Local card room vs Vegas

[pig4bill]

Agree with OP. It's why I didn't play in my local room until I had made several trips to Vegas first.

Regarding local/tourist ratio in Vegas, I've sat at tables where I was the only out-of-towner. Someone will post here about how fishy MGM or someplace is, and all the sharks descend on it. Within a couple weeks the place will be ruined for easy games.

[PorkchopDJG]

I totally agree with TommyO here. I am a frequent Canterbury 4/8 and 6/12 player and have found the competition to be quite good and getting better over the last few years. I have read TOP, SSHE and HPFAP and have winning sessions and losing sessions basically based on weather my big pairs hold up and big draws hit. If they do I usually win and if they don't I sometimes lose. Table selection is very key at Canterbury. If you look around the table and see 5-6 faces you recognize you should ask for a table change as soon as possible.

Vegas is definitely much easier games. I have played at all the big Vegas cardrooms and have been shocked by some of the bad play I've seen by some of the drunk tourists there. There are very good players there as well especially in the bigger, nicer rooms but just avoid playing much against them and it's pretty easy to win out there compared to here. Many, many more drunk fish out there!

[Holm Fries]

I really have to disagree with those who describe the games at CP as tough to beat. I have played the 6/12 fairly consistent over the last two years and have witnessed generally poor to mediocre play. I have found the games in Vegas to be equally fishy at best and much tighter (especially limit nowadays) at worst.

I agree that the games are better Fri. - Sun., but they are still easily beatable during the week. I was just there Monday during MNF and was in just about the juiciest game ever. It was 5-7 to the flop, often for multiple bets. I saw someone go 5 bets on the river without broadway on a hand where it was the nuts. There were two players at the table with (literally) a VPIP of 100%.

I really think you should be crushing this game by using SSHE. I remember a quote from someone in this forum one time: "Canterbury Park, the only cardroon where the tourists are better than the locals"

HF

[TommyO]

I knew a post like this was just a matter of time. I'm not crushing the game so I obviously suck. Yes, I have been in a few games like you describe but they are few and far between, at least on the nights I play.

[PorkchopDJG]

I have more winning sessions than losing ones and don't think CP games are impossible to beat, just tougher than an average Vegas game. As TommyO said in Vegas you have way more "gamblers" who have never played or play very little compared to CP where it's mostly regulars and people who are there to specifically play poker. Not all of these regulars or locals are good players but probably say 75% vs. like maybe 40% in Vegas.

The LAG's and caller down guys make it tough for big pairs to stand up which I know is overall good, but can kill you sometimes when they river that second pair on your big pair or straight/flush on your trips over and over in a session while you can't hit a draw. The key is waiting to hit a big hand and value betting it big.

[TommyO]

Exactly. I too win more than I lose but I'm certainly not crushing the games. If you are crushing these games you are probably just running good.

[PorkchopDJG]

I would be interested to hear from others around the country on this.

How are you local Card Clubs skillwise compared to the Vegas games you have played?
Do you usually play for lower, higher or about the same stakes in Vegas that you play at home?

[Mygtar]

Porkchop I am a 4/8 LHE grinder at Foxwoods. I have played in Vegas once and found that at my level i.e. the kiddie pool, the play is very similar. Usually a full table of ten breaks down like this 2 LAGs (maniacs), 5 LAPs (fish), 2 TAPs (old rocks), and me. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Once in awhile the table will have a few TAGs on it, but rarely are there ever more than 3 of us.

Best of luck,
Mygtar

[jacksquat]

i have played all over the country and i don't really see much difference in play from one area to another. i usually play 2/5 nl or 10/20 limit and you can find good/bad games at the same casino depending on the day or time. before the recent poker boom it seemed to me that the casinos in vegas were mostly populated by tight local players. now i see more tourists that want to emulate what they see on t.v. many of these type players only have so much time to play and like to give and get action. i would say i have only gotten into one really tough game in vegas recently,(at the wynn) and it was mostly locals who seemed to know each other.

[PorkchopDJG]

Thanks Mygtar,
I've played here in the midwest(Minn and Wisc), Tampa Florida (1/2 limit No fold em hold em), Casino AZ in Phoenix (solid overall play there), Commerce and Bike in LA(Definitely the most LAG poker I have ever played, Cap It!) and Vegas. I've never made it out east yet but I would love to play there someday!

I usually play higher limits in Vegas (8/16,10/20) than I do at home 4/8,6/12. I also like playing in Vegas better than anywhere else by far due to the supply of fish, overall environment, affordable tourneys and of course free drinks(in moderation of course)

Anyone else? What about Tunica, Arizona, AC players?
How do your locales compare to Vegas from what you've seen/experienced?