Vegas left me a broken man
I only made my first trip to Las Vegas 9 years ago - January of 2011. We stayed at the Imperial Palace. I played poker there exhausted and lost more thn 3/4 of the money I came with in the first six hours.
I had made annual or semi-annual trips every year until 2017 when I took a job dealing the WSOP. Mostly it was an excuse to play a lot of poker.
At the end of the summer I went back to Philadelphia to gather my stuff, pack up my car and drive cross country.
I arrived in Vegas on Oct. 3, 2017. All along I planned to deal 2-3 days a week and play 2-3 days a week. That never materialized.
I got off to a hot start and was cruising after 3 months when I hit a terrible downswing. I had started working with a coach and staker in December. It went great for 3 weeks and the next 3 months were hell. Trying to learn a new playing style was not easy. It was extremely hard. And I have an ego so that made it harder.
I was able to get a temp dealing job on the strip in April and worked 30 hours a week through the summer. I played and played well. I managed to build up a decent little roll by early October. I think the high point was $3,300. It was a life/poker roll so not nearly enough but I never expected to be out of work long.
Again I went on a massive downswing. Throw in that I don't manage my money well - I don't waste but I didn't watch what I spent and probably ate better than I deserved - and I was broke by Nov. 1 or so. I spent the next couple of months before landing another temp dealer job in February. It waa about the time I got my tax refund which I used to play for about two months before bills and another small downswing ended that.
I worked part time and played sporadically during the summer. I left one job for another and it didn't work out. I grinded for about six weeks before a bad weekend busted me.
I should mention at this point tbat most of the poker in 2019 was played buying in for 60 BBS. I never approached it like so many others in town - those who hit and run 3 or 4 casinos in a night.
It's now January 17, 2020 and I'm leaving town.
I have a plane ticket back home in the morning. I have no idea where I'm going to live. I have no job. I have like $20 in my pocket and I'm starving.
I've been at the airport since about 2 pm Thursday. Its almost 3 am and I'm exhausted.
I don't regret moving out here. I took a shot and failed. The city will eat you up if You let it. I didn't drink or party or go to shows every week. In a way I missed out on some of the perks of living in such a great city.
But moving out alone - even though I have made some lifelong friends - in my mid 50s was dumb.
If you are thinking about making the move don't let this dissuade you. Had I been smarter and not had some other issues it might have worked.
I paid $600 a month to live where I did. With people I was acquainted with. I could have found a room for $350-400 that would have suited my needs just fine.
Anyway I'll be on a plane in about 7 hours.
I failed but I lived my dream and took my shot. Now it's time to get the truck from Knish and get back to the real world.
Sent from my LML413DL using Tapatalk
23 Replies
Have seen most of Texas in the past almost four years. Just spent the past year outside Fort Worth. Hated it. Can't explain how awful I think the people here are.
Was in Houston for 18 months before that. Worked 9 months then was unemployed after the room shut down.
Headed to far far west Texas tonight. Town of Farwell which is on the state line with new Mexico. Room opened a couple of weeks ago. Same owner as Lubbock. Has looked slow so far but hopefully it turns around. I'm a nomad. I can always go elsewhere.
Goal is to be in either Philly or Vegas by Xmas. If I go back to Vegas it's for the weather and to try to deal again there. I think the market is better for dealers since the pandemic and all of them moving to Texas.
Sent from my moto g play - 2023 using Tapatalk
Good luck Chip. Surely the weather in the North East would be hard to return to?
Thanks for the update and get out of Texas.
is texas scene all it's made out to be?
Why not Austin? Those people are probably the opposite of what Ft. Worth people are.
Have seen most of Texas in the past almost four years. Just spent the past year outside Fort Worth. Hated it. Can't explain how awful I think the people here are.
Was in Houston for 18 months before that. Worked 9 months then was unemployed after the room shut down.
I’m surprised about FW. Is just outside FW mean Dallas then that makes sense. Need MarknFW to chime in.
Why did you stay in Houston after for 9 months and unemployed the whole time? It seems like there’s always rooms looking for qualified dealers.
He was in Burleson. It's a pretty hick town. I graduated from high school there and got the **** out asap. Very racist. Very redneck. At least when I was there. It's grown a lot since I lived there, but I imagine it's about the same only bigger. Fort Worth is better, but probably not by much, it's Cowtown ffs.
