Tourist? Local? What's the Difference?

Hi. Come on in. I've whipped up a batch of eggs Benedict and a mess of home fried potatoes. Dig in while we speak of our beloved game of poker.

Las Vegas was a quiet town of about 250,000 folks 23 years ago when I first came to live here. It was the perfect escape from the big city. I like to claim that I left Los Angeles for a variety of esoteric reasons. In reality, I came to Las Vegas to play poker.

During the 10 years prior to moving to this city of 24-hour action, I was a frequent visitor, making six trips a year. So, I understand the thinking of the visitor to Las Vegas. I also understand the thinking of the Las Vegas local.

Now, for you folks who are new to Las Vegas or any other area having legal public poker, I shall reveal how you can tell the difference between a tourist and a local, and maybe even why you want to know. And if you are planning a poker trip to an area of public poker that's new to you, you'd also do well to pay heed.

If he thinks about it at all, a tourist playing in a public poker room tends to think the other players there are tourists like himself, out to have a good time with a weekend of poker. Incorrect! At almost any poker table in Las Vegas, for example, you'll probably find at least one local player who is sitting there to earn his living, or a goodly portion thereof. This is true even in the smaller games. The higher the limits, the more of these players there are to be found.

You'll find a fairly even mix of visitors and locals playing in the smaller-limit games. The locals are very conscious of the tourists. The tourists are rarely even aware there is such a thing as a local. If you're about to come to Las Vegas as a tourist, or if you're already living here, you might want to start thinking like a local if you expect to escape with part of the bankroll you brought with you.

Because a person is a local and plays every day does not necessarily mean he is a good player. I have known many over the years who were weak players the first time I saw them and they haven't improved one bit.

Some of the worst poker players you'll ever see live and play daily in public cardrooms, but don't count on sitting down to a table full of bad players. Expect to find two or three rather good local players who are not going to give you so much as one blue farthing (whatever that is). However, if you are a good, solid, disciplined player yourself, you stand a chance of leaving town with more money in your jeans than you brought with you.

The other tourists, who most likely are in the game just to play for a few hours and have some fun, shouldn't be a big problem for you. The locals will be another matter altogether. The local player, unlike the visitor, does not arrive at the poker room thinking, "I have $300 I can lose this weekend and after that, I have to head home." The tough local player does not figure on losing even the smallest part of one nickel to you – not even one-fourth of the aforementioned blue farthing.

Does this mean the local player never loses and the tourist never wins? Heavens to Betsy, no – quite the contrary. Oftentimes, the tourist whops the local a good one and goes away with all of his money. This displeases the local; this angers him; this puts him in a tizzy. Many locals figure they have a license to prey on the unsuspecting visitor. You, a good, solid player (you are a good, solid player, aren't you?), have a license of your own to play "the innocent one" while lying in the weeds to trap the local who thinks he is trapping you. However, to trap him, you'll have to know who he is. How can you possibly pick him out from a table full of strangers? (Wouldn't you just know that I'm about to explain that to you?)

The most obvious thing is the way he dresses. Generally, the visitor to Las Vegas is "on holiday" – or at least that's his mind-set. It's all different and exciting, so he tends to dress up a bit. He wears his nice clothes. The local, however, is here every day, so he wears his everyday clothes. He might come to the poker room directly from work. Being in a glittering casino is no big deal, so he doesn't dress up. Many times, he is downright sloppy. The tourist is rarely sloppy, dirty, or unshaven. These, of course, are only generalities.

I'll finish this for you next time. Right now, you can finish those last two eggs and kill the light on your way out.

Editor's note: Roy West, author of the bestseller 7 Card Stud, the Complete Course in Winning (available from Card Player), continues to give his successful poker lessons in Las Vegas to both tourists and locals. Ladies are welcome. Get his toll-free 800 number from his ad on Page 114.