Can't stop thinking about Vegas - Is this nuts?

I've been home for 48 hours now and no matter what I do I start to day dream back to Las Vegas again. I know there is no place in the world I'd rather be and have resolved to move there for sure. I'm thinking August 28th I'll move though I could really use to make about $25K more cash before moving just to live tight the way I want to live there.

I'm thinking this:

My plan has alawys been to build up a nice residual income and then play poker as a sport with my extra money.

Now I'm thinking fuck it - I want to go, play, take shots and if I get near empty - stop, regroup, do some work and repeat process. I'm a smart guy with enough talents that I feel I could start with $20K anytime I fall back to a few grand - just jam really hard work for a couple months on internet projects or w/e get rerolled and start again.

It goes so against my long term plan - but I'm just feeling its what I want to do . I want to start living and experiencing life now the way I want to live and experience it rather than working hard and waiting for the timing or conditions to be right.

I'm also thinking when I hit big scores I just dump some cash into business and an investment - then proceed to play higher stakes - if it runs out - I repeat process but at least I have some more residual from that business each time.

Maybe I am just crazy but I can't help it right now - I so want to be out playing poker in vegas. I even want to sit and find the cheap table games in order to drink and meet woman.. Its actually a +EV more too. considering $4.25 per drink at a bar and you start buying the woman a drink in the bar its $10 w/ the tip - heck if you're alone with 2 girls its more like $15 per drink compared to a couple dollar tip at a table game ..

I want to play poker, study poker, do some long term work to increase residual and party in vegas. Almost everyday.

My daughter took it kind of tough, she's nine. but I explained to her how my entire life has been about her and how I would never leave her.. I drew up a calendar showing her I would see her the same ammount as now just spread out. I'm thinking I come back to MA a couple times per year on 4-5 day trips. On here school vacations I take her somewhere Disney or w/e. I fly her out to Vegas a couple times per year - we can go hang out at Rio sand pool, go to amusment park etc - Then on summers I'll rent a place in a vaction spot on East Coast. The time I spend with my daughter will be a lot more fun vaction like - and seeing as I'm budgeting to have a good lifestyle in Vegas - I feel I'll figure out how to afford all that.

Anyways - huge life decision here - but I think I'm ready for it.. I so love Vegas - the place..

Okay at the risk of sounding super cheesy but w/e.. I swear on the plane ride home a couple things from the movie rounders popped up in my head -

The part about if your too carefull your whole life can become and Fn grind - I think before going to Vegas I had reached that point.

How feeling alive for the first time - In Vegas I felt alive - I had energy was all pumped up - since I been back all I think about is I wish there was more stuff to walk to here I hate driving - I want to be healthy etc.

Last but not least -
About not losing what you don't put in the middle - but not being able to win much either..
- I think I'm much more ready to go take shots - to risk going back and having to rebuild, willing to do that a few times over if need be. Make $50K lost $50K six, seven, eight, nine times w/e it takes. when I hit tournament cashes beyond budget I'll dump 20% back into marketing my internet businesses so at least I have something residul to show for it etc..

Anyways long post but just reflecting here - I can't wait to be back in Vegas - and next time around I'll live there - very very soon.

I don't know, different strokes for different folks. The 2=1st time I went I had sattellited into the wsop back in I think 1992 or 1993. I brought the GF, got KOed inthe WSOP early got crushed in the side games and basically had no fun at all. 2nd time the GF's rich buddy had a 4 bedroom really nice time share. We got to stay for free except the plane fare out there. I don't know maybe it's that I'm an old fart or a country boy at heart, but I have no desire at all to live there. Perhaps if I had the skill and the roll to play exclusively tourneys I would feel differently. Ring games just don't do it for me anymore.

Ring games don't work for me anymore either. I got to foxwoods now on occasion and have a good time and still know I can beat the typical lower-mid level game - its just not for enough that I would ever want to do it.

