For those of you out there who are considering (or indeed, have already begun) a career as a professional poker player, there are a lot of factors to bear in mind before you begin. Everything from your current ROI, to the games you play, to your bankroll, schedule and studying processes can have a big impact on your success or failure in your endeavours. However, there’s another factor that can play a surprisingly big part – your geographical location. With different countries having vastly different costs of living, and different levels of access to specific poker sites, where you’re living has a bigger impact than you might think.
One of the biggest advantages of being an online poker player in particular is the freedom to travel, and many players are attracted to professional poker for this exact reason. If you’re one of them, or even if you’re a recreational player with a desire for a change of scenery, relocating to another country – either temporarily, or permanently – could be a perfect fit for you. This is particularly true for players located in the United States – if you can prove you’re leasing an apartment in a place outside the US, you can get up and running on PokerStars and other European sites before you know it. Here are a few tips if you’re considering spending some time away from home to focus on poker.
Pick your location carefully
This might be stating the obvious, but it’s a lot easier to live in a cheap country than an expensive one, particularly if you make your money in US dollars, like most poker pros. Generally, you’ll want to be aiming for a country that has a currency weaker than the dollar – this means the UK or anywhere in the Eurozone is probably not a great idea.
Conversely, countries like Mexico, Thailand and Costa Rica have currencies that are weak against the dollar, while also providing a high quality of life for outsiders if you go to the right areas. If you pick the right country, you might be able to survive very comfortably as a poker pro on an income as low as $20,000 – this means even winning micro-stakes players can turn pro! On the other hand, if you’re in a more expensive country, you might find that the stress of coping with variance isn’t worth it unless you’re able to make more than $40,000 per year, and you might not be able to afford the luxuries that would come easily elsewhere.
It stands to reason, also, that the availability of online poker in these countries, as well as the travel and visa laws, should be a consideration – many countries like France, Portugal and Slovenia have regulated poker markets that segregate player pools or ban certain sites, and certain countries such as Poland have banned online poker, and may choose to prosecute players in extreme circumstances. Similarly, you should avoid overstaying your welcome in a country ensure you’re allowed back in if you leave – while some countries are very relaxed on border requirements, places like Canada or Australia may enforce three-month limits on your stay if you don’t have a work visa.
Consider your playing environment
The environment in which you play has a big impact on your comfort level and mental state. This means that if you’re traveling, there are a few things you’ll need to bear in mind. If you find yourself temporarily forced to play your online poker from a hotel room, that might not be a big deal, but nobody can play their best poker while multi-tabling over a period of weeks or months while simply lying on a bed.
Even worse, if you’re trying to construct an optimal poker setup with just a laptop, a regular dining chair and no mouse, you’re going to find life very difficult. Long sessions will be impossible and you’ll be really uncomfortable every time you play. Make sure, therefore, that wherever you’re planning to go has a comfortable environment for you – ideally a reasonably good quality desk chair with a desk that has enough space.
If you have a secondary monitor, you might find it’s worth the struggle of getting it into your luggage – it makes life a lot easier. You can elevate your monitor closer to eye level for more comfort, and you can play more tables a lot more easily. An ergonomic mouse and mousepad are both fairly cheap and should be bought before you leave – you never know how awkward it might be to find one wherever you’re going.
There’s a huge difference in the mental game issues experienced by someone grinding on a laptop at a dinner table for weeks on end, and someone with an extra monitor and a comfortable desk chair – not to mention the long-term impacts on your posture. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure that wherever you’re staying has a strong, reliable Internet connection – disconnecting at a crucial moment will not only be extremely tilting, but it’ll cost you money. Your Internet connection gives you the ability to play, and thus it’s the foundation of your playing environment.
Be as prepared as possible
Those of us who have traveled extensively in the past – either recreationally or for work purposes – will recognize the importance of preparation. For those people who haven’t traveled a lot – especially the younger generation of poker players who might be moving abroad for the first time if they do travel in order to play – it’s crucial to understand that the level of inconvenience that can arise from a lack of adequate preparation is massive compared to the amount of effort it takes to be prepared. This doesn’t just include things like not missing your flights or find your way to your accommodation – it includes a whole host of practical considerations.
You’ll need to know what kind of plug sockets your destination country uses, so that you can purchase the appropriate travel adapters. If you plan to use a monitor alongside a laptop, you may need an extension cable. You might need to locate an Internet café somewhere near your accommodation, in case your Internet disconnects at an important moment. You’ll need to make the best of whatever kitchen facilities your accommodation has, so that you can prepare meals for yourself ahead of a session and avoid getting hungry four hours in. You might want to locate a nearby gym, if you’re the kind of player who enjoys a workout before a session. All these things go towards keeping your game at its peak once game time arrives.
Don’t treat it like a vacation
Finally, one of the biggest pitfalls of those who travel for the express purpose of playing online poker is that they begin to feel like they’re on a permanent vacation. They work fewer and fewer days per week, spend all their time enjoying the opportunity to be in a new place, and soon enough find themselves dealing with a downswing and running short on money, grinding every day to try to make sure they don’t go broke a long way away from home.
The best way to avoid this is to remember that your schedule, your mental game and all the other things that matter while you’re at home are still very important – there’s no reason to allow all the well-established processes that have supported your game until now slip away, just because you’re in a new environment. Your motivation to play, study, continue improving and continue progressing up the poker ladder should not change just because you’re under less pressure to make money to survive. Enjoy the perks of your new lifestyle, but keep working hard.