October 03 2011, Chad Holloway

Although the events of Black Friday have decommissioned online poker in the United States, hundreds of players have decided to relocate to other countries to pursue their livelihoods. We’ve been exploring some of the more popular destinations that have attracted players, including Malta, London, and Tijuana. This week, we’ve decided to turn our gaze north of the border to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

With the likes of Brian Hastings, Phil Galfond, Randy “nanonoko” Lew, Maria Ho, Christina Lindley, Tom Marchese, David “Doc” Sands, Erika Moutinho, Shane Schegler, and William Reynolds all choosing Vancouver, it has proven the top choice among pros. We actually caught up with a few of the aforementioned players to get their take on Vancouver, and why they decided to head north.

Quick Overview

• Population as of 2006: 578,041
• Time Zone: PST (UTC-8)
• Area: 114.67 km2 (44.3 sq mi)
• Incorporated: 1886
• Weather: November-March are rainy/April-October drier, sunnier, with moderate temps
• Language: English
• Currency: Canadian dollar
• Website: http://vancouver.ca/

Why Vancouver?

Here are what a few pros had to say about choosing Vancouver:

Brian Hastings: “For now at least, I wanted to live somewhere with English as a first language, which narrowed it down to Canada, basically. I considered Montreal but thought Vancouver seemed like a better city for enjoying the outdoors and eating healthy, plus I knew several other poker players moving here.”

Randy Lew: “I was looking for a place that was close to my home in California, and seeing how Vancouver is close, I decided to go there.”

Maria Ho: “I live in LA and I also spend a lot of my time in Las Vegas, so Vancouver was an easy choice because it’s so close and is on the West Coast. Plus, I’ve had the chance to travel to Vancouver for the BCPC and other events and I’ve always had an amazing time. Its a beautiful city that offers anything and everything you could want: great restaurants, shopping, casinos, beautiful sights, sports, nightlife, etc.”

Finding a Place to Stay

There are many ways to find a place to stay in any given city. This includes visiting the city and simply walking around, scouring the Internet for rental agencies (of which there are plenty), shacking up with friends, and even perusing online poker forums for opportunities.

Even though each of these options is applicable to Vancouver, we recommend searching within the poker community and forums to find the best deals and locations. Tons of poker players, including top pros like Hastings and Galfond, have already made the move and helped pave the way by sharing their wisdom online. As Ho attests: “There are a ton of poker players who live in Canada and I have friends there, so I got a lot of great advice from the people I knew already living there. These days with the Internet you can basically do it all online, but it was helpful to have suggestions from people who know the city.”

Hasting was also quick to offer his advice: “I used flipkey.com but there are several good rental sites, seems like the easiest way to go.”

However, you should know that Vancouver ranks atop the highest housing prices in all of Canada, so it may cost you a pretty penny. It’s also worth noting that Vancouver is billed as on of the greenest cities in the world, and according to Mayor Gregor Robertson, “We will be the Greenest City in the World by 2020.” Vancouver is surrounded by nature, so it’s no surprise they’re among the most environmentally conscious cities in the world.

Visa Issues

If you’re from the United States and just looking to “visit” Vancouver, or any Canadian city for that matter, you do not need a visa; however, you do need to meet certain criteria. You will need to have a passport, satisfy immigration (what is your reason for visiting Canada?), have enough money for your stay, and proper travel documents. It is rare to be turned away, although it happened to Daniel Cates, but if you’re prepared you should be fine.

When asked about the visa issue, Ho seemed to echo the sentiments of her fellow pros: “No, I didn’t have to get a visa. From my understanding, an American citizen can stay in Canada legally for up to 6 months out of the year, and since I travel so much on the tournament circuit, I’m planning on splitting my time between Vancouver and everywhere else.”

If you’re looking to move to Canada, like seriously move and live everyday in Vancouver, then the process is much more difficult and arduous. There are many things you’ll need to do in the way of research, preparation, and paperwork, all of which you can read on the Citizen and Immigration Canada website.

How’s the Internet?

The Internet in Vancouver is just as good, if not better, than that in the United States. There are plenty of providers to choose from, most offering very affordable options. Online players want a secure and reliable Internet connection when playing, and that is exactly what Vancouver has to offer.

Things to Do

No matter what type of person you are, you shouldn’t have trouble finding something to do in and around Vancouver. If you’re a wine enthusiast, there are a number of wineries just outside the city such as Pacific Breeze Winery, Isabella Winery, and Lulu Island Winery, just to name a few. If shopping is more your thing, the city of Bellingham, an hour’s drive from the Vancouver, is home to numerous outlets featuring cheaper prices than in the U.S.

