Who are the fish in Vegas?

Living in NYC, I'm far removed from the Vegas scene. From whom are the professionals primarily making their living?

Vacationing tourists?

Wealthy businessmen?

Wannabee pros?

all of the above.

I'd imagine when pros play each other, in the long run the cash just jumps back and forth between them with only the best of the best taking a small profit in the long run (like Ivey and Negreanu maybe), but this is just a guess. They haven't invited me to the Big Game yet.

Ok, my reply to you sucked because you want to know who "primarily" they make money from. It also sucked because I'm not from Vegas and don't know what I'm talking about.

But since I usually think I know what I'm talking about, I'd say primarily wealthy folks (be they business people or whatnot) who saw celebrity poker showdown (or played in it) and/or played a couple hundred hands with their friends, and think they are good, so want to try their luck against the big dogs and can afford to drop a few 100k.

I find honeymooning men to be very giving (they want to gambool it up when they get a few minutes), and asian retirees are usually awesome.

[goofball]

The tourist and the locals.

[bicyclekick]

Just about everyone.

[AKQJ10]

I won't give a direct answer, because like mikever I really don't know what i'm talking about. But I will mention that Michael Craig's The Professor, the Banker, and the Suicide King gives a bit of insight into top cash players' lifestyle in general and this question in particular.

When Andy Beal shows up, it's obvious to them that he's (1) wealthy and (2) interested in poker. It goes without saying -- in the players' minds, at least -- that he's (3) not as good at them at poker. Of course the point of the story is Beal's efforts to make this third assumption wrong.

But the relevance to this thread is, it's obvious that the players are ready to hop on planes or drive from LA to Vegas at a moment's notice when there's a rumor of a rich "donor". Therefore my inference is that there are others with Andy Beal's money, but without his drive to beat the best at heads-up limit hold'em.

(Eh, I was answering more in response to the thread that led me here from the Poker Theory forum, about the "big name" pros. I'm sure there are plenty of other successful pros on this site to give you a first hand answer.)

[2+2 wannabe]

[ QUOTE ]
Just about everyone.

[/ QUOTE ]

lol

[Poker Cat]

[ QUOTE ]
I find honeymooning men to be very giving (they want to gambool it up when they get a few minutes)

[/ QUOTE ]

What a great idea for a movie.

[ThaHero]

Some tourny "pros" are probably big contributors in that big game too.