O’Shea’s Casino and the Vegas Carnival

When I say Vegas is like a carnival, it was never more obvious to me than at O’Shea’s casino.  I was sitting at a $1/$2 no limit table, waiting for the poker tournament to start.  I had just cracked a guy’s Aces with 76o and two pair when I saw a "little person" walk by me out of the casino with a microphone.  He was headed to the strip, and since I was sitting at the poker table at the front of the casino, he was right behind me.  I thought, "Man, Vegas must be a good place to get work as a little person."  He stands outside the casino and beckons people in with drink specials and stories of casino-sponsored "beer pong".  (private wagering only)

I then turned back to my game and realized that it was a mix of locals who were not drinking and tourists who were drinking.  The money was flowing in the expected direction.  When the tournament started it just got worse, as I went to a room with mirrored walls where I was obsessively hiding my cards while I tried to avoid the calling station tourists who never fold and sometimes catch hands. 

An off-shift dealer played in the game in the seat next to me and told me that the off-duty dealers often win their tournaments.  (He got put out, though)   Rule infractions were awful and fully 30% of the $45 entry fee went straight to the house.  (I took third place)

This was probably the easiest place I played, and the worst environment for poker.  Hard to complain too much when you cash though.