Major life decision: Should I move to Atlantic City or Las Vegas?

[tom10167]

Flush are you a licensed dealer with experience? I'd get both of those things before considering this, it's not as easy as it sounds to get a job dealing. How far are you from Foxwoods? It is very easy to get hired there.

I don't know what the cost of living is in AC but I don't see how it could be cheaper than Vegas.

[Courtesy Flush]

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If you have to survey an online message board to figure out what the proper "major life decision" for you is...

Well, honestly, if you cant make this decision, then you wont be a good poker player.

So save your money and stay home.

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I don't HAVE to survey an online message board to figure it out, but I'd be stupid not to ask people who know way more about these things than myself, wouldn't I? My play may not be world class, but it's certainly far better than average. Even still, notice I don't plan to rely on it as my sole source of income.

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Flush are you a licensed dealer with experience? I'd get both of those things before considering this, it's not as easy as it sounds to get a job dealing. How far are you from Foxwoods? It is very easy to get hired there.

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Hey, I'm not licensed and only have home game experience, but I know it's the type of thing I'll be good at (there aren't many!). I was planning to take the necessary training course once I got there. I do have a good chunk of change from poker that I'll be able to sit on while I'm not working.

As for Foxwoods, I can't even consider it an option since being able to deal AND play live is my primary motivator for this move. Unless things have changed since I last heard, the Woods doesn't let their dealers play and Mohegan Sun's poker room is still inoperative.

[tom10167]

Fair enough, I wish you luck, let me know how things work out, and if you need a roommate. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Jeffage]

What limits do you play? IMO, AC mid and high limit action is better than Las Vegas almost 24-7. Comps are better, but rake is (slightly) higher. You could easily live 20 mins out rather than in Atlantic City proper.

But all in all, Vegas is a MUCH cooler town but I think probably tougher town to make a living playing poker (on the whole). If you're a NL player primarily, Vegas is probably slightly better but I'm not sure (AC games ARE soft).

I've considered moving to Vegas over the years, but bottom line is that my family and friends are important to me. It's tough to pull the trigger and move because it really is a big life change and knowing few people in a city like Vegas would scare me (plus it may offend your family that you're "choosing a game over them"). There's a lot to consider.

Good Luck.

Jeff

[Rottersod]

Something else to consider about Vegas is the weather. Coming from the north east you may not adjust well to the extremes - well over 100 every day of the summer and close to freezing in the winter.

But on the positive side: no humidity. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[youtalkfunny]

Cost of living in Tunica is about as cheap as anywhere in the country. Oklahoma is cheap, too.

Somebody finally got around to opening a dealers school in Tunica (an idea I had years ago, but I'm gutless).

[dozer]

Of course my opinion is to not move out and find something safer and more likely to benefit you long-term (such as school or a job with room for growth and benefits).

But you could feasibly live in AC for a while, and if you don't like it, move to Vegas. Or, move to Vegas, and if you don't like it, then come up with a new gameplan because AC would be like 20 steps down from what you experience in Vegas.

Whatever you do, be as smart and safe as possible, which brings me to the beginning of my post ...

[psandman]

If your planning on dealing poker let me warn that Vegas right now is not the best market for poker dealers. I Most of the rooms are very slow right now, and rooms that have been open for a while are overstaffed.

I moved out just a little under 2 years ago. I was juiced into a good dealing job, at the time, many people called it the best dealing in Vegas. I was put on the extra board but I was scheduled for 4 or 4 days a week (and if only 4 I could always find another shift to work) When i worked I could almost always work a full 8 hour shift and overtime was common.

But nobdy leaves the best job in town, so I didn't move up in seniority I'm still pretty much at the bottom of the extra board. So now 22 months and 29 new poker rooms later business has slowed tremondously. The whole extra board has been cut to only 3 days a week and its still too much because now dealers only get 4-5 hours in so we are facing cuts which will probably have me laid off by next week well they will keep me on as an employee on their records but I don't plan on having any scheduled hours). Last Monday i worked 2 hours, and Friday Night I was called and told not to come in at all. When i get to work this job I still make good money on an hourly basis, but when you work six hours in a week its hard to make your nut.

I saw this coming though and went out and got another job. But because It was to be a second job I told them I would work part time. Well since my first week no part time dealer has been scheduled to work a single shift. I have managed to get a couple half shifts here and there by calling in asking for work.

At present I am looking for my third job. Last night I spoke with a friend about a job at his joint. They are advertising online for a Part-Time dealer, yet he has told me that he is seeing the same problems getting hours in dealing now. I will have a third job by next week, but realisticly I'm looking at having three jobs and still working very few hours. It makes working the floor look a good deal.

I can't imagine this situation is going to change anytime soon. We need for a bunch of rooms to close (of course that will flood the job market with unemployed dealers that you will have to compete with for jobs). Also we need the price of gas to drop (I'm not holding my breathe on this one).

Now personally I haven't ever considered playing professionally. If you can do it, and have the bankroll to do it without supplementing with a dealing job then go ahead, just don't count on being able to make a living dealing.

[Wetdog]

[ QUOTE ]
Something else to consider about Vegas is the weather. Coming from the north east you may not adjust well to the extremes - well over 100 every day of the summer and close to freezing in the winter.

But on the positive side: no humidity. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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None away from the strip, but with all the fountains, waterfalls and pools on the strip, it's like 2PM in Chicago when it's midnight in Vegas.

[schroedy]

I don't know anything about the east coast scene.

However, I believe that Las Vegas is the city of the future, weather considerations notwithstanding.

The nation is aging quickly. Baby boomers are thinking about downsizing/retiring. Vegas is a much cheaper market than LA, Manhattan, etc. For example, I could sell my home, move to Vegas (bigger home, no mortgage pmt) and cover half my outside nut on interest from the left over gain on sale alone.

Vegas has great, world class quality entertainment, a booming world-wide tourist industry, great air travel connections, at least domestically, far less traffic than the major cities (although they are accumulating a traffic problem of their own), no state income tax, no state property tax, no state sales tax, etc.

If you can't get a job dealing, you will be able to get a job doing something. Vegas has a labor shortage and remains one of the few booming labor markets in the US for individuals without a college degree.

All that remains is to convince the wife! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]