I'm back after my two-week hiatus while visiting Las Vegas. I'm really glad that I took the trip, and especially glad that I stayed for 2 full weeks. I have a very good idea of what the town is like now, after basically living there and driving around to many parts of it. It seems to be a dark and lonely town. Easy to beat the degenerates at low stakes poker, but hard to find someone that you'd want to have a beer with. I was really excited the first few days, but by the middle of the 2nd week, I was counting the hours until my flight home. I needed this experience to test the waters, and I think I've found my answers. I would love to deal poker and get paid the kind of money they do to basically "referee" a game. And playing at the Stardust is like an ATM machine, because the tourists are that bad at poker. But living there is the price that I'd have to pay. And my heart did not feel like it could make that place my home. Back home now in Illini country, and it sure feels great to be here.
Good...it sounds like you needed his....I can relate, living at a beach resort for a couple summer seasons...you think its paradise til you look around when the "vacation is over" and its not a year round livable situation...home sweet home doesn't seem so bad then!
grew up in the midwest as well kansas...lived 20 years in south texas...3 in north carolina...and now vegas for 6 and would not change a thing....a two week vacation and living here are not the same....once you settle and make friends it is just like any other town...play cards with the buds...bbq with friends..gamble on sports all the time and the weather is great about 9 months a year..the summers get a little warm....but winters in the midwest get a little chilly as i recall...to each their own but as a now las vegan.. i would not change a thing...thanks for visiting now go home....just kidding...glad you came and sorry it didn't work out for you...give it another shot...maybe you hung out in the wrong places....and whatever you do stay away from the strip...that place is a jungle...jeffksu...
Illini:
Welcome back. You made a very important decision in your life. One that most don't find so easy. It was important for you to go to Las Vegas to see how you would feel there. If you had never gone, you would have always wondered what might have been. Now that you have been there and could see and feel it for yourself, you will never have any questions to wrestle with. And now that you are back home, you can begin to look forward to what you may wish to do in the future. There will surely be more choices to make in the future, but now that you took a chance, it will be easier in the future to do the same. Very wise for such a young man. All my best to you in the future.
Welcome back. You made a very important decision in your life. One that most don't find so easy. It was important for you to go to Las Vegas to see how you would feel there. If you had never gone, you would have always wondered what might have been. Now that you have been there and could see and feel it for yourself, you will never have any questions to wrestle with. And now that you are back home, you can begin to look forward to what you may wish to do in the future. There will surely be more choices to make in the future, but now that you took a chance, it will be easier in the future to do the same. Very wise for such a young man. All my best to you in the future.
Hey guys, good to see all of you. I've missed being on this board, that's for sure. I've got a lot of different thoughts about Vegas. The mountains are just beautiful. Driving downhill on Sunset Rd in Henderson, and looking into the Valley was awesome. The sunny weather was great. Henderson really makes you feel like you're not even in Vegas anymore. Sunset Station is a really cool place with a good poker room, if anyone ever gets tired of the Strip. I know I got tired of it after a few days, and really don't care if I get back there for a very long time. Staying there for as long as I did, I just got the feeling that it was a city of darkness and broken hearts. I know there are exceptions, but the general rule is as follows, from my observations, anyway. The tourists lose all their money, but leave town before they sober up, so they don't care. The dealers have to work for companies that claim to care about responsible gaming, yet they offer perks for people cashing their paychecks at their casinos. And they want people to bet more than they can afford to. The dealers make great money, but they gamble, too, and drink it away. The strippers are miserable, or else they wouldn't be strippers. Prostitutes constantly asking you if "you want company." They're probably pretty happy, too. I played poker with total strangers for many hours. I met a few cool people from out of town, who were on vacation. But most of the locals were just as bad as the tourists at poker. I felt kinda guilty taking their money, cause they weren't on vacation, and looked like they needed the money worse than me. I just felt after being there for so long "man, get me home to where there is some normalcy to life." I don't know what I'm gonna do right now. I still hate my job, and I'm going to be exploring other opportunities. But I don't think the grass is any greener in Vegas than it is the Midwest, home of the St Louis Cardinals!
