Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

Hi all,

Long-time lurker here (2+ years).

I've finally decided to take the plunge and move to Vegas to play poker full time. This is a decision I'm confident about, and I have every reason to believe I should do fine. I move in July.

My questions are more about the day-to-day processes of playing poker in Vegas. I've recently started to play at the live 30/60 and 40/80 levels and it's just flat out annoying to carry around enough cash to play at these levels, like when I go on a weekend trip to a casino (there are no B&Ms anywhere near where I currently live). So...

What's the best way to handle money transactions with the casino? Do I open up an account there and EFT money from my bank account there and use it whenever I like? How would I go about doing this, and how much time would I need to give before I can use said funds? Or do I just keep a pile of chips in one of those lock-boxes I see in the cashier's cage? Or Other?

Are the Bellagio and Mirage now giving out regular comps? When I first visited Vegas, they seemed very tight with comps, but on my most recent visit, after the Wynn opened, both seemed a lot more accomodating. I much prefer those two card rooms to the Wynn. What can I expect out of them?

How are the games during the week? Every time I've visited Vegas it's been for a weekend. I would hit up the Thur-Sat night games, 10PM - 6AM and found them to be quite attractive. Are Mon - Wed night games significantly worse?

Also, any other advice/tips/suggestions/etc would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

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How are the games during the week? Every time I've visited Vegas it's been for a weekend. I would hit up the Thur-Sat night games, 10PM - 6AM and found them to be quite attractive. Are Mon - Wed night games significantly worse?

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I don't think you should be asking how the games are after you already made a decision to turn pro. If a couple people say the games are horrible don't play during the week what are you going to do?

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

Get a safe deposit box or "front money" account.

Jeff

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]
I don't think you should be asking how the games are after you already made a decision to turn pro. If a couple people say the games are horrible don't play during the week what are you going to do?

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Hi neotype,

Good point. That question was more idle curiosity on my part. If everyone says the games are horrible, full of top-notch pros, that's not going to change my decision at all. I still make plenty of money playing online and playing live on the weekends (which is what I do now). I'll just know to be more careful during those times when I show up.

But thank you. Honest replies are what I want.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]
Get a safe deposit box or "front money" account.

Jeff

[/ QUOTE ]

What's a "front money" acct? Any costs involved (with that or safe deposit box)? Do I walk in with a handful of cash, or will I be able to do a direct transfer from a bank account?

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

Just wondering, why you choose Vegas over LA or another California area.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]
What's the best way to handle money transactions with the casino? Do I open up an account there and EFT money from my bank account there and use it whenever I like? How would I go about doing this, and how much time would I need to give before I can use said funds? Or do I just keep a pile of chips in one of those lock-boxes I see in the cashier's cage? Or Other?

[/ QUOTE ]

I tried the wire approach on my last trip. Look at my trip report for the hassle that I went through. Bring enough cash to get you started and then open up a local bank account to get the rest.

A lot of folks rent lockboxes, which is fine if you usually play at 1 place.

Weekend nights the games are the best, but there're usually not bad during the week so long as you can make the adjustments between LA tables and TP ones.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

i'm wondering why you selected a new 2+2 alias, if you have been here 2+ years i'm sure you have picked up contacts along the way, maybe those contacts would be proud/excited/happy about your decision to go pro in las vegas.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

he said hes a lurker, meaning he doesnt post.

rj

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

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Just wondering, why you choose Vegas over LA or another California area.

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The main reason is cost of living. California is so unbelieveably expensive. And yet, LA is only a four hour drive from Vegas, so I can go out and play at the Commerce for a weekend whenever I want.

LA is also too big for me. And I enjoy the overall atmosphere of hedomism that is prevalent in LV, at least on the strip.

I've only been to LA once, though, so maybe after living in LV for a year and visting LA a few more times I'll prefer it there. In which case, I'll just pack up and move. I'm in my twenties, single, with no kids. If there's one thing my life has, it's flexibility.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]

What's the best way to handle money transactions with the casino? Do I open up an account there and EFT money from my bank account there and use it whenever I like? How would I go about doing this, and how much time would I need to give before I can use said funds? Or do I just keep a pile of chips in one of those lock-boxes I see in the cashier's cage? Or Other?


[/ QUOTE ]

The easiest, and perhaps most efficient, way to do this is to keep a mini (or buy-in) bankroll in big chips. For example, if you're regualrly playing 40-80, you should bring $5,000 to the casino on Day 1 and purchase five $1,000 chips.

Then, when you actually play 40-80, you bring a couple to the cashier and get $2,000 worth of $10 chips to play with. When you cash out, you request $1,000 chips(and $500 when necessary), put them in your pocket, and go home.

When you want to cash out your profits, you request the appropriate amount of cash in addition to your $1,000 chips.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]

I don't think you should be asking how the games are after you already made a decision to turn pro. If a couple people say the games are horrible don't play during the week what are you going to do?

