x-posted @ http://www.vincewille.com

So I just got word from pokerstars that I should get a call today for an interview, which is the final step in getting my account unlocked. It's certainly been a bit of a process, and these first 5 days in town have probably been the hardest part about waiting.

Right now I'm staying at least for the next 3 months in Yaletown (a hip area of Vancouver). Other than the weather and the price, it's pretty much exactly what I'm looking for--lots of great places to eat nearby and lots of people around my age.

I've been hanging out with Joeingram1 (aka ChicagoJoey on 2p2). His move here has been a huge success story. He came here under-rolled for .50/1 PLO, moved up to 2/4 as he chased a SNE prop bet in December, and now is up ~150k in the new year playing high stakes. I've sweated his games a little, and PLO looks like Hold 'Em in 2008. Hopefully he saves up some of these winnings because he can be a bit of a degen.

I'm going to be a bit under-rolled myself. I'm planning on getting a 2.5k loan (i have the money myself, but it's annoying to get into Canada and then onto stars), and am going to use that to play 100nl. I'm going to update my personal blog a bit with hands/graphs to keep myself motivated to play well because I really can't afford a downswing. I'll be playing fewer tables (9-16 instead of 16-24), game selecting harder, and probably playing tighter as well as a result. I think playing tight might actually be optimal metagame, as i expect people will try and give me a welcoming present .

I'll leave you guys with some pics from areas around my apartment. It's pretty cool, and hopefully I get on enough of an upswing to start that I can enjoy it once the good weather comes around.