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| Welcome Dinner to Costa Rica - Wesley meets his poker neighbors |
Wesley Clark tried relocating twice for online poker since Black Friday(to both Italy and UK) and, well, it didn’t go so great. FFW a year or so and a lot of frustration later and enter
Poker Refugees to save the day! Wesley originally entered our
Poker Refugees free poker relocation giveaway, but sadly did not win. Regardless, he contacted us separately for help.
Within just weeks of signing up for the Poker Refugees relocation service, Wesley was able to relocate quickly, easily and successfully to
Costa Rica. He was even able to start playing poker within hours of arrival!
Before he made from the airport to his new home in Jaco Beach, Wes was fully set up with everything he needed to be successful and build a foundation for online poker for the next few months: transportation, shopping, office equipment, cell phone, internet & utilities, back up internet,
Skrill &
NETELLER, banking & depositing, set up on all sites, unlocking his PokerStars account, etc - we did it all for him
the first day. Upon arriving to Jaco, he was also introduced to the poker community and went out to dinner with the local crew the first night. All of this set him up for a prosperous few months of grinding down in
Costa Rica. His only regret is he "didn't do it sooner".
Here are some quotes and highlights from the interview:
Poker Refugees: When did you find out about Poker Refugees and at what point did you make the decision to use the relocation service?
Wesley: I knew about you guys the whole time but thought I could do it on my own. Clearly it wasn’t that easy.
The connections you have is truly something that’s difficult to find if you just try to do it by yourself. I tried twice and obviously it wasn’t working out so easily. (Wesley first tried to get set up in Italy then flew from California to London with his girlfriend where he was turned away at immigration. After a few expensive and frustrating experiences in Europe, he contacted Poker Refugees for help).
Poker Refugees: Why did you choose Costa Rica as your destination for poker?
W: I speak Spanish so I wanted to go there and go somewhere warm and next to the beach. Preferably somewhere I could live fairly cheaply to rebuild my bank roll and prioritize on poker.
PR: How did what Poker Refugees does fit your needs as an online poker player moving abroad?
W: Just the internet alone was worth it. I had great internet already and ready to go. Everything else was good too. I was able to get a condo right next to the beach and within my budget (that was limited). I was able to focus on poker and not have to worry about paying a ton of expenses.
I didn’t have to worry about any of that stuff [getting set up] - I could just focus on poker and what I wanted to do.
All in all - just having that taken care of for me so it was pre-arranged was great. I wouldn’t have been able to do that on my own and I’m very grateful [to Poker Refugees] for it. Planning it all takes time and it’s just a lot [for a poker player to deal with].
PR: How soon were you able to play online poker again?
W: That night…” [I arrived]. Logging in the first time - I shed a tear because it had been so long and just an overwhelming and great feeling to just log onto Pokerstars again.
It was also great to be able to meet other players that I have so much in common with.
PR: Is there anything MISSING from the Poker Refugees service? Do we know what you need to be successful?
W: Absolutely [you guys know] … it can be difficult to get that done by yourself and...
I couldn’t have done it by myself and the way you did it - it definitely exceeded my expectations.
PR: Would you recommend for other players to use a service like this? What is your advice having gone through everything?
W: Absolutely; my absolute biggest single regret that I feel the most is that I didn’t do it sooner with [Poker Refugees]. Time is important and really important and you can’t ever have enough hours in the day. It’s important to make the most of it while you have [the opportunity]. Poker Refugees really provides a service that lets poker players make the most of their time. I tried to do it on my own and maybe it’s a good option [for some people out there] but I personally wouldn’t recommend trying to do it on your own; it’s not worth the time and investment and it might not work out the way you plan.
For the very reasonable amount that you charge [at Poker Refugees] it’s certainly fair and worth it so I would highly recommend it.
Also - Poker is a great job! I gained a lot of appreciation after Black Friday for being able to support myself with poker. It’s easy to forget but if you’re on the fence, just do it. The games are a little more difficult but you should be able to adjust.
PR: So you don’t regret your decision to move to Costa Rica?
W: Not at all, and I’m sure I’ll come through you in the future so I don’t have to deal with the property search and getting internet and stuff like that. It’s not that expensive [to use Poker Refugees].
There are a couple non-PR clients who moved to Jaco and they tried to move into a place on their own and they had nothing but problems - with their property, with the landlord; it was just a nightmare situation and every time I would speak to them they were complaining. To not have to deal with that was fantastic.
PR: Where to next, Wesley?
W: You tell me!? Internet, waves and sunshine and I’ll be a happy person!
Thanks Wesley for sharing your story with other players who may be “on the fence” about moving. It’s always good to hear from other players who have done it themselves.
Even though we’ve helped 100's of poker players and sports bettors move here at Poker Refugees, it’s a big decision for people and a life-changing decision and not to be taken lightly. We try to get feedback directly from our players so others can hear from them and maybe they can relate to that!
Labels: costa rica, costa rica poker, move to play online poker, move to play poker, neteller, online poker, online poker in mexico, poker costa rica, poker refugees, poker relocation, pokerstars, rosarito poker, skrill