Tournament poker is like a sport/hobby to me. If I win a little or lose a little long term - I'm fine with that. In ring games its all about the $ period. For me in a tournament though there is a fixed amount I can lose and I already lost it when I bought the seat - its gone I don't have it anymore.. Thats got something to do with the way I can feel like, "man I played really well today" and feel good about it no matter what the results. Sometimes when I win a tournament but my JJ beat AA to get me there late and I made some other bad plays along the way I don't feel as well as I did before.

The way I figure Vegas right now is if I run at +40% ROI with $150 per day tournaments or if I run at -40% ROI at $150 per day tournaments its +/- $1800 per month. Thats hobby mony either way - Would have to be a donk to be on the low end of that - but my point is $1800 per month doesn't change my life all that much - If I'm winning its more beer money or w/e. I'll just get the practice to where I'm able to play the $330's daily with lots of $1500 buy ins seasonal.. Yeah at some point I might be playng lots of huge buy-in tournaments then the money will start to matter - but I'm just going to budget in the lower end as my lifestyle and when I do win - as I expect I will - I'll have that extra cash to do stuff here and there.

Anyways the poker side is totally for the learning aspect. I want to play high stakes tournaments as a hobby probably for the rest of my life. I figure in Vegas I can make some good business contacts - as well as live a little.

I just turned 29 and I was raising a kid since I was 20 so i never really got that time to just go wild party, have fun. I'm going to make up into my later 30's for what I missed out on doing the decacade earlier - and play and learn alot about tournament poker in the process

Also I want to get used to living a more fun lifestyle too - taking trips all over etc - just living more than half my awake hours like a vacation..

Hard work is a total grind - I'm excited about going out and balancing that now.

I agree with all of that. I still find tourneys to be lots of fun ( the only form of poker that is fun for me anymore). I also agree that farting around and having some fun when you are young is a better idea than saving all your money and retiring at 55 and doing it then. (provided of course you save enough so you arn't hurting in your old age). It's just for me vegas isn't the place I would do it. If I could afford it I would bounce around. Vegas, lake, california, mississippi, caribean , europe, even china. Poker is everywhere now.

Oh kind of off topic, but in case someone else ever needs this info.
I got a couple business cards and exchanged phone numbers with a few pros who told me - that if you explain to the host you moved to Vegas to play poker mostly on Harrah's properities and have children they'll upgrade your VIP card higher tier so you can get access to all the different pools and things that each casino offers.
I'll let you guys know how that goes - the two that gave me their numbers that day said if I have any problems with getting that to call them because they have some contacts.

Life can become a FN grind, that is true.

It's about taking smart shots. And understanding why you want to take the shot.

I often find my self, taking sick shots at Fix holdem, when my main game is NL, which is FN stupid.

If you are doing it for all the right reasons, if this is what you want to do, and you think you have a shot at doing it, fucking do it.

Whish you the best of luck, which ever you choose.

It strange that this is a revelation to me, but it feels like one: "life is now"
Like I feel like I've been spending so long preparing to live life rather than just living it and doing the things I want to do.

Originally Posted by JuniorJunior

Whish you the best of luck, which ever you choose.

Thanks man!
I am looking forward to winning the Main Event in a few years and buying one of those new resort codo's the biggest ones - they we can throw killer pokerprop.net parties right from my home that over looks the strip

Only half kidding too .. it just might not be the Main Event and it might take more than a few years.. but i'll score something and get like the best place there at some point or another - even if I got broke many times along the way and in the long run actually have lost money overall - I'll still get there

Hey Jim Ive lived in Vegas twice so maybe can give you some perspective. Im 29 also, but dont have any kids.

The first time I dont really count because I was 21 and went with a buddy to play professional blackjack. (just getting into poker and before the boom) We lasted about six months. I look back now on it with fond memories and definitly falls into "getting out there and living category".

