Using Online Poker to Fund My World Travels (Long)

[J Chap]

===="Around the World in 80k Hands"====

My Dear Fellow Poker-Dominating Community...

I just graduated from college and I'm a naive, quixotic, ADHD-ish, 22-year-old. I'm hungry for an adventure, not to mention a way to put my American-ness into perspective (a.k.a. worldliness).

I've been toying with this idea for a while, as I think it could make for a fun, memorable trip. I will make my way around the world, funding my transportation and expenses by playing online poker for a few hours each day. To spice things up, I might vary my living conditions based on my day-to-day successes and failures (e.g. nice hotel after awesome sesh, cheap youth hostel after bad day, or vice versa, as long as it averages out). I will buy my return ticket to America ahead of time, and I will make sure to bankroll myself outside the reach of reasonable variance. If bad luck or bad playing catches up to me and my bankroll falls below a predetermined amount, I will come home early, ashamed but glad I tried. Maximum predicted trip length: a few months.

Really, I just feel like I have one life, and this seems like a logical time to try something silly like this (e.g. I have no career-path job, no dependents, no commitments or attachments, etc. Well, I have a girlfriend, but she's stuck doing a fellowship until May, anyway, so we're already doing long-distance).

Any feedback, ideas, encouragement, questions, flaming, warnings, advice, wisdom, quotes, etc would be hugely appreciated.

FWIW, here're some quick issues I've been thinking about:
-account security (i'd almost certainly need to use my own laptop)
-availability of wireless internet in different countries
-approximating cost of travel and expenses
-necessary sustainable winrate and bankroll
-travelling lightly, hygiene
-how best to utilize the global-ness of the 2+2 community

Thanks in advance, guys.

J Chaaaaap

"A bit of nonsense, now and then, is relished by the wisest men." -Willy Wonka

If I were only 22 again...

Good luck to you. It sounds like a blast!

I wouldn't be able to help with the details, but just wanted to encourage you.

[J Chap]

Cool...thanks, man-

i'll keep you posted

[Landon_McFly]

bang hot chicks

[rchandra]

Just making sure, you have considered going to where your GFs fellowship is? She'll be busy but it could still be good.

Anyway you probably don't need that advice.

Some poker sites will block you when you travel due to security reasons, if you let them know first you shouldn't have a problem. Stars didn't block me in Toronto, Alberta, or Switzerland FWIW.

I understand that you can get "round-the-world" tickets for reasonable rates, you get to make a lot of stops and use a network of airlines (example, Star Alliance). The main restriction is you have to keep going in the same direction (eastwards / westwards) and you have a year to finish. My father travels using those almost exclusively. Talk to an agent, preferably in person at a real agency.

Sounds like a lot of fun. I have neither the bankroll nor skills to do that myself, but I wish you well despite my jealousy. If for some reason you visit Newfoundland send me a message and I'll help you find a hostel [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[KaneKungFu123]

rule #1: dont buy return tickets. buy a one way ticket to one place. then when you are ready to leave, you make future arrangements. dont go into traveling with a strict agenda. just take each day as it comes - that is what is going to happen anyways. youll spend more time in some places then you planned and less time in others.

"availability of wireless internet in different countries"

you didnt mention any of the places you want to go. carrying around a laptop can make it difficult to travel cheaply and to travel freely. if you are staying in cheap hotels then you dont want to leave it there, and you dont want to lug the thing around.

if your maximum trip length is three months, i think you should forget about poker altogether and just go and be free.

[J Chap]

as far as the girlfriend, i've already been over to visit her a number of times...and, no offense to it, but the fine city of pittsburgh does not a grand world adventure make. : ]

...and yeah, i've heard of those one-way, year-long things. that would be excellent. thanks for the tip.

awesome

[J Chap]

[ QUOTE ]

if your maximum trip length is three months, i think you should forget about poker altogether and just go and be free.

[/ QUOTE ]

cool...got some cash for me?

jk jk lol lol

but seriously i wouldnt be able to pay for it all without playin

[ QUOTE ]
bang hot chicks

[/ QUOTE ]

[J Chap]

Anybody know about those world-travel airline tickets? Which are the most flexible, etc?

Thanks,
J Chap