Poker Reg Reveals Good & Bad Parts of Vegas Cash Games
GipsyTeam
Yesterday, 04:47
How Vegas cash games are becoming more and more like gambling, and why the biggest problem with live poker isn't rake, but rather antisocial, hooded regulars.
Natasha Ego1stka of GipsyTeam spoke with Andrey Subbotin, who travels the world and blogs on our Russian form about the daily life of a live poker reg.
This summer, he returned to Las Vegas once again, not for a bracelet, but to play cash games. We discussed high-stakes private games, the strange characters at the tables, his love for live poker, and why live poker is gradually losing its appeal for recreational players.
— Hey, Andrey! Usually, everyone comes to Vegas in the summer for the World Series of Poker, but you came specifically to play cash games. Why is that?
I think this was the last year I came here exclusively to play cash games, because the outlook, frankly, wasn't very bright. There are a lot of amateurs here, but most still want to fight for bracelets and play tournaments. For me, a trip to Vegas has already become an annual tradition – I have friends here, and a lot of regulars come here. It's a great location for socializing and getting inspired.
— Why don't you play tournaments? I understand you used to play MTTs.
It's simple. Firstly, I wasn't prepared – I played cash games all year, and only joined tournaments occasionally on weekends. But the main reason was that I didn't bother with my tax status. Currently, for people with Russian passports, any winnings exceeding the $5,000 buy-in are taxed at 30%. And playing with a 30% expectation is suicidal.
— Which casinos do you play at most often and what are the limits?
In fact, there aren't many places in Vegas where you can play at relatively high stakes. Regular games of $5/$10 and up are generally only found at the Wynn, the Venetian, the Aria, and the Bellagio.
I get the feeling that Bellagio is a place where Europeans hang out—Italians, French, Spanish. Whereas the Wynn has more of an American crowd, even an American-Asian one. I think it's because the Wynn is quite popular in Macau—people from Asia come here and flock to their usual hangout.
I play most often at the Venetian. It's my home in Vegas, so to speak. I'm sitting here right now, talking to you. First of all, it's the newest room. It opened about two years ago, I think, and it's clean, bright, and cozy. Plus, the poker tables are located away from the casino, so there's no constant clanging of the machines. Another big plus is that there's no smoking area. When you play at other casinos, everyone's standing around smoking as soon as you leave the poker room. And you can smell it while you're playing, which really irritates me. But here, everything is clean and tidy; it feels like home.
The only downside is that they don't play higher than $5/$10 here. Although limits in America are a rather specific issue. Very often, they're just numbers written on the table. Sometimes you sit down at $1/$3, and everyone at the table has been sitting there all night. Open raises might not be 2-3 big blinds, like online, but 20-30 big blinds. Straddles are also very popular in America. Sometimes they straddle almost to the button!. You're supposed to sit down at $2/$5, but in reality, it's $10/$20/$40/$80. I try to catch this kind of action and record the madness of American live poker. In general, the concept of stakes here is very arbitrary; everything depends on the players.
—How long have you been in Vegas?
I arrived on May 22nd and am leaving soon. I could stay longer, but we have a string of family holidays at the beginning of July—my wife's and daughter's birthdays. For me, that's much more important than playing cards.
I've been renting apartments through Airbnb the last few times, and last year I met a girl who rents rooms there, so now I'm booking directly with her. The best part is that the room is a 10-minute walk from the Strip, meaning you don't need to rent a car or spend money on an Uber. I'm very lucky, because expenses and travel costs here can add up, and you'll spend all your profits in no time.
— How is this trip going for you?
Right now I'm up about $7,000. That's basically enough to cover my expenses, have some fun, and buy gifts for my loved ones. The expenses here are just monstrous. At the beginning of the year, I wanted to go play in Los Angeles, but I calculated the costs and came to the disappointing conclusion that I couldn't beat them playing $2/$5. It's possible at $5/$10, but I'd have to play nonstop.
Let's do some math:
Tickets from Moscow to Los Angeles cost about $2,000
Renting a place to live for a month is also about $2,000.
Renting a car costs another $1,300. Los Angeles is impossible without a car, as all the casinos are located in different parts of the city.
Plus, you need to eat, go out, and buy something—that's at least another $1,200.
That's $7,300 per month in expenses alone. To beat that extra rake playing $2/$5, you'd have to show incredible win rates; even playing $5/$10 would be tough.
For those who really want to try American cash games, I'd advise going for three or four months at a time, otherwise it won't be profitable at all. And if you're aiming to make decent money, you'll have to grind.
— But despite all these downsides and expenses, you're still an live reg. Why don't you go online, for example?"