He loved the place he worked just a few months ago though and now all of a sudden he's leaving town and talking **** in the DFW venue thread and leaving bad reviews on PokerAtlas for the place he worked, so who knows what really went down down there.
But yeah, he's probably right about how awful the people were there, especially in a room that's struggling to get one table a night going. It's a weird situation where he was working. It's a town of 58,000 people where they for some strange reason opened THREE separate poker rooms, that all seem to struggle to get more than one table going at a time, at least whenever I check on PokerAtlas.
don't burn those bridges chip - even if you never want to work for those card rooms ever again, if other future employers find out that you may try to review bomb them if there is ever conflict then they'll just pass on hiring
Million dollar idea…
El Diesel and this guy connect in Vegas and start a…wait for it….poker dealer home game company. For a small fee (or rake), they arrive to your residence and provide poker dealing services along with loads of fun.
Sharks, who’s in?
Million dollar idea…
El Diesel and this guy connect in Vegas and start a…wait for it….poker dealer home game company. For a small fee (or rake), they arrive to your residence and provide poker dealing services along with loads of fun.
Sharks, who’s in?
I loled
Sent from my moto g play - 2023 using Tapatalk
Million dollar idea…
El Diesel and this guy connect in Vegas and start a…wait for it….poker dealer home game company. For a small fee (or rake), they arrive to your residence and provide poker dealing services along with loads of fun.
Sharks, who’s in?
I misread this as "loads of food" and pictured Diesel showing up to someone's house and pulling out pocket bread for the players in the game.
Chip, glad you're still around. My advice is to go back to Philly and work on picking up the pieces of your family relationships. Read some of your old threads and posts about why Vegas is a bad idea.
Chip, glad you're still around. My advice is to go back to Philly and work on picking up the pieces of your family relationships. Read some of your old threads and posts about why Vegas is a bad idea.
The only family relationship that matters is with my daughter and her kids. And that is good. But I won't be going to Vegas on a whim. It wouldn't be until next spring so I can deal next summer. And it would be for 97 percent health reasons.
But believe me it's not a move I would make without a hell of a lot of thought.
Sent from my moto g play - 2023 using Tapatalk
I'm glad you have a good relationship with your daughter. Still think being in Philly would be good for you.
I'd recommend that you stop fooling around with poker and obtain suitable employment. You have many excuses and not enough effort and commitment. You are not a "pro" and play low limit for entertainment and not for a reasonable living wage.
I'd recommend that you stop fooling around with poker and obtain suitable employment. You have many excuses and not enough effort and commitment. You are not a "pro" and play low limit for entertainment and not for a reasonable living wage.
Thank you for your expertise on my life.
I'm doing just fine now.
Sent from my moto g play - 2023 using Tapatalk
Thank you for your expertise on my life.
I'm doing just fine now.
Sent from my moto g play - 2023 using Tapatalk
I read the entire thread,in particular your responses, and some might say "I broke you down". I am pleased that you are "doing just fine now." You followed my advice and obtained gainful employment. You should not, however, play poker - you have an OMC style, short stack, possess limited funds, played scared and steam like that Trooper97 fellow.
If I can provide any further expertise on how you can successfully manage your life, please advise. I'm listening.
shawn, you're responding to an op that's nearly 5 years old, this is one of the lower effort troll jobs i've ever seen
I read the entire thread,in particular your responses, and some might say "I broke you down". I am pleased that you are "doing just fine now." You followed my advice and obtained gainful employment. You should not, however, play poker - you have an OMC style, short stack, possess limited funds, played scared and steam like that Trooper97 fellow.
If I can provide any further expertise on how you can successfully manage your life, please advi
I most certainly do not play scared and there is nothing wrong with being an OMC.
Sent from my moto g play - 2023 using Tapatalk
I also didn't "follow your advice" in getting a job. Lol at your ego thinking some Internet troll convinced me to get a job. If you actually read the whole thread you would know I had jobs in Las Vegas but I had physical and mental issues that prevented me from maintaining employment.
As for short stacking, I may buy in for less than the max but I am not a short stacker. SS hit and run. Especially in Vegas. They would make $70 at Harrah's, then go to Bally's. Make $80 more and go to Flamingo. And so on.
I am currently in Texas. I work. I play. I don't play as much as I used to. I don't want to. Where I play is generally a lot of Omaha 8 and other split pot games. Bomb pots.
Sent from my moto g play - 2023 using Tapatalk
