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Thread: AP's move to Vegas vs. Just happen to live there

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    AP's move to Vegas vs. Just happen to live there

    Not that i am packed up ready to go or anything like that (far from it), but i can't deny the thought hasn't crossed my mind before. The thought of living at THE city where i can have daily access to play at multiple stores sure is appealing.

    So for those of you who live in Vegas (i take it at least a couple of you do), what are the advanteges (other than the obvious), and disadvantages of living there? Do you do AP full time? Also, did you move to Vegas to play BJ, or did you just happen to live there?

    Any thoughts from those that have seriouisly considered the move would also be interesting to hear.

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    Quote Originally Posted by hitA7 View Post
    Not that i am packed up ready to go or anything like that (far from it), but i can't deny the thought hasn't crossed my mind before. The thought of living at THE city where i can have daily access to play at multiple stores sure is appealing.

    So for those of you who live in Vegas (i take it at least a couple of you do), what are the advanteges (other than the obvious), and disadvantages of living there? Do you do AP full time? Also, did you move to Vegas to play BJ, or did you just happen to live there?

    Any thoughts from those that have seriouisly considered the move would also be interesting to hear.
    You don't want to move to Vegas. It's hot, there is no water, the blackjack games suck. Live somewhere in the Midwest where they have all the good games.
    Last edited by KJ; 05-13-2014 at 08:54 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by KJ View Post
    Live somewhere in the Midwest where they have all the good games.
    Or Atlantic City

    I have a full-time AP friend who is single and moved to Vegas, lasted 6 months and went back east. He said his social life was non-existent. He still travels there to play.

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    Senior Member bigplayer's Avatar
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    Vegas is good for networking and being able to have a wide variety of AP activities. Unfortunately for blackjack Vegas is pretty terrible. There might be 60 casinos but only 20 or so of them really have playable games and of those there might only be a handful of tables. In short you'll fry citywide in short order if you refuse to travel. That said, Vegas is an excellent home base with lots of flights in/out and dirt cheap airfare. It's also an easy drive to casinos almost anywhere in the Western U.S.

    Living in Vegas is not a substitute for the need to travel.

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    Quote Originally Posted by KJ View Post
    You don't want to move to Vegas. It's hot, there is no water, the blackjack games suck. Live somewhere in the Midwest where they have all the good games.
    Alright, I guess I will amend my response. My initial reply was meant to be humorous, directing folks towards our Midwest friends rather than my own backyard. I thought I would get a rise out of our Midwest contingent, but no one bit.

    It seems like I may have influenced a number of members this way over the past few years and that really isn’t beneficial to me, but whatever…

    Here are my thoughts on Vegas:

    Blackjack: Vegas blackjack is about quantity not quality. There are much better games elsewhere. The advantage of Vegas is many games in close proximity compared to other areas. Bigplayer gave numbers of 60 casinos, and 20 playable games. Both those numbers are a little light. There is well over 100 casinos and I have 30 games in my regular rotation, with about 18 that I play heavily. But my standard for ‘playable’ games is lower than other players, as I play games that BP and others would just laugh at. There are advantages to playing an area with many games in close proximity as you can attack differently, shorter sessions, more aggressive exiting of negative counts, etc, which can bump up the value of otherwise mediocre or even subpar games.

    Travel: As bigplayer mentioned, travel from Vegas to other destinations is easy and cheap. Prices are definitely higher this year, but I suspect still cheaper than many other places. I do have a different view on the ‘travel is a must’ theme. I don’t like to travel. One of the reasons I moved here was so I wouldn’t have to travel as much as other blackjack AP’s do. And I do travel minimally, usually two trips per year by air and another 2-3 trips per year, by car. But most of my play takes place right here, so it can be done.

    Other AP opportunities: Obviously where there are casinos there are AP opportunities (more than just BJ). One such opportunity specific to Vegas, is machine play involving taking advantage of generous monthly mailers. Because of competition, especially among local casinos, monthly mailer offers can be disproportionately high for the amount of play involved. It is a bit of a science figuring out just what levels of play generate what offers, but it can be worthwhile. This is a supplemental area for me. Others attack it much heavier.

    Weather: Obviously weather is an issue living in Vegas. Very mild winters. Websites show the average high temp in December and January to be 57-58 degrees, but in my 4 winters here, almost every day is in the 60's or above. Only a handful of days in the 50’s. Feb- may and sept-Nov, weather is just perfect. 70-90 degrees and 90 degrees doesn’t feel like 90 degrees in other places. 90 in Vegas feels like about 80. Of course the trade off is those two bad hot months, July and August. It is HOT. Usually 105-108 degrees. People often talk about 120+ degree temps, but they are exaggerating. 117 is the all time official high and we really only get half dozen days above 112 per year. They often come in a wave of 4 or 5 days in a row which can be brutal. But back to the normal 105-110 degree days. Just plan your day so you are not out walking in the sun between 1 and 5pm and you will get through it alright. Always carry water. The air is dry and dehydrating.

    Cost of Living: Both rentals and purchasing a home is much cheaper than other markets. If you come from California, or one of the big city areas back east or in the Midwest, you will be pleasantly surprised at the cost of housing. I purchased a condo when I moved here, sold that and rented for a year and have purchased 2 homes in the last 12 months, one of which I live in and the other that I rent out. I didn’t really intend to be in the landlord business, but a property in my neighborhood was selling well below market value, so I went ahead and bought it. I plan to resell as the market is currently rising, but am renting to another AP, a member of another site, in the meantime.

