I just got back from a few days playing at the Commerce in Los Angeles. Herewith some observations.

1 - LA is certainly the number one destination for a poker player. LV has more rooms, but greater LA has several poker/card only rooms, including some of the largest anywhere.

2 - Because they make their living from poker instead of it being an afterthought in a casino, LA poker is emphasized and competitive. al of the larger room are comfortable and roomy, with table side food service (there is no incentive to have hungry players leave the area and wander through the casino in search of a snack).

3 - At the Commerce, at least, at any moment in a non-tournament environment, there are more middle and high limit games in that one casino than in the entire state of Nevada.

4 - Perhaps because poker is the lifeblood of the LA cardrooms, the price of play tends to be higher in general (though I am sure there will be exceptions in both directions).

5 - Food is free (for middle and high limit players) while alcohol is expensive in LA, the exact opposite of LV. This is good and bad for me because I do not drink, but perhaps I eat a bit too well while playing in LA.

6 - The games in LA tend to be a bit looser and more aggressive than their LV counterparts, though I certainly ran in a large number of competent players in LA.

7 - Despite the signs stating that the cardroom I was in had a “zero tolerance policy against abuse,” there was far more abuse in LA than in LV. Dealer (verbal) abuse seems more common, as does player abuse. In fact, much of the banter is abusive for fun, but it does not hide the fact that temporarily disgruntled players act up a lot and are tolerated more in LA, in my limited experience. Again, this may be because the cardrooms have no other source of income.

8 - I like the LA games better, but the LV environment, by which mean the city as a whole. So I am glad I visited, and I am delighted to have gotten home.