Well, by poker world standards, I'm already old—I'm 36. I've been playing since I was 18, and before that, I was more of an online player. Then, a good private game popped up in Yaroslavl, and I gradually switched to live poker. I got hooked, started traveling the world, playing both tournaments and cash games. Now I combine live and online poker, but I try to get out and about as often as possible.
I love new locations; last year, for example, I discovered the Philippines.
— I thought you’d say you’re just madly in love with live poker life, so you’re ready to make any sacrifice…
That's true, actually. I see that young regulars don't like live poker—it's boring, it's slow, and they can't really build up the mileage. But I've always enjoyed it live. I love interacting with people, making new acquaintances, and traveling. I think if you're not passionate about live poker, you won't be able to play well live. Because it's really quite boring, and it's also very variance-heavy and expensive, especially if you play tournaments.
— How many times have you been to the USA already?
I don't even know, but I remember the first time I came here was in 2012. I think more than 10 times for sure. Besides Vegas, I played in Los Angeles, Washington, Miami, and Philadelphia.
— After so many trips, you've probably accumulated a lot of funny stories. Can you share any funny incidents that happened at the tables?"
Yes, there are so many stories, I can't remember them all. About seven years ago, we were playing in Miami, $10/25, I think. A guy sat down—pretty plump by European standards, but average by American standards, very cheerful and pleasant. He talked everyone into playing straddles, and when it was his turn, he decided to go all-in with no-look straddles instead. A true gambler. He found out I was Russian and challenged the whole table to guess what he'd done in Russia before. He promised to give up his stack to whoever guessed correctly. Everyone tried several times, but no one got it right. It turned out he'd been doing ballet for several years—I never would have guessed it!
I was playing with a proctologist once, and he spent the entire evening telling stories about how he'd pulled various objects out of his butt—billiard balls, pens, pointers, even keys. The whole table was dying laughing.
There was also a man who had gone a little overboard and every time he was dealt cards like AK or AJ, which are worth 21 in blackjack, he would stand up and shout, "Blackjack!" as he turned them over.
How can you not love live poker after this!?
But not everything is so rosy. For example, in the Philippines, rent and living costs are very low, so an incredible number of regs have flocked there. As a result, playing has become incredibly boring. You show up in a great mood, sit down at the table, and try to communicate with the players, but everyone is stuck on headphones and phones. It's simply impossible to play in such an atmosphere!
Another thing I've been encountering lately is that most, if not all, of the players at the table are older than me. And I'm not used to that at all!
But it's not all doom and gloom. At the Venetian, for example, there are always various conferences going on, and afterward, people come to the cash games to have fun and relax. They socialize, share work stories, and just have a great time. In America, poker isn't just about gambling; many people treat it more like a board game. I absolutely love that approach.
And at $2/5, there are often very serious guys who fret over every +EV move, trying to play solver hands. And they sit like this for 20 hours—with headphones on, an iPad watching a TV show nearby. Sometimes I feel like I'm starting to blush for them, because from the outside, it looks simply awful. Basically, the online players have ruined the live game. They've ruined the game themselves, and then they complain on the forums, saying there are no more fish left.
Amateurs aren't interested in that sort of thing. They come to the casino to have fun and enjoy themselves. A friend of mine recently suggested a great analogy: amateurs treat chips like tickets to rides at an amusement park. Many don't even consider the possibility of redeeming them. They've bought chips and are looking for entertainment. What do they see? A poker table where no one is talking, and next to it, a blackjack or craps table where it's fun, everyone is served cocktails, and the dealer is engaging in interesting conversation. The choice is obvious.
In September, I was playing in the Philippines. A group of Singaporean businessmen and passionate gamblers arrived. They walked around with their assistants, and chips were brought to them on a tray, like in "Field of Miracles." The games were crazy – fun and very expensive. The next time I came to the Philippines was in February, when a tournament series was going on. I saw these guys – they hadn't played a single cash game in 10 days! The regs had lost their amazing whales, or unicorns, as they're called in the US.
— Do you listen to or watch anything while you play?
No, nothing at all. I even try to put my phone away so as not to get distracted. I read a long time ago that Mikita Badziakouski said our brains can't switch between our phones and poker games fast enough. The brain is like a computer. When you have a lot of tasks on it, it starts to freeze and lag. Even when you're just listening to music, your brain still switches between the two tasks.
When I first played live poker in 2012, I behaved just like all those young internet players. I was self-assured, perhaps a little overconfident. I also played with headphones, and during a session I might pull out my iPad and watch a TV series for an hour or two. It usually ended badly—with a wasted stack.