The second was about 3 years ago and I went with my brother with the sole intention of playing poker for a living. This was back in the day when party was supersoft and I was killing the games. (10-20 sixhanded limit ftw)

Anyway I went with about 14k after expenses of getting all my shit down there. This was a mistake in hindsight. Id recommend just packing up your car and either getting furniture there or getting a furnished place. It was probably about 2-3k to rent a truck, gas, and get there. When I left Vegas I threw away my shitty furniture and got new stuff when I got back.

Long story short I was there a year. At my high point about 3 months in I had pumped up my 14k to about 28k after living expenses. Atleast half of this was from online play more likely 70%. I probably averaged about 60% online to 40% live.

There were not as many good tournaments then but still quite a bit. Most of my live play was at the Orleans 10-20 limit with a 1/2 kill. I played quite a few tournies but never really had a big score. Id say 1000 was my best.

Played a ton of drunk blackjack. Drank way to much. Meet a few chicks like youve descibed. Drunk makeout sessions at the casino bar are quite fun as you know. Only made about 2-3 good close friends. Got a DUI and wrecked my car. My brother stole about 7k from me. Had to pay about another 5k in expenses when I kicked him out of our apartment. Came back to Dallas when the lease was up. After all was said and done I came back with about 12k.

So my conclusions were. Vegas is a great city to visit but not the place I wanted to live. The shit with my brother obviously didnt help anything. I missed my friends and family and figured Id rather be back home. Vegas never became my home. You having a daughter I assume this will be tough for you also. It gets expensive flying back and forth.

There are a lot of temptations there so if you go you need to be careful. It is a 24/7 party and this has a way of wearing you down and making you less responsible. (like getting a DUI) You seem like a guy who has his shit together so youd probably be OK but just be sure to keep things in perspective and not "live" too much.

You having some backup internet businesses is a huge plus and 20k or so would be enough imo. Stay up to date with such businesses. From my experience and from what I gather from others it is hard as hell to make it only playing mtt's. You need to have a solid cash game also. You know how it is. And dont stop playing online. The games are soft but slow as shit.

If I were you Id try and get a timeshare or month to month furnished apartment for 2-3 months and see if it is really what you want to do. It is a tourist town and I really didnt like this too much. You meet a cool chick and she's leaving the next day. Your friends though will love it and visit you more than youd think. Atleast mine did.

I had a great time and am glad I moved there the second time. I learned a lot about myself and about life. My dream/goal is have a place in Dallas and Vegas. When I go to Vegas these days I can only handle it about a week at time. Im in pretty much in pure party mode though with poker more on the side. God I love and miss Vegas.

Let me know if you have any questions I might be able to answer.

And if you do go...Im definitly making a visit.... Youd be my new best friend. Can I crash on the couch?

Solid post Junior, I can definitely see why Vegas would be tough to live in, especially if you're looking to make it at poker. The temptation of gambling on table games and the non stop party atmosphere can easily get out of hand. And it would be hard to discipline yourself, because each night a new person will want to go out drinkin and it's hard to say no to attractive women.

Thanks Aidan. You are right. Jim seems like a guy who can handle it. Although he may have a weakness for pretty women. (who doesnt?)

A lot of people say you must stay away from the table games. I agree and disagree with this. If you are smart, not compulsive, and a decent gambler you should be alright.

I almost only would play BJ. (craps every once in awhile) As I said, I attempted to play BJ professionaly so when I did play I was pretty close to breakeven. I only played in games that had pretty decent rules for the player and at most double deck. Also I rarely played big. Id buyin for 200 play $10 units with a max bet of $40-50. If you have the discipline to play small and play correctly you shouldnt lose too much. Throw in comps, got free cigs at certain casinos, Id walk out with 3-4 packs a night along with food and the occassional room, and you might show a profit even without counting.

You must know the best stategies for every game you play and not play the absurdly -ev games and always be within youre roll. The free booze makes this pretty tough at times as you want to chase losses and gamble it up.

