Live Options

As my online poker options have become less and less viable, the live options are getting better.  I would still like to have as many options as possible, live and online, but that's not the case right now.  Some (live) options are certainly better then no options.

The problem with live options is that they have what economists call a "barrier to entry."  In this case, that barrier is the price.  Online one can literally play for pennies.  In 2017 I got on a site where I had not played for two years and $42 had been sitting on the site.  Starting with playing $1 tournaments, I built that up to about $600 before I found out that the minimum withdrawal on Juicy Stakes Poker was $250.

I was going to keep doing that, grinding up bankrolls* on two or more sites, get my Juicy Stakes balance over a thousand, then make some decisions about what to do next.  As outlined in my previous post, that's no longer an option.

Live poker works exactly the opposite way. Technology barely matters, but it's expensive  There are no $1 tournaments.  It's hard to find a poker room that runs tournaments with a buy-in of less than $50.  Unless the power at the poker room goes out, tournaments don't lag or crash, and sometimes even if the lights go out it can still work.  I recently read an article about the lights going out in a casino poker room.  People gathered around the table with their cell phone flashlights to keep play going until power was restored.

I'm in a position where the online options are really bad, but more live options are opening up:

1. There is a new casino 70 miles from where I live.  I played there for the first time a week ago. It's a bit of a drive, but until recently the closest poker room was about 100 miles away.  The opportunity cost and driving expense of a 140 mile round-trip drive is a lot less than driving 200 miles.

2. There is a project for a new casino  just 17 miles from where I live.  It looks like it could be open in about two years.  That would be a game-changer.

I will have to carefully manage my very small live bankroll.  The tournament that I played a week ago had an $80 buy-in, not something that I can afford every day until I start getting some big cashes.  Once I'm backed up by a bigger bankroll (I'm still waiting for my money from Juicy Stakes Poker) I'll be able to relax a bit.  I will be playing my second tournament at the new casino sometimes next week.

As always, your questions and comments are welcome (see box below.)

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*When I use the word "bankroll" I'm talking about money that is available for, and only used for, playing poker.  It could be on an online site, in a bank account, cash, or all of those.  As my online bankroll grows, I will probably keep most of it in a safe deposit box, taking out cash as I need it.