5k is enough. Anyone who can lose that at 1/2 needs a new hobby.

Is it reasonable to expect to be able to make $15 to $20 an hour at 1-2 NL?

YES....

Personally my $1/3 hourly is $33.42/hr in 363 hrs and of the 363, the last 148 hours has been $63/hr. I consider myself a crusher at 1/2 and 1/3. Really should be playing $2/5 but I'm being a bankroll nit. Depending on what kind of bills you have, you could play for a living with $5K, it is PLENTY for the variance if you are a winner.

That depends on how good you are and the opponents you're facing. For a lot of people I'd say the answer is definitely no. If you have to ask then I would say the answer is probably no.

Doesn't that mean you won about 13 dollars an hour over your first 215 hours? A lot of people would say that 363 hours isn't much at all, and your last 148 hours help to show why. If you had terrible cards during those hours, your winrate would be completely different.

As far as variance goes for 1-2 NL games what is the longest period in terms of hours played that you have gone break even or worse (and what was your largest amount of a downswing)?

variance at 1/2 should be minimal really because you are always getting your money in as at worst a 2 to 1 favorite and usually 5 to 1 or 9 to 1. so obviously, unless you go on one of the worst runs ever, 7 or 8 BI should be enough assuming you have a material edge in the game. also, all 1/2 or 1/3 games in vegas are great. you can't really say that mgm is softer than palms or whatever, because all the lowest stake nl games in vegas are about the same quality.

One of the things i found interesting when reading on the site allvegaspoker is about Straddles. This wasn't something that I recall seeing online.

Can anyone expand on how common Straddles are in Vegas 1-2 NL games? Also it appeared a few places allowed Straddles from UTG only and others allowed from UTG and the Button. What is the typical Straddle amount and what is the maximum amount?

I assume a Straddle really losens up the game and results in bigger pots and better earnings. Are these assumptions correct?

That makes you 80.47% to be up $3000 - nice game!

I cannot recall an exhaustive list of rooms that allow a button straddle, but I'm sure plenty of others on this forum can answer that question for you.

But your post reminded me of when I played at TI one night at a $1-$3 NL game where there is no cap on the UTG straddle. A drunk European who had about $500 in his stack put out a straddle for $270. Another player who had the Euro covered shoved all in and he called off blind. The player who initially shoved all in won the hand with King high.

An extreme example for sure, but yes straddles does mean bigger pots and does generally loosen up the game. And while this can mean better earnings, it does also increase variance so bankroll considerations are important when constantly playing in these types of games as they do play bigger.

Of all the $1-$2 games in Vegas that allow a button straddle, the best game can probably be found at Planet Hollywood. Of course that is just my opinion and I'm sure others might disagree with valid reasons.

I thought that all the Harrah's/Ceasars Entertainment rooms allowed the button straddle.

According to allvegaspoker the following locations have an utg and button straddle available:

Caesar's (formerly Harrah's Properties as stated by BiiiiigChips): Bally's, Bill's, Caesars, Harrah's, Imperial Palace, O'Shea's, Rio

then add in Palms and Riviera as well (note it is certainly possible I could have missed someone so don't consider this list exhaustive).

So I guess my question for you guys is how often (in terms of %) do you guys sit at a table that has someone straddling and what is the normal straddle amount you have seen (is it just the size of the big blind or much bigger as told in the prior story about a night at TI by a poker_triad in this thread)?

So $15-$20/hr is possible.....also I made adjustments to my game the last 148 hrs...

Room and time dependant^millionth. I've found nothing but rock gardens at MGM grand but found some terrific wild tables during the WSOP at both the V and A.

If you're playing to maximize every dollar, doesn't a place like Venetian, with a $4 max rake, make more sense over a BBJ poker room taking an extra dollar on every pot? (Or has this been discussed to death already on 2+2?) As others have said, Venetian is a gorgeous room. Hard to say if the action is any different from strip casino to strip casino because it's a constant stream of changing players.

Speaking of being time dependent, what times of day is it best to play? Does this depend much on the casino or is it just a pretty good blanket statement to say that if you want to come close to maximizing your earnings that you have to play somewhere in the hours of 7pm to 3am?

I am finally getting over this beat. lol

Sounds fine to me. Midafternoon will probably be fine also, especially on weekends.

As I stated the example I gave is an extreme one. Most straddles UTG are double the BB, and I think most button straddles at $1-$2 are either $5 or $10. As most $1-$2 players have absolutely no concept of bet sizing, add a straddle to it and it makes for even a better game. Just keep in mind that the variance at such games will be higher as most players will open up their range to which they will attack the straddle with and conversely those that defend will do the same.

I think Palms allows you to straddle more than double the BB, but every other room I know of the straddle is exactly 2x. Hard Rock has a button straddle as well. The % of hands that are straddled in my experience is very low - probably less than 1% overall. Palms, Hard Rock, and Planet Hollywood it's probably a lot higher especially Friday and Saturday nights.

I agree about generally avoiding places with jackpots unless you're there at a time they're paying out significantly more than they're taking in. A bunch of casinos are running splashed pots during football games, HR has a high hand thing going M-THUR 10am-4pm, Tropicana has a rakeback thing 10am-2pm and 4pm-7pm, I'm sure there are more. You'll run into a lot of local nits during those times, which means you won't lose much but won't get much action either.

V, Aria, and MGM are all pretty safe bets - there will always be a game and usually many to choose from.

When I was there for WSOP P Ho had a $10 button straddle in 1/2. Very odd.

I straddled a lot but mostly everyone folded that night. Could make a sick game for 1/2 though. Take most folks out of their comfort zone. Could be great if you're comfortable playing aggressively.

I really do not want OP credit for this thread. Rapini can you add an Alan Smithee?