Are Las Vegas poker games good/better/great now, and if so, will this phase last?
A POKER QUESTION
At dinner last night the topic of poker came up.
Specifically, I asked about the current conditions of “Las Vegas poker” and “post-COVID poker.”
I wanted to learn more about the characteristics of typical games in Las Vegas and how–if at all–playing styles and the general atmosphere has changed in the last 16 months.
My theory (with no basis at all other than supposition, and no personal evidence since I have not played live since Feb. 2020) is as follows:
— Many poker players have been cooped up the last year and a half and want to be in action. Even if they don’t admit this, the tendency will be to gamble rather than play cautiously.
— Even though many players have played online and on apps, the desire to play live again is very strong.
— This mass enthusiasm creates better action and for lack of a better term, “good games” in most rooms, certainly better than the months pre-COVID.
— Some rustiness has set in and there’s a slight decline in skill sets. Players haven’t been used to the grind of live-action. So there will be more poor strategic decisions.
— There are more maniacs in games since many of these types of players have not been able to “get their fix” during the lockdown.
— Cautious players and those with better financial discipline (nits) still being wary of venturing out and sitting with strangers for long periods won’t be as common, so those nit seats get occupied instead by (more reckless) gamblers.
— Games will be terrific for the next few weeks, then gradually revert back to pre-COVID conditions. The fertile atmosphere will probably last well into summer, however.
— Las Vegas poker games, which were very marginal at best compared to other American poker markets, will instead be very profitable for the best players in this temporary phase since many of the visitors who come here will want to “gamble.” I.E.–Few tourists come to Las Vegas to play tight and fold 25 hands in a row.
— These thoughts apply mostly to low-stake games and certainly-NLHE games with blind structures between $1-2 and $2-5. The higher-stakes games and other poker games will see less of an influx of action.
— Table conversation, at least in the short term, will be more engaging than before. Players, isolated away from the game for such a long period, are eager to talk, share, and gain insights from people, even strangers, a social dynamic that’s been on hold for the past 16 months.
Since I haven’t ventured out (yet) into a poker room and have mixed emotions about returning to the felt, I could be wrong. These theories could be my own overreaction. Overthinking the situation, if you will.
Are games good/better/great now, and if so, will this phase last?
I welcome thoughts from those who wish to share experiences, especially playing recently. Presumably, others share my curiosity.
I’m most interested in knowing if the action is better since poker rooms have reopened and we are coming off an extended weekend.
.