I graduate in May and begin my FT job June 6th. I have been playing 2/5 for side income for the past year, since I turned 21. The nearest casino is an 75 min drive away for me and is usually a very tight game.

From May 20th to June 5th, I want to spend at least a week somewhere nice and vacation-like while also being a great place to play poker. I would prefer locations that have a $1000 max to their 2/5 game.

Any recommendations?

Thoughts so far (but no experience with the games here):
Vegas
Florida
California (near commerce)

I was hoping to do a poker cruise but unfortunately there are none during this time.

If anyone has recommendations or input on what rooms are generally tourist-like and soft, I'd appreciate it. Also lower rake of course (I know cali is awful for this).

And of course only places that have lots of things to do / are fun. I'll be playing poker most of the time but would also like to relax and enjoy myself whereever it is I go.

A recent Grad? Oh my. Have you ever been to South Beach? Tons of poker in South Florida. BTW - Key West is only a 3 hour drive. Be careful you might not leave...

I was actually looking into Hollywood, FL for a Thurs-Tuesday type trip. It looks like they're having a series there late may and always have good action according to Bravo. It looks like they have a 5-10 game regularly there which means better action at the 2/5 probably.

I don't know what the cheapest hotel would be from there unfortunately. I would probably want something decent, not the 1 star option, but don't need a 4 star, on the beach place.

There are tons, and tons of hotel options - you just have to decide where you want to be and what kind of drive you are looking for. As with most Florida destination locations there are great, good and bad. Trip Advisor is pretty accurate in Florida.

I grind $2/5 in south florida... tbonepoker.blogspot.com on how the action is... If you have any questions ask away... I'm here to help. All the best!

Commerce is great for poker, but awful as a vacation spot. Vegas or Florida will be better.

Agreed about Commerce. You basically have to live in the hotel since it's basically an unpopulated city.

pick vegas.

My concern is that Vegas doesn't spread 2/5 games as much as I would like whenever I look at Bravo. Whenever I look at Bravo, each room has like 1 2/5 game going and of course there are tens of poker rooms. I also figure the competition is really good in Vegas like in AC. Probably more tourists in Vegas but I noticed that there are several really good LAGs in AC. I'm an obvious TAG player and while I am successful at grinding, LAGs have abused me in AC. I love table selection and often switch tables repeatedly in one day session. Thus, I feel Vegas isn't the ideal spot for me if I'm choosing anywhere in the country. Also its a dessert. Kinda want somewhere beach-like I feel.

I'm gonna give this guy a shout, theres a guy in AC named Andrew who I've played with at 2/5 who is insanely good. He looks like hes 30. He always beats me and the whole table honestly. I purposely request table change whenever hes at my table. Hell, theres been two occasions where he has been tutoring someone watching from behind him. His session price is $100 per hour.

As for commerce casino, I hear the rake is absolutely awful in Cali. If I played high stakes like 5/10, rake wouldn't matter as much for me, but I'm very aware of it at 2/5. It adds up you know.

At this point I feel like Florida is best but I welcome all input. I cannot find the 2/5 max limit though for Hollywood, is it $600 or $1000?

The rake is high in LA but the games are more than good enough to make up for it.

There's this thing called the WSOP starting May 31st in Vegas .. You may want to check it out.

Although you may not be able to play any tournaments (A good run in Colossus would make you late for your first day on the job!!) the cash games will be nuts pretty much everywhere in town. Not sure what exactly the beach is doing for you, but I'm pretty sure whatever it is can be found in Vegas around a pool. If you really love poker you need to see the WSOP and even a quick trip would give you a feel for it for when you return to play!!

I don't want to discourage you from FL either as I have heard good things about most games down there but the poker scene in the US turns to Vegas starting May 31st and players may be taking some time off themselves prior to heading to those venues. GL

Florida or Vegas. Both crazy soft 2/5 and both have tons of activities

You can play poker recreationally after you start a job, and it gets better and better as you progress in your career.

You cannot drink all day and bang 18 year old sluts all night after you start a job, and it just gets creepier and creepier as you progress in your career.

Carpe diem.

Nice ^^^

I understand that I can't / shouldn't play poker for a living. Its too much stress to do so. I have made it a profitable side income thing. I also invest in stocks using technical and fundamental analysis I learned in finance and stock market classes. Both are profitable side things. As for poker, I go once a week, sometimes twice, usually for 8-12 hours a session.

Also, me being a TAG player will in long run will lose more and more +EV as more LAGs learn to bully them / regs know your play style. I rotate casinos all the time to try and overcome this. Rotate between Charlestown WV, Sugarhouse, and Parx along with the occasional trip to Borgota.

As for the sex thing, I have a couple girls here at college that I hook up with but honestly the thrills of meaningless sex have faded, rather settle down with an ambitious business girl then bang immature 18 yr olds. Unlike many gamblers, I didn't pick up the coke and hookers desire side of life.

I was being semi-facetious.

You're at a good time in your life. You're graduating, you've got a job lined up, I recommend focusing on the "vacation" aspect and if it so happens there's poker there, you can play a little.

You'll rarely have this kind of opportunity again, just to be totally free. You don't really have to drink yourself into a stupor, but you can if you want.

Go see a part of the world you can't take young kids, for example. Or someplace with tenuous political stability. Poker will be there when you come back.

But if what you really want is to play 2/5, it seems like any of the places you mentioned are fine. Small dofferences in EV will add up over several hundred hours but not over the time frame of a vacation. Focus more on the availability of a game than the rake or VPIP, IMO. And don't forget to have fun.

$600

Thats extremely disappointing. Is there anywhere in Florida that is $1000 max and spreads multiple 2/5 games usually?

The Isle has multiple $2/$5 games going pretty much every day all day anytime after 11AM. Max buy in is $500. They have a deep stack with a max buy in of $1000 but it doesn't run all that often.

Tampa Hard Rock

Max buy in of $1000, lots of snow birds down there. Multiple 2/5 games.

On Bravo so you can check on the regular basis the action

This makes my brain hurt. I can't decide if it's the greatest post in 2+2 history, the most depressing post in 2+2 history, the deepest wisdom I've ever heard, or the most wrongest advice ever.

What do you mean snow birds?

People from snow states that live in Florida during the winter. Generally considered rec's with money.