My brother who I referred to was the exact opposite. He is a compulsive gambler and this is why he ended up stealing from me. Hes also bipolar so that had a lot to do with it.

Juniormint thanks for the post. Its kind of looking like I'll keep my appartment here for a few months - hoping to find a 3rd roomate who will have a sweet deal because i'll like never be here and Justin won't be here more than half the time. If thats the case I'll probably just stay at the Imeperial the first couple weeks while looking for an appartment. I found quite a few online but no way I want to commit to a place without seeing it.

Our goal is going to be to get a 3 bedroom appartment because I figure people will visit all the time. I also get free hotel stay Sun-Thursday at any Harrah's property that is not booked and get 1/2 price on weekends when there not booked so with having a 3 bedroom appartment if Justin brings out a group of friends I don't mind staying in hotel and same for him as need be - we figure if were going to pay for 2 room - why not just get 3 as plenty will visit. Also one of my good poker friends is moving from MA to California in September and his Girlfriend travels often for business so whenever she is traveling I figure he'll crash here too.

In anycase we serious probably will have plenty of room and option so your welcome to come chill whenever.

Eventually I really do think I'll land a high rise codo overlooking the strip, it will take a while but man it would be fun as hell to through big parties at my house if my house is like that .

I know for sure there will be days where I blow $500 on a table game and go wow "fuck that was stupid" but I'm disciplined and smart enough to not do that too often and I'm also very resourceful. Losing money motivates me. One of my old business partners used to say "if Jim didn't lose so much at table games, he wouldn't have as much money as he does". When I lose money I immediately want it back - and it motivates me to work harder the next day be it make an extra sale, or take on an extra project or w/e - often times when i'm at it I just decide well if I'm going to do some work to replace that $500 I might as well just make $1K instead. I seriously doubt table games that do me in out there.

I plan to play tons of poker - but i've known for a long time I never plan to play poker for a living again. I'm going out there to treat it like a sport, like a hobby.

What I do here in MA is unhealthy. I work all the time - I never have any plans, I rarely do much at all. In vegas I can wake up and say okay i got 2 hours to work before I got play this tournament - 24/7 there is something to do.

When i was leaving Vegas I was thinking about how I never wanted to leave, felt I could stay there forever. and this was after running really bad and having just lost a lot of money.

I once spent 6 weeks at foxwoods once with only a little break between - and just spent 2 weeks in Vegas. I have trouble feeling I'll get sick of it overall but I guess we'll see a few months in. Actually I'm sure I'll get sick of it just a little, but thinking back to going to live in western MA where there is nothing at all to do I don't think I'll stay that sick of it for all that long.

I'll most likely make several 2-3 week trips away from Vegas a few times per year and then take a couple months off right after the WSOP - not totally off as i don't want to have to get back to form every season type thing - but say I'm back here I'll play a tournament a week or something during the break.

I'll be working a lot less but I'll be intensily focused on business still - perhaps I'll hit something big and make it well from there - but poker is not my plan for wealth - its my hobby that I want to become great at.

Just reread the thread Jim and its cool to see the excitement and vision you have. Makes me feel like life is worth living!

Its also cool to see you going about this in a responsible and planned out way. Once you get there you might want to look into staying at Comfort Suites or something or other instead of IP. If I remeber correctly they have a decent weekly rate and are real close to the strip.

I like the idea of tournament poker being a hobby and still maintaining your sources of income. I think this puts you in the best position to succeed ion the mtt's.

Going with a trusted friend is such a plus also. You get to split the costs and have a good relationship with someone from the get go. Im a little jealous. God dammit youre making me want to move back.

Anyways, it sounds like its basicly a done deal for you. I wish you the best of luck. When Im in town we'll definitely have to get together. We seem to have a lot of similar goals so itd be fun to get to know you face to face and play some tournies. And when you do win a big tourny dont forget us grinders at PPF.

Plans on when you'll be out there?

