Places to live for internet pro

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The Malaysian Ringgit is pegged to the Dollar !!!!!!!! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Tsushima]

I suffer from asthma and a couple of other respiratory problems. Every year I get fairly ill as the weather goes damp and end up off work but i have no problems in the summer. It will get worse as I get older so that's one of the reasons for moving somwhere warm. Canada is on my list of places to visit but I want to live somewhere warmer [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Eratosthenes]

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Suggestions I have had so far include New Zealand, ... I am looking for somewhere I can live near a beach in a warm climate ...

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wrong, wrong, wrong

not even warm compared to England

I enjoyed the time I lived in NZ, though.

[Tsushima]

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Can’t imagine why you want to leave England which has got to be one of the best places for an internet poker pro, good standard of living weather fine not too hot not too cold. Still if you want to go just stay clear of war zones and US.

Got a point about cost of living, but the real problem is the dollar not the pound. There might be an argument for somewhere with a currency linked to the dollar, but with friendly tax laws.

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One of my problems is my £2000 month (about $4000) mortgage. While I can cover that and my other living expenses with my current win rate I could sell my house for about £500,000 (approx $1m), pay off my £280,000 morgage, Take the £200,000 or so after fees and buy a larger beachfront villa in somewhere like Brazil. I would have a nice house in a great place and have no mortgage. Even without the lower cost of living in Brazil, my minimum poker win rate would drop by about $4000 a month.

Also, my planned bankroll for next August would only cover about six months of break-even in the UK but 2 years or more in some countries.

So while I would miss old blighty, there are a lot of good reasons to move somewhere less expensive and more picturesque. Unlike other jobs, I am going to earn the same wherever I live so I may as well live in a very nice place.

[Tsushima]

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A lot depends on whether you want to do this legally or not - you can't just choose to live anywhere you want in the world unfortunately. You have to go through the immigration services, which usually involves proving that you're providing a service that the country needs. Australia for example, has a list of 'needed professions'. Last time I heard it was something like doctors, nurses, teachers (and hairdressers for some peculiar reason!). I don't think poker player has ever appeared on one of these lists [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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Are there any good Australian poker players? Maybe they just require some convincing they really need us [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I am aware that different countries have different restriction. Very difficult to get into the US for instance. However, for Brazil, for example, you need $50k to prove you are self sufficient and in you go. I would have to check each country in turn but in a lot of cases, money talks.

Ironically, the UK is very easy to get into. Just turn up illegally and you get to stay anyway. What's more the government will send you on courses to make sure you know all the social security benefits you can claim. I kid you not.

[Tsushima]

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Suggestions I have had so far include New Zealand, ... I am looking for somewhere I can live near a beach in a warm climate ...

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wrong, wrong, wrong

not even warm compared to England

I enjoyed the time I lived in NZ, though.

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That's useful to know, I thought the NZ climate was warm as it is on the exact opposite side of the world from Spain but I guess the gulf stream may warm up Spain. What about the north coast of the northern island?

[Isura]

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Ironically, the UK is very easy to get into. Just turn up illegally and you get to stay anyway. What's more the government will send you on courses to make sure you know all the social security benefits you can claim. I kid you not.


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Similar to Canada. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[goodguy_1]

your high level of income from internet poker my not be as easy to maintain as you project...games evolve,degrade not usually for the better...you may be making a huge move at the peak of the poker craze...Selling a nice house in the UK may end up costing you money 3-5 years down the road..health issues are a different matter.
Have you thought of Costa Rica?It's cheaper than Brazil and quite stable.Brazil has had currency issues for the last 20 years..it's not the most stable or safe place you could choose.If you were single I would understand...I had a brazilian gf [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]10 years ago.

Before I sold the house I would go to 3 or so of your top picks... for at least a month or two...

[goodguy_1]

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What about the north coast of the northern island

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oh man it's beautiful up there..Antrim coast...but it's not warm.

I've been thinking about moving myself within the USAurango,Co.Kaui,HI,Northern Arizona,Taos NM,Lake Tahoe/Reno area...sorry dont mean to hijack your thread..

Internationally New Zealand is awesome...beautiful and healthy place to live,Australia,Costa Rica.Italy thu expensive say Rome or Florence..but I'm Italian.. .IF it was me and I wanted best combination of stabilty and comfort with a family in a warmer climate New Zealand/Australia would be high on the list.USA has plenty to offer too!

[Terry]

Costa Rica is worth a serious look. Some notes:

Highest standard of living and literacy rate in Central America. Cost of living around 40% of US.

No standing army. Politically stable. When I was there, El Presidente was riding the bus to work – true fact.

Liberal immigration policy for those with an income or a bankroll.

Good internet access. It was the early leader of internet poker.

Modern medical facilities and schools.

Already has a substantial international community started by a large number of retired CIA people. The CIA used to have a very large presence there; not so much anymore.

The locals, who call themselves Ticos, are renowned for being very friendly, and the women truly are some of the prettiest in the world. The racial tension between the indigenous (Indians) and Spanish populations, common in other Cental American countries does not exist in Costa Rica, basically because in the days of the Conquistadors the locals in the area did not submit or head for the hills but fought to their death, resulting in a pure Spanish bloodline.

On a darker note, Costa Rica is somewhat notorious for scams from the petty to the not so petty. A couple examples:

You might (well, not “you”, since you’re married) be asked by an “obvious” lady of the evening to buy her a drink. She quickly finishes her drink, asks for another, goes to the loo, and doesn’t come back. You can tell from his expression that the bartender is not at all surprised, having seen it many times before.

On one trip I was sitting next to a guy on the plane who told me he was there negotiating a deal to build a large resort hotel on a certain beach. The thing was, they had no intention of ever actually building a hotel. The plan was to clear the trees, a certain very expensive and rare tropical hardwood, sell them, and be done with it.

Schemers and scammers do abound in Costa Rica, as do pick pockets in the capital city of San Jose. Keep a tight rein on your bankroll.

All in all, Costa Rica is a very pretty country with very friendly people. There is little or no anti-outsider sentiment. A person can live very well for a fraction of the cost of living in a more “civilized” place.