it depends on your skill relative to the other regs. But in general #2 is going to be more profitable, easier, and probably more fun.

Either way, your goal should be to put together a bankroll to move up to 2/5. So I wouldn't get too attached to any 1/2 regs.

I play both versions. Both have their own merits.

#2, playing against tourists/unknowns involves more variance/gambling. It also requires more patience and picking up your spots.

#1 is more boring but has less variance/gambling, but post flop is easy since you know when to fold'em/when to hold'em.

With no BR issues, 100BB is a reasonable buy in.

where do you play in Vegas?

I'm not sure that there is a huge difference between 1 & 2 as most LV rooms get tourist traffic. I think table selection wherever you go will always be far more important.

IMHO, no. I always buy in full as I prefer deepstack over push-bot strategy.

The size you buy in for, depends largly on the table and your personal style. Tourists for the most part play super loose bad call downs when 100 bb or less is involved.

But when 200bb+ get involved even reltivly loose players get week tight later in the game, so when it gets all in with value they have sets+ and fold to boards with threats.

So if you just like to value bet abc, tag poker then, shorter stacks 100bb-75bb tend to do the best IMOP. If you like to bluff semi bluff and fire 3 barrells (hopefully with good hand reading skills) then deeper plays well because fold equity climbs...

If deeper to get action you have to give action....but to get action shorter you can play tight pre flop...abc....

If you don't feel you're one of the better players at the table (or perhaps are unsure, such as when moving up a level) and you have a good shortstack game.

Otherwise, especially with fish involved, I think you always want to try your best to have them covered so you can maximize their huge mistakes.

Orleans-regulars but a nice Bad Beat jackpot that seems to hit a lot
Venetian-mix of both but have had much better luck there than anywhere else and by luck I mean "luck"
a few off strip places but the boredom kills me and the table talk can be excrutiatingly painful
TI-if I have the bankroll to play a little insane with some full time regulars who play for a living

Not all that true actually-some rooms are almost 100% regulars, especially the off strip ones

good answer...just what I needed to hear..I guess it really depends on the table and I am a much better short stack player ..if I am to be honest..my "I don't believe you have a hand" mind f**k kicks in when I am not short.

Short stack strategy has its pros and cons. If you're in a game with mostly bad players, but two players you perceive as solid, ss may be ok. But if the game is all lol donkeys, buy in for the max! Also whether to play against tourists or weak/tight regs depends on your playing style and your goals for poker. Like your username, btw.

Can't speak to the Vegas part of the question(east coast). Buying in shallow is gonna lower your variance.