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I know this guy (about time you started posting!) and I have every confidence that he'll be very, very successful.

It's so en vogue here to automatically assume that everyone will fail as a pro. You shouldn't assume he isn't good just because he didn't tell you that he beats the 10/20 6 max for a good bb/100.

He's better than I am, and I'm doing just fine playing for a living.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

What's the best way to handle money transactions with the casino? Do I open up an account there and EFT money from my bank account there and use it whenever I like? How would I go about doing this, and how much time would I need to give before I can use said funds? Or do I just keep a pile of chips in one of those lock-boxes I see in the cashier's cage? Or Other?


[/ QUOTE ]

The easiest, and perhaps most efficient, way to do this is to keep a mini (or buy-in) bankroll in big chips. For example, if you're regualrly playing 40-80, you should bring $5,000 to the casino on Day 1 and purchase five $1,000 chips.

Then, when you actually play 40-80, you bring a couple to the cashier and get $2,000 worth of $10 chips to play with. When you cash out, you request $1,000 chips(and $500 when necessary), put them in your pocket, and go home.

When you want to cash out your profits, you request the appropriate amount of cash in addition to your $1,000 chips.

[/ QUOTE ]
How is this any different from or better than carrying cash back and forth, aside from the potentially huge wad of bills?

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

Just wanted to say good luck. Once I am semi-retired, I will be joining you.

You should not have any problems with the roll you need at those levels. If you cash out after a large day, the advice on using 1k chips is very good advice. Keep your cash in the bank and ATM any extra you need. I have the bank reset my atm daily limit before each foray into Vegas so that I can get at enough cash in case I am not carrying enough.

Stay frosty.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]
How is this any different from or better than carrying cash back and forth, aside from the potentially huge wad of bills?

[/ QUOTE ]


my question too. but I am guessing it really is just to do with the bulging-wallet factor.


I don't play live much so I too was wondering about this stuff.
When I departed for the PPM cruise I had $3k in cash on me and it felt weird to be going through the airport with that much I guess.
Suppose you get used to it after awhile.

But I didn't want to have to go hit the ATM for $500 at a shot if I struggled in the cash-games (and hell, it's a boat, how do I even know they have an ATM in the first place).


Would like to take $3k-$4k with me to Vegas for the side-game action I will be hitting during the WSOP but certainly don't want to be walking around with that much on me...and also don't really want to leave it in the room (although I guess the in-room safe, if there is one, provides a LITTLE security...but not much).


I'm not trying to sound paranoid here.
I just know that most people don't walk around with $3k or more in cash on them.
But obviously this is not nearly as infrequent in Vegas.

I'm not really in love with the $1k-chip option either...but I'll be considering that when I get there.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

What's the best way to handle money transactions with the casino? Do I open up an account there and EFT money from my bank account there and use it whenever I like? How would I go about doing this, and how much time would I need to give before I can use said funds? Or do I just keep a pile of chips in one of those lock-boxes I see in the cashier's cage? Or Other?


[/ QUOTE ]

The easiest, and perhaps most efficient, way to do this is to keep a mini (or buy-in) bankroll in big chips. For example, if you're regualrly playing 40-80, you should bring $5,000 to the casino on Day 1 and purchase five $1,000 chips.

Then, when you actually play 40-80, you bring a couple to the cashier and get $2,000 worth of $10 chips to play with. When you cash out, you request $1,000 chips(and $500 when necessary), put them in your pocket, and go home.

When you want to cash out your profits, you request the appropriate amount of cash in addition to your $1,000 chips.

[/ QUOTE ]

Isn't 4 or 5 itty bitty chips (even of large denomination) easier to lose or get pickpocketed than a huge wad of bills? Why don't you recommend a box in the room he most often plays at?

The Doc

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]

I know this guy (about time you started posting!) and I have every confidence that he'll be very, very successful.

It's so en vogue here to automatically assume that everyone will fail as a pro. You shouldn't assume he isn't good just because he didn't tell you that he beats the 10/20 6 max for a good bb/100.

He's better than I am, and I'm doing just fine playing for a living.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey there! Thanks for the support.

It's funny that you knew it was me. What gave it away? I mean besides telling the, er, exact same story I told you. I'm sure there are many people moving to Vegas for poker during these boom times, though.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]

When I departed for the PPM cruise I had $3k in cash on me and it felt weird to be going through the airport with that much I guess.
Suppose you get used to it after awhile.


[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. I make regular trips to Vegas and I'm always "itchy" about going through airport security with thousands of dollars in cash in my bag. I keep expecting them to stop me thinking I'm a drug dealer or some such.