If you’re looking for a bit of nature, then Cultus Lake ought to suit your need. Located 90 minutes away, Cultus Lake offers camping, a water park, golf, and plenty of eateries. Finally, if you want to get out of this world, you’ll want to pay a visit to the H.R. MacMillan Space Center. With a theater, Planetarium, and night shows, the Space Center offers something for all ages.

In a nutshell, it’s not hard to find something to do in Vancouver, as evidenced by Hastings’ recent outings: “I’ve golfed a few times, played tennis a few times, ran along the seawall a few times, and some friends have said there’s good hiking, but I haven’t tried that,” he explained. “I’ve seen a few concerts, too, including Pearl Jam this past Sunday – awesome show! I’ve also had some very good meals here, the sushi especially has been super fresh and awesome.”

Sites to See and Places to Go

If you’re in Vancouver and looking to see some sites and do the tourist thing, there are plenty of options to choose from. We mentioned some in the above section, but that was just a sample of what Vancouver has to offer. According to Vancouver Travel Tips, here are the “Top 10 Things to Do in Vancouver:”

• Stanley Park
• Capilano Suspension Bridge
• Robson Street
• Canada Place
• Gastown Vancouver
• Granville Island
• Vancouver Aquarium
• Grouse Mountain
• Vancouver Chinatown
• Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens

When asked what he suggests for entertainment in Vancouver, Lew offered two choices from the list above: “The main attraction for tourists seems to be the seawall that takes you to Stanley Park. It’s a long walk, but it’s a beautiful and relaxing one! They have a pretty nice aquarium over there which is pretty cool.”

Nightlife

Vancouver is known for its notorious nightlife, and there are plenty of hot spots to choose from. If you’re into techno and hip hop, you might want to check out the Plaza Club; whereas, if dancing is more your thing, the Tonic Club’s three stories of dancing will no doubt appeal to you.

According to GoVancouver.com, here is a list of the Top 10 Nightclubs in Vancouver:

• The Tonic Club
• Boss Nightclub Vancouver
• Bar None
• Celebrities Nightclub
• AuBAR Nightclub
• Richard on Richards
• Odyssey Nightclub
• Caprice Nightclub and Lounge
• Shark Club
• Plaza Club

“The nightlife in downtown Vancouver is pretty much like any club in a major city: a great crowd, fun atmosphere, good service,” Ho explained. “Although, during one of my trips I was partying with some poker players at a nightclub and basically the Canadian SWAT team busted into the club and interrogated our table and the surrounding tables. They’re really on top of the drug scene and apparently thought that because we were spending a few dimes on bottle service that we must have some kind of shady, drug-related career. They ran ID checks and questioned all of us. It was kind of annoying but quite amusing because I had never seen something like that before! Security in downtown Vancouver is no joke.”

Beware! Given its close proximity to Seattle, it comes as no surprise that the weather in Vancouver isn’t always the prettiest. In fact, you’ll want to keep an umbrella and slicker on hand as rain is often in the forecast. In addition, there have been other warnings posted online that warn of the usual beggars, homeless, and property crime, with mention of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside being mentioned more than once.

Like any city in the world, there are certain dangers you should be aware of. Vancouver is no different, but it is modern and quite safe. Just be sure to research any neighborhoods you may be considering and you’ll be fine.

On a final note, Hastings warned of the “danger” of joining the Vancouver poker niche: “For me, it’s been an adjustment having mostly just poker players in my social circle in Vancouver. I’ve met some players in Vancouver whom I like very much and enjoy hanging out with, but on some level I feel like my life has been a bit poker-centric between playing a lot of volume and then spending time with poker players afterward. For the previous five years, I socialized with mostly college students both in Ithaca and in Rome, so it’s been weird not having that. Time to hit up the UBC bars and meet some I guess?”

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Photo courtesy of GoCanada.com

Follow Chad Holloway on Twitter – @ChadAHolloway

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July 29 2011, Elaine Chaivarlis

We’re happy the weekend is finally here and we can relax in a hammock and unwind. If you’re going to be grinding at the tables this weekend, keep reading for some of the top poker news stories of the day that you’re obviously going to use as ice breakers to talk to that cute girl or guy in the eight seat. The World Poker Tour has released numbers for its coverage on FSN that are not too shabby. Also, if you want a sweat in November, then you should check out some Las Vegas sportbooks for betting odds on the November Nine.

In Case You Missed It

Season five of the PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour kicked off at Crown Casino in Melbourne, Australia on Friday. Everyone in the 260-player field was vying for the $300,000 first-place prize.

