Player Interview: Gus Voelzel: Playa del Carmen, Mexico

You may have heard about Playa del Carmen, Mexico before, and that's because it's awesome. Playa del Carmen could possibly be one of the most ideal and convenient places for poker players to live south of the border. Why? Think 75 poker players living within 10 blocks of each other, a 24/7 partying beach lifestyle, and delivery of any food you want at any hour. Even if you're looking for a quiet, tropical abode, 'Playa' (as it's affectionately called) has something for everyone. 

Not only is Playa a magnetic place for US players who move for a month and stay for a year, but there are also players from many countries throughout Europe and other areas of Mexico who are drawn to the sunny weather, beach culture and amenities. 

Long-time poker local and online cash player, Gus Voelzel, spares a few minutes to sing the praises of this tropical poker paradise and tell us about his experience about what life is really like, and how living there has changed his. 

Gus loves poker and Dr. Pepper

Name: Gus Voelzel

Years playing online poker: I first played online on Party Poker in 2004.
Types of games you play: Cash games (Full Ring & 6max), with some tournaments on Sundays
Current location: Playa del Carmen, Mexico 
How many months after Black Friday did you decide to move? 
It took me 9 months to move, not because I wasn't prepared to go much sooner, but I was in a relationship at the time and was holding out faint hopes that internet poker would be back in the US quickly, as has been successfully done in many European countries... [alas - we hear the US government doesn't move so fast]

What were the most challenging parts about getting set up in Playa when you first arrived?
The most challenging part of Playa is playing poker instead of going to the beach during the day and going out at night.  

Players hitting the beach instead of the poker tables

Gus & Friends Relaxing After a Long Session





Actually, undoubtedly, the biggest obstacle in Playa is finding a place to live, because the realtors, property management companies, and owners tend to do everything they can to keep their places empty instead of occupied. 

[Editor's Note: That's where Poker Refugees can come in handy - to act as the buffer and representative who can effortlessly relocate you to your Playa dream home sans realtor mierda (bullshit in English)]
  
When online poker comes back in the US, do you think you will want to move back immediately or has living abroad changed your perspective on “home”?
When online poker comes back in the States I won't be on the first plane back, but it won't take me long.  I'll probably finish out my lease here and arrange to get what I currently have online back to the US before I just jump ship and head back to Texas. As much as I enjoy living in Playa, Austin will always be home and I look forward to the day I can be back there again.

On any given day, where can you find poker players in Playa?
During the day they're either at the beach or at home grinding.  Most nights people will meet up for dinner or to watch a sporting event (Playa's a small town and we pretty much all live within 10 blocks of one another) followed by the inevitable night out on the town.

Party Life in Playa
What makes Playa such a great place for poker players to live? 

For a lot of these guys, it's their first time out of the US.  They don't speak Spanish for example.  But Playa, being a tourist town, caters to English speakers. There's a food delivery service that is English speaking, and there's a large poker community here, so life, in general, is as easy as it gets. 
The beach is obviously a bonus and as small as Playa is, our group is recognizable and accepted by the other locals.

What type of activities are there to do besides grind?
Fishing, snorkeling/SCUBA, various Mayan ruins, cenotes (ancient sinkholes you can snorkel and Scuba in), golf, paintball, beach volleyball, basketball

Snorkeling in Akumal Bay

What's the best club in town? 
Depends on the time of year, but the most popular are Mandala and Coco Maya.  There's Coco Bongo for the tourists, and Palazzo, Blue Parrot, Santanera & Reina Roja can all be good nights out.


Typical Day-in-the-Life


Approximately how many players call Playa home on average?

Counting the ones who are in Vegas right now and are coming back after the WSOP, I think there are 75 grinders here.  We've had another dozen or so who have come and gone.

How can poker players stay out of jail? (LOL!)
By staying out of trouble? It's pretty hard to go to jail here, as the police expect there to be drunken tourists walking the streets.  Don't get in fights, don't have a crazy girlfriend, & don't pee in the streets seem to be the best 3 pieces of advice re: staying out of jail.

How many Skype groups do you guys have down there, anyway? 
Too many.  Although at this point they've become necessary due to the sheer number of guys in the chat.  We used to have one all-encompassing group chat, but as our population exploded, we added an Activities Chat, a Food Chat, and a number of other specialized chats.

Any last words? 

Moving to Playa has be a very pleasant experience.  I really didn't know what to expect before coming, even though I was lucky enough to have a friend, Spencer Hudson, be the guinea pig and make the move first, so when I got down here I literally instantly was introduced to the poker community.  I've learned a lot not just about poker, but about people since I've been down here, and I'm glad I chose Playa as my poker destination as opposed to the other 6 places on my list. 

If you want to learn more about Playa del Carmen, check out this handy PokerNews guide here, and hit up Poker Refugees, of course, to snag a sweet beachfront grindhouse for yourself. Long-term studio rental prices can start at $400/month and high rollers can find oceanfront/ocean view condos for $2500-4000/month. 

SALUD! CHEERS!

Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,