My last trip I managed to do real well and so was returning with just under $10K in cash. Since I really didn't want to put up with the hassle of being stopped for any reason and knowing how the government is very careful about tracking cash transactions in amounts over $10K, I was paranoid to the point of spending about 20 minutes trying to figure out ways to make it look like less ("this much in my pocket, this much in my wallet, this much in my bag"). I finally just said screw it, doing that will just make it look more suspicious--if they want to stop me, they'll stop me. I've done nothing wrong.

The wad went through security without so much as a peep from them.

Since then I've heard of people transporting amounts of cash in excess of $20K through airport security without any problems. I imagine if you have a briefcase full, they might get suspicous, but then again, maybe not. Anyone know in general what the SOP is for airport security detecting large amounts of cash going through their machines?

Thankfully, since I'm finally just moving out there, this is one problem I won't have to contend with nearly as often.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

Assuming you have at least $5K on you, which would be reasonable for a day of $40-80, that's too big a stack of bills to carry comfortably.

Zipper-lined belts will hold casino chips (and $100 bills, but not 50 of them), which is reasonably secure, so five chips is easy to conceal.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

Years ago I played lots of craps in Las Vegas. I had $5,000 credit lines established at Binions Horseshoe and Vegas World (now Stratosphere), and less at Union Plaza. I'd go to Las Vegas with a minimum of cash, perhaps $500. At the time I didn't even believe in credit cards, if you can believe that! It was 2 years ago that I last did some of these operations, and everything was the same as it was years ago...

I'd take a $2,000 marker, and then keep the cash/chips in a free deposit box at the casino cashier window, if I elected to leave the premises of the casino. They would require a $25 deposit, to protect them against expense in the event they had to break into the box to restore ownership to them. This deposit was easily recovered, at the end of my stay.

I knew I could have a front money account with them at any time, without regards to my creditworthiness. So you go to your intended casino and hand them $5,000, which they'll receipt suitably. You sit down at the poker table and request a marker for whatever you deem appropriate. Once they get to know you, they'll just hand you the chips immediately, and do the paperwork even as you are playing poker. At the end of your play, you simply pay back the marker, and your front money account goes back up to where it was before you started. Of course, if you want to increase the account size or reduce (or eliminate it), you just go to the cashier window and do your business.

I would sometimes take a marker from 2 or 3 places at once, and kept all these funds in deposit boxes where it was handy for me. Sometimes I'd open such a box at each casino where I intended to play.

In this way I never had to concern myself with taking big sums out of the casino, or into it either, except initially.

Dave

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

Just get the $100,000 vest. I have both colors.

http://www.tamrac.com/g_collectibles.htm

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

Funny thing you should mention the money jacket! My beautiful wife (now of 41-years-married-variety) was kind enough to sew a gambling shirt for me! It was like a suit, in as much as it had pockets where a suit jacket would have pockets, but then it had an extra pair of pockets just above the other two. Importantly, she had pockets on the inside of the shirt, just behind the upper pair of pockets, and these were sealed with velcrow fasteners. These hidden pockets could hold high-denomination chips and large bills too! If you're a married fellow, don't you think I'm a lucky man to have such a thoughtful bride?

By the way, your jacket could also be used to resist flak, if my memory serves me right! Mine couldn't, but it sure is an attractive shirt, and extremely useful for carrying huge stacks of chips along. Come to think of it, when I had literally a hundred chips or more, my jacket would have repelled flak too! Haaaaaaa....

Finally, I have a bolo tie with a centerpiece of a shiny gold look-alike $20 gold piece (actually a Canadian commemorative metal that had been gold-plated), and the coin was surrounded with a golden horseshoe. It was what I preferred to wear when I was playing craps at The Horseshoe, and it caught lots of attention.

For me craps was fun and profitable! I hope your poker is too!

Dave

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]
Zipper-lined belts will hold casino chips (and $100 bills, but not 50 of them), which is reasonably secure, so five chips is easy to conceal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes they will hehe

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

[ QUOTE ]
Hey there! Thanks for the support.

It's funny that you knew it was me. What gave it away? I mean besides telling the, er, exact same story I told you. I'm sure there are many people moving to Vegas for poker during these boom times, though.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well, y'know, I'm smarter than the average bear.

That and your name gave it away. How many long time lurkers that don't post but play as well as you are moving to Vegas?

I'm just glad I won't have to pay for a hotel now. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

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I'm just glad I won't have to pay for a hotel now. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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Yeah, get in line. There's so many people who want a free place to stay that I might have to start taking reservations.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

They won't in mine, and you have to quad-fold each one length-wise anyway. 50 bills? That's a long time in the casino john fishing out your bankroll.

Re: Moving to Vegas, going pro, would like guidance
 

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Yeah, get in line. There's so many people who want a free place to stay that I might have to start taking reservations.

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Don't hold it against me that your only trip with me was your worst one by far. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I ran bad on the trip too.

I won't be there much, don't worry.