Why moving for poker is worth it

[nation]

Reasons for leaving the US

After doing some research, it looks like Party is still the fish infested site it used to be.

Here are some stats from pokersitescout.

Party is now a very close number 2 in the online wars.

Here you can see the effect of the Neteller pullout. Stars lost ~15%, while party gained ~15%. I think the jump is directly related to the aggressive marketing/advertising done by Party. Stars is focusing on the US, which is a mistake imo.

The fact remains from obvious conclusions and personal observations that the games are tougher on Stars now, even more so than before. Fish have dropped out because they don't really "need" to play like we do. It's sharks fighting against sharks, there are just less degenerates because it takes effort and research to figure out whats going on with online and to figure out ways to get money on and off sites; if they had that motivation, they would not be fish and would have learned to play.

Here is a link that shows party poker activity day by day (scroll down a bit to "site history"). At its peak, Party was at 15-16k users on at a time. It steadily declined after the law was passed, then dropped even further to about 6k players when they banned US players. However, as you can see, they are steadily growing day by day and today hit a peak of 10k players on at a time. One can only attribute this to savvy advertising and marketing; european fish are coming in droves and that market is nowhere close to saturation.

The fact that no US players can play on Party is great as I believe that US players are starting to become more and more well versed in holdem. The games are tougher with US players in the mix as the US was hit hard by the poker boom, as evidenced by the percentage US players made up of poker room customers. We're just more exposed to it, and much of the advertising was done here.

Thus, it's worth it to move just for Party poker. I don't think its worth staying in the US and trying a proxy or all that crap because Party wants a passport and utility bill. To get all that, I might as well move to avoid any problems with frozen funds or banks not accepting poker site checks.

Party alone would be reason to leave, but there are other huge benefits in moving. I get a chance to see the world and learn about another culture while I'm young and before I settle down. My number one choice is Buenos Aires, where it is apparently safer than the US, but living costs are ~1/3 the costs of the US.

I really see no drawbacks to leaving to play poker and to see the world. If I go broke, I can come back and go back to school to get my degree. I have nothing to lose because I have the rest of my life ahead of me, not to mention I am naturally a nit so going broke is unthinkable.

Anyways, these are my reasons for moving. I hope this post helped. Please keep discussions about specific places to move to the other thread, and talk about reasons for moving and discuss the state of online poker sites to this one. Thanks.

-nation

[Gregg777]

I can't believe Party has regained that much ground.

Wow...

This actually makes me pretty comfortable to stay and play.

If anything does happen, I have an excellent non US source for online games.


[ QUOTE ]
The fact that no US players can play on Party is great as I believe that US players are starting to become more and more well versed in holdem. The games are tougher with US players in the mix as the US was hit hard by the poker boom, as evidenced by the percentage US players made up of poker room customers. We're just more exposed to it, and much of the advertising was done here.

[/ QUOTE ]

It is just a fact that poker is going to keep getting tougher and tougher over time.

No matter where you live or play.

It is simply too easy for people learn and make money at.

Online poker has so many similarities to the gold rush.

Those that got in first hauled money out by the truck load.

Just there for the picking.

While there is still money to be found, for the mass majority it is just a grind to make a living.

Those who put in the time and stay ahead of the curve, will make substantially more.

The secondary industries created as a result of the rush stand to make the most.

[SAV]

"living costs (in Buenos Aires) are ~1/3 the costs of the US"

LOL.

Buenos Aires, Argentina - inexpensive?

If you plan to live in a shack, maybe.

[nation]

thats what i got from the other thread as far as food, transportation etc

rent should be about the same. if you have comments about buenos aires, please refer to the other thread.

[CharlieDontSurf]

If I was going to actually move I'd go some place in the tropics...white sandy beaches, drinks with umbrellas, and lots of party fish

[vinyard]

[ QUOTE ]
"living costs (in Buenos Aires) are ~1/3 the costs of the US"

LOL.

Buenos Aires, Argentina - inexpensive?

If you plan to live in a shack, maybe.

[/ QUOTE ] Not to piss in your Cheerios but OP was right at least according prominent study by Mercer a very large US HR firm.

According to them Buenos Aires ranked 142nd of a 144 listed major cities and was markedly cheaper than the cheapest US metro area, Winston-Salem, NC.

Excerpt:


Asuncion in Paraguay remains the least expensive city globally, in 144th position with a score of 43.5. Other cheap cities include Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Caracas in 142nd place (score 54.8.), 138th (56.5) and 136th (57.2) respectively.

Link to finfacts story on the Mercer study.

[EvanJC]

nation - have you made any serious plans as far as moving? if so, do you mind sharing? pm if you want.

[nation]

Mostly I'm researching now. I think it would be cool for some of us to move to the same area, not necessarily all in the same house/apt so as not to exclude anyone. But it would be nice to have a community there in place.

I'm going to wait for at least 6 months to see what the fallout is before I commit to leaving the US. But right now my prediction is that I will move.

-nation

[SammyKid11]

[ QUOTE ]

I don't think its worth staying in the US and trying a proxy or all that crap because Party wants a passport and utility bill.

[/ QUOTE ]

When you move to Argentina, you're still going to have a US passport. Having a bill mailed to an address is not that difficult. For some of us with deep roots in a community, moving is not an option, yet non-US access to gaming sites is still a goal worth attaining.

[nation]

SK,

maybe so. but i'm unattached and I believe the security of not having to worry about frozen funds is worth moving. i'm also pretty sure they need the passport that shows you traveled there? i'm not positive about that.

if i have to get a place to get a bill in my name for that country, i'd rather just go there and live in the place and see the world than stay here. i'm sorry you don't have the opportunity that i do, but as i said, moving around like this caters to younger people and i would like to do it before i settle down.