First trip to the WSOP in 2012
— How can young online players get comfortable live? It's partly due to anxiety.
You just go to the casino and sit down at the cheapest games, trying to socialize. If you can't do that, then live gambling just isn't your thing. It's like if I said I wanted to be a chef but I'm afraid to cut meat. What should I do? Learn. Live gambling is a profession, too.
The other day, I met a guy from Germany—young, 23 or 24, but incredibly talkative and outgoing. We got chatting, and I asked him where he'd gotten so good. He told me he'd been playing private games in Germany for two years, where the super-fans come, and you have to interact with them. It was pretty much the same for me; I grew up in the Yaroslavl gambling dens, where socialization and interaction were essential.
— How is playing in Vegas different from the Yaroslavl gambling dens?
There are no more private tables in Yaroslavl. In fact, according to dealers and players who live here permanently, almost all high-stakes games in Vegas have already switched to private tables. All games over $5/$10 have become private.
For example, at the Bellagio, there's the famous Bobby's Room—they'll let you in without any problems, you'll play a few sessions, and once it's clear you're a pro, they'll politely show you the door. It's the same at the Wynn. This year, a famous YouTuber ,@bostonjimmyy, is renting a table there—invite-only $25/$50 games are played almost daily.
Roughly speaking, every major casino has a Boston Jimmy who organizes expensive games. His word determines whether you get into the game or not. Perhaps he also obliges you to cut him in or something like that; I don't know all the details. One thing is clear: without connections, you won't get very far in today's live poker world.
Nowadays, it's impossible to get into almost any high-end game just like that. Well, you can get in, but only for a couple of sessions; professionals aren't welcome. Famous bloggers and media personalities like Nik Airball and Rampage also have no problems playing.
I've also been told that half of these games are recorded. So, the entire high-stakes scene has, you could say, switched to a semi-casino version. You can still play $10/$20 and $20/$40, but you'll have to sit with six or seven regulars and maybe one casual player who hasn't been invited to a private game yet, but will definitely be. A regular I know said that the rest are just left to gnaw on the bones.
Legal poker clubs where you can't win money have suddenly become incredibly popular in Russia. The editor of GipsyTeam and the "What's on the River?" channel visited one of them to find out who plays there and why.
— Is there any way you can pretend to be a fish while still winning? Like, maybe play some silly hands every now and then or something like that.
Another big problem with private games is that there are always some side games you don't understand at all. Squid was popular for a while, and there's always something new being invented. With all these innovations, you're likely to end up playing at a loss, maybe even losing. Plus, they're constantly playing with straddles, so the game is effectively $100/$200, which is incredibly expensive.
— Have you ever played these games?
No, although it all depends on your connections. For example, the other day the manager of the Venetian invited me to play. He's a good friend of mine, and we talk almost daily. The game is Omaha/Hold'em rounds, and every dealer change is a huge pot. The stakes are $10/$25, but I understand that in reality, it'll be at least $25/$50, which is a very high-stakes game. In several years of traveling to Vegas, this was the first invitation to a semi-private game.
In 2012, I came to play $5/10, and I'm still playing the same stakes now. If I haven't become a high-stakes reg in 18 years of poker, I doubt I will at 36. So I don't have those ambitions anymore. However, I do plan to dive into tournament poker soon. It'll be interesting to see what comes of it.
There will definitely be more locations for playing. We've calculated that traveling from Moscow to America is very expensive and time-consuming. Asia is already OK, but in terms of cash games, it's not very exciting. And there are tournaments in both Europe and Asia.
— You were telling me about funny incidents at the casino, but have any unpleasant stories happened to you too?
In America, everything is absolutely safe in this regard. You can call the floor at any time, the person will be reprimanded, and if the situation repeats, they will be escorted out.
— What if this is the main source of chips at the table?
That's the idea from Russian gambling dens, like if you're a fish, you can do anything. In America, everyone's equal. Even if you're losing tens of thousands (though at my tables, you don't lose tens of thousands, only thousands), but you're misbehaving and disturbing others, the floor will come up to you and tell you to take a break.
It's the same with alcohol. The floor manager might come up to me and say, "You're not drinking anymore." I told you a story about a guy who was yelling about blackjack. We were getting along well, but at some point he started pestering everyone, and then he asked for a $1,000 loan—he'd go to his room and pay back $1,200. I politely declined the offer, and then the floor manager came up to me and asked if everything was okay and if there were any complaints. Generally speaking, it's not like someone behaves horribly and gets away with it because they drink at the tables.
— How do you rate your yearly expectation?