The online high-stakes tables are seeing more and more action now that players are returning from their summer in Las Vegas. Viktor “Isildur1″ Blom was one of the biggest winners of the week, but top honors go to Davin “mTw-DaviN” Georgi.

You’re Watching, We’re Watching…

A lot of people are watching the World Poker Tour on FSN. According to numbers released by the World Poker Tour, the Hollywood Poker Open final table, that aired two weeks ago, was a huge success. Maybe folks were tuning in to see if Erik Seidel could add another win to his already impressive 2011. Maybe they were tuning in to get a look at William Reynolds’ flowing, golden locks. Or maybe they just wanted a glimpse of Royal Flush Girl Melanie Iglesias.

Either way, it was the first time that a WPT broadcast had a Nielsen rating of over 1.0 and an audience of over 1 million viewers. The official numbers, according to Nielsen, were 1.01 HH and 1.054 million viewers.

With numbers like this, and the fact that the past three months have seen a 50 percent increase in ratings, it’s likely that when final season numbers come out this fall, this television season could be the WPT’s most successful.

If you want to know where Season X of the WPT is headed or which Season IX stop is up next on FSN head on over to WorldPokerTour.com.

Have a Sweat in November

We know we’ve already told you where you can bet on the 2011 World Series of Poker November Nine. It was online. What about those of you that can’t bet online? Just head on out to Las Vegas, because now that the Nevada Gaming Control Board approved event wagering, casinos are offering up odds on who will take down poker’s biggest prize.

Jason McCormick, director of race and sports operations for Station Casinos said: “It’s a no-brainer that this was the first one to be approved. It’s a poker tournament that is already governed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. So I think from an approval standpoint, all the regulations and things that had to be followed were right there.”

Caesars Entertainment properties are also trying to get in on the action, but the company has more regulatory issues to sort out because it also runs the World Series of Poker. WSOP communications director Seth Palansky told the Las Vegas Sun that he expects Caesars will be approved and says that Caesars could offer a myriad of betting options like “color of the first flop” or “how many players will the chip leader eliminate?”

“Ultimately, this is just another tool to drive interest and anticipation for the event,” Palansky told the Las Vegas Sun. “We think it’s great.”

Find out more at LasVegasSun.com.

#Mashing

The latest installment of ESPN’s The Nuts is back. The monthly blog post ranks the best players in poker at the moment. The Panel this month included PokerNews’ Managing Editor Elaine Chaivarlis, PokerNews’ Tournament Reporting Manager Don Peters, ESPN’s Andrew Feldman, Gary Wise, and Bernard Lee, among others.

Jason Mercier is sitting comfortably in the top spot again this month. In fact, the top three didn’t change this month, with Erik Seidel and John Juanda back in the second and third spots respectively.

Ben Lamb and Jake Cody are two newcomers to the list this month, and you can be sure that Phil Hellmuth advanced his position on the list after his stunning WSOP.

If you want to find out where those guys are on the list and whether or not Phil Ivey is still lurking in the top 10, you’re going to have to check out The Nuts on ESPN.com.

There’s Always Next Year

If you’re looking for the final installment of Colson Whitehead’s Occasional Dispatches from the Republic of Anhedonia, this is it. Well, this is a quick summary. If you want the TL;DR version, you can find it on Grantland.com.

The fourth installment of Whitehead’s time at the World Series of Poker chronicles his Day 2 and his bust out, which came just before dinner when his aces failed to hold against his opponent’s kings.

He closes by saying, “If I forget again, there’s always next year, right? What the heck, I’ll play the circuit, win some tournaments and come back. Palm Beach. New Orleans. Tunica. Never heard of Tunica, and maybe that’s a good thing. Return to Vegas. Make it to Day 3 this time, make it into the money, it will all work out. Maybe I’ll win, and they’ll play the national anthem of the Republic of Anhedonia in the Pavilion. I’ll stand on the stage in my hoodie, which is now decked out in rhinestones and flapping Vegas Gold fringes, place my hand over my heart (it would take some time to find it) and the speakers in the great hall will broadcast my homeland’s song, loud and clear so that everyone can hear it: ‘NYUH-GUH-UH! UH-GUUHH! NYUH-UGH UGH OH GOD NO NOT AGAIN SSSIIIGGGHHH …’”

Read the whole thing at Grantland.com. You know you want to.

G’Day Mate

The PokerStars Asia Pacific Poker Tour kicked off its fifth season in Melbourne, Australia. PokerNews hostess Nicki Pickering welcomes you to her home town and takes you on a tour of her favorite spots.

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.