August 28th is the date I had set to go - I'm usually the type that does not deviate from goals all that much once I set them, however I kind of want to go to the Ron Paul Rally September 2 in Minnesota and there are a couple business deals in the works. I can see it possibly getting pushed back a few weeks though I'm not sure.

My cousin who is going with me will have a much tougher time. he is starting from complete scratch and lives kind of broke here mostly doing odd projects online. I think Vegas might motivate him though - and in reality whats the difference for him if he is broke in Vegas or broke here. The cost of appartments in Vegas are less than here - and he'll be more motivated to make money to play poker with while he is out there - kind of what he does now. He's actually the type better going with less cash anyways because he'll be more apt to blow it if he has a large sum. I'd call him a true grinder but he's not. he prefers a simple life and pretty much does what he needs to for money and only what he needs to. Our financial ambitions and goals are much different - but he's really smart kid and if he ever found a job doing something he loved he's be awesome at it - he just despises the idea of working with money being the motivating factor and so far he's got by... it also helps that woman after woman don't seem to mind supporting him lol .. I told him he should just be a male hooker and get paid more by being upfront about it lol.. he'll read this post but oh well I'll say it anyways.. I wonder if he'll make it out there or not. I totally believe he is capable both in business and in poker of not just surviving but living really well but it depends if its his motivation. I think if he has a few scores in poker and realizes how trully talented he is he'll probably grow motivated to make a lot more money in order to compete at higher stakes.

The one thing both of us have in common is neither of us are money motivated, but the major difference is that I am motivated by success and accomplishment etc.. gaining money is like playing monopoly to me.. I desire to have a lot of it.. not because I want it all that much just because it means I am winning at the game of making money lol and I like and strive to be better at what I do then everyone else around me - its like all part of the game which i think is why I love tournament poker so much. There is a clear cut winner and loser - and its much like life, you get a lot of setbacks when you've done everything right and sometimes you need to know when to take a chance and sometimes just variance has you all beaten up and dragged through the mud but you need to wake up the next day and forget it all happened.

So yeah August 28 is a very lose data, I'm not going to sacrafice a few grand or other conveniances in order to stick to that date- I'm open to pushing it a little but if I'm hear on October 1st still someone shoot me because that would be epic failure to my plan

Originally Posted by juniormint11

Once you get there you might want to look into staying at Comfort Suites or something or other instead of IP. If I remeber correctly they have a decent weekly rate and are real close to the strip.

I can stay at Imperial for $139 per week on times its not booked
Got upgraded VIP status that gives me free room anytime the hotels at under 70% capacity and that is often for Imperial, except for Friday and Saturday where I get 50% rate.

I also love the place. Seriously thats my favorite casino. The night club across the parking lot - like 15 steps away - a) a couple nights per week give woman free drinks b) does not have a bathroom.

On those nights some of the best looking heavily intoxicated chicks on the strip come over to the Imperial to use the bathroom.

Also the dealers and floor at imperial are super laid back, the place is kind of a dive... like they are the GameGrid of Poker and I'm totally the gamesgrid type guy.. man I miss games grid. I'll probably miss Imperial Palace because its probably only a matter of time before Harrah's blows it up.

Other things I like about it is the walk to Harrah's is super close its next door and the walk to the PokerRoom - Sportsbook entrance is short.

Its also a quick walk though got to cross that street to Ceasars - and late at night if I feel like playing a drunk donkament its also next door to Osheah's which has a $45 document each night at 3:30 AM though I don't see I'll play that much - I was to drunk to calculate the house cut but seriously I think it was like the same as the $150 tournaments everywhere else - and I don't mean % wise either - like I think they were maybe taking $20 of the $45 lol - the only good thing about that place is its so small and if your in the mood to really chug late at night - there waitresses are right on top of things and will bring drink after drink as fast as you can chug - so maybe it comes out okay. At Harrah's the drinks are like every 20-25 minutes