I keep track of the statistics in the app; on $2/$5 over the last two years, it's averaged $50 an hour. You get what you play.
— Which countries are your top ones to play?
I used to really enjoy going to Cyprus with my family. Merit, for example, is the perfect place to combine relaxation and play. We'd come with the whole family—my wife and child enjoying the wonderful hotel, and I playing. And everyone was happy. It's also the closest location to play with the stars.
I really enjoy the tournaments in France. I've played in Paris, Deauville, Cannes, Nice—I've traveled a lot around France, and everything was excellent. The schedule is always clear—tournaments start at 12:00, there's a dinner break at 6:00, and play ends at 11:00 PM. And most importantly, you can only reenter once. That means there's no horde of regs jumping on 15 big blinds in the last minutes of registration. One reentry—and goodbye.
Plus, the players themselves are usually very nice, especially the older generation, they're like aristocrats.
— Would you like it to be like this everywhere – one reentry per tournament?
Definitely! I remember the days when there were no re-entries at the WSOP. All tournaments were freezeout – you busted and went to rest. As far as I understand, the poker community is divided on this matter. Some people think it's a good thing. Of course, re-entries boost the prize pool, which makes tournaments more attractive to amateurs.
But I'd still love to make all tournaments freezeouts, especially bracelet ones—they're a unique moment, a memory for a lifetime. I'd like everyone to have an equal chance, not like now, where most of the regs make it to the final table because they have five entries.
It should be like the Main Event—amateurs save up for six months for the buy-in, and everyone has an equal chance, just one bullet. That's fair.
— What does your day in Vegas look like?
I have a very specific schedule. I wake up at 4-5 am. I open my apps and check where I left off playing last night. I head to wherever I left off. By 5-6 am, I'm already at the casino. I play until about 11-12, then I take a lunch break, then another shift until 5 pm. I go to bed at 7-8 pm. And that's basically it, every day, a kind of Groundhog Day.
There are two big problems in the evening: the huge crowds of noisy people and the difficulty getting a seat at a table. Neither you nor anyone else can find a seat. Lines are 20-30 people long. In the morning, however, the casino is cozy and quiet, and there's always a seat. And the presence of drunk people, tired from the night before, is also a big plus.
Generally, the most profitable opponents in Vegas are either very successful people who came to have fun and relax. They usually dress up for the casino as if they were going to the theater. Or they're guys who've been through the night, usually a bit tipsy. Tipsy people, of course, sometimes behave badly, talking loudly, stalling. It's much more enjoyable and interesting to play with those who came to have fun, but they'll sit in boring regular tables and then head off to baccarat or blackjack, where a friendly dealer will ask them about their families and make pleasant conversation.
— You said you have a lot of friends in Vegas. Who do you hang out with and how do you spend your time?
A good friend of mine, a tournament regular, has been living here for four years now. He grills amazingly delicious steaks—I've never had better anywhere, not in restaurants, and certainly not when I cook them myself.
I finally saw Giorgiy Skhulukhiya the other day. We've known each other for about ten years; we met near Rostov, back when the Azov-City gambling zone was there. I recently cheered for him at the final table at Wynn. It's hard to believe – we used to play tournaments for 20,000 rubles (about $255 USD), and here he is, heads-up, fighting for almost two million dollars.
I met a lot of great players at Azov-City, and I still try to keep in touch with some of them.
It's actually hard for me to meet the guys here, since our schedules are different, and I go to bed at 8:00 PM. But if my tournament spirit doesn't wane, I'll be competing against them next year.
— You live in Yaroslavl now, right? What are your plans for the next live poker trips?
Most of the time, yes, but I travel a lot. I plan to start playing live tournaments in September. Before that, I want to practice thoroughly online and get some distance playing.
Yaroslavl, northeast of Moscow in Russia
Tournaments are much more fun to play, and winning trophies is a memory that lasts a lifetime. Every night before bed, I watch an hour or two of Dmitry Shakhov's live streams with commentary, and once there was a star-studded lineup—Semin and Gorodetsky, just like in childhood. I watch and see people playing at final tables so hard it makes me want to cry. So many manage to reach final tables while making horrendous mistakes. It's clear there's definitely money left in poker. Yes, the variance is huge, but on the other side, there's excitement, potential winnings, and some glory. Basically, I want to give tournaments a try. I'll set aside a year or two for it. We'll see how it goes.
Over the course of several years of traveling to Vegas, I've developed the confidence, as Aurora says, that if I'm really pressed, I always have the opportunity to earn my $50 an hour in cash.
— I hope we can talk on the phone in a year, and you can tell me how you won your first bracelet!
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