    One tricky thing about Vegas is there are decent areas and pretty lousy areas and sometimes they aren’t separated by much, like a couple blocks. You kind of have to get to know the areas. There are places west in Summerlin and southeast in parts of Henderson and newer communities in the southern areas that are very nice suburban living (parks, little league, churches).

    One really big negative: There is a large homeless population. I don’t know if it’s bigger than other cities, but it is very visible. That can be a little depressing. Can also be an opportunity to give back with volunteer efforts if you so desire.

    misc: There is an abundance of good dining and entertainment options. But, there is that lack of professional sports teams, if you are a sports guy. Yes, there is a minor league baseball and hockey team, but it's not the same. You miss that special feeling on a Monday morning when the local NFL team fumbled away the game and the whole city is in mourning together.

    21forme, mentioned his single friend, who found social life non-existent. That’s a new one for me. Haven’t heard that one before. I mean certainly lots of clubs and such and if you’re a single guy as 21forme was talking about, a whole new crop of ‘talent’ arriving every day. Maybe the issue is finding something long-term, like more than 3 days to a week, I don’t know.

    Personally, I love Vegas. I love everything about Vegas, the good, the bad and the ugly. Greatest decision of my life.



    Last edited by KJ; 05-14-2014 at 01:18 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 21forme View Post
    He said his social life was non-existent.
    I can definitely understand why. I can't imagine playing full time at this point. Only place for full timers to discuss this kinda stuff is online which isn't completely satisfying.

    Never been to Vegas, but it sounds like you have to play high minimums to find good rules.

    Wendover sounds a little more fun to me because of their SD.

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    Senior Member mrw464's Avatar
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    No Fear and Loathing for you KJ

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    I have to agree with the sentiment about most vegas casinos not being worth the visit. I am a green chipper and focus 95% of my time playing on the strip. The 2nd time I went to Vegas, I rented a car and went to about 20 casinos that were not on the strip or downtown. The "boulder strip" stores and others like the station properties are definitely not for high rollers. Even betting $100 a hand will make you stand out. Tolerance limits vary along the strip too, but you can often be betting $200+ without any immediate heat.

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    Senior Member Nikky_Flash's Avatar
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    I'm stuck in the midwest right now - but I hung around the city (Vegas) for a few days some years back- before I knew about counting and such - but was wondering what you guys/gals with more experience in Vegas think about riding a mountain bike or ten-speed from store to store ? is that feasible? Being in the midwest , just to play and having to drive an hour and a half to maybe even 2 hours sometimes, is like losing a good sized bet right off the top ... can't seem to understand how to overcome that "disadvantage" ...
    “It seemed to me ... that any civilization that had so far lost its head as to need to include a set of detailed instructions for use in a package of toothpicks, was no longer a civilization in which I could live and stay sane.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nikky_Flash View Post
    I'm stuck in the midwest right now - but I hung around the city (Vegas) for a few days some years back- before I knew about counting and such - but was wondering what you guys/gals with more experience in Vegas think about riding a mountain bike or ten-speed from store to store ? is that feasible? Being in the midwest , just to play and having to drive an hour and a half to maybe even 2 hours sometimes, is like losing a good sized bet right off the top ... can't seem to understand how to overcome that "disadvantage" ...
    If its 2 hours far, I get into a campground/made my car into a sleeper. Take naps, play every shift, take more naps, try to play two days. If I am only able to stay for one shift I usually don't go. 1 hour far or less is not a big deal, maybe 10-15$ for gas. If you have the time Drive as close to 55 mph as you can.
    Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nikky_Flash View Post
    I'm stuck in the midwest right now - but I hung around the city (Vegas) for a few days some years back- before I knew about counting and such - but was wondering what you guys/gals with more experience in Vegas think about riding a mountain bike or ten-speed from store to store ? is that feasible? Being in the midwest , just to play and having to drive an hour and a half to maybe even 2 hours sometimes, is like losing a good sized bet right off the top ... can't seem to understand how to overcome that "disadvantage" ...
    KJ, Just read this or I would have tore into you about your Midwest comment!!

    Nikky,
    I believe I know where you reside, area wise, and even with the drive you have outstanding opportunities! You must learn to enjoy the drive and the scenery, nature, it need not be all about the gaming.

    CP

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    Random number herder Norm's Avatar
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    Hey, we need to enjoy and profit. You've got to take both into the equation.
    "I don't think outside the box; I think of what I can do with the box." - Henri Matisse

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    Quote Originally Posted by muckz View Post
    If you have the time Drive as close to 55 mph as you can.
    My truck seems to get its best mileage at around 80 MPH. It only affexts the gas mileage by 4 MPG from driving the extremes. I get 14 MPG or slightly less driving no highway miles. I get 15 MPG with a normal mix of highway 60 MPH and "city". All highway I get 16 MPG. If it is all high speed highway at 75 to 80 MPH (that's about as fast as I can get away with driving in these parts) I get 17 or on rare occasions 18 MPG. I guess on a percentage basis I am picking up 20-25% on my fuel costs driving all high speed highway versus driving all slower speeds. I hate these high gas prices. LOL

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