SharePrivate games have been around as long as casinos have offered poker. The idea of pulling together a few friends to create a fun group centred around a recreational player or two is long-standing.
But is it the best way forward for the game over the long run? After all, if all the high-stakes games are private then how are the mid-stakes guys supposed to move up?
This is exactly what is happening in Las Vegas right now, according to pro Lewis Spencer.
The 26-year-old wrote on X/Twitter:
“The public cash game scene in vegas is really crazy now. It’s borderline impossible to play above 10/20 publically (once in a blue moon) and private games in casinos pillage walk in players to the point where every game above 5/10 within the next year is going to be private”
Matt Berkey, a Las Vegas resident of 16 years, reckons that it’s always been this way. He wrote that in his time in Sin City “there has never seen a consistent public high stakes scene. Public games have always been 10/20 or lower, with ONLY Bellagio spreading 10/20.”
“This industry isn't driven by the players who study the hardest. The industry is driven by the players who understand the nature of gambling and zero sum games.
“If you want to play stakes you enjoy against competition you can beat then help curate a game where the incentives align for both you and your competition.“
Spencer replied with further complaint that in recent years there was at least a semi-private nature but now that’s gone. He says that if you’re not bringing a recreational player with you then invites are hard to come by.
Berkey had another take on why Spencer isn’t getting invited to these games. He wrote that being willing to punt every now and then helps to make the game fun and better overall for the amateurs.
Is Playing Tournaments the Answer?
There is an obvious answer to not being able to get into cash games big enough to make it interesting: play tournaments!
This is actually what Lewis Spencer has done, although clearly not what he wanted to do.
Matt Berkey signed off his original reply with what is probably the clearest explanation for how it all works:
“This industry isn't driven by the players who study the hardest. The industry is driven by the players who understand the nature of gambling and zero sum games.
“If you want to play stakes you enjoy against competition you can beat then help curate a game where the incentives align for both you and your competition.”
