About a month ago I sold off a large majority of my poker websites.  I kept a handful to keep me with a bit of an income stream, but for the most part I am pretty much out of the poker game.  The main reason I did this is because I was getting fed up with the constant stories of affiliate programs changing their terms and screwing over their affiliates plus I really wanted to try and start expanding into other industries.

At the time I was selling everything I was working on a project to build a casino site about the best casinos online.  Since I already started with that project I figure I will continue building the site (which is almost done) then start focusing more on my plans to do things in other industries.  I am really happy with this site so far, and think the design is incredible (thanks Will!).

Recently I made it out to Prague for the iGaming Super Show which was a lot of fun.  There I caught up with some old friends and got to meet some people that I had spoken to many times online but never met such as Roger (congrats on finally making it out to an event ).  The highlight of the trip was definitely the CalvinAyre.com party which consisted of an old sewage plant that was still active, many midgets, beautiful women, all sorts of Mad Max characters, overhead jousting, a drum band, unlimited booze, pyrotechnics and much more!  Unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera, but you can see a bunch of the pictures from that party here.

While over there I also managed to get down to Vienna for a couple of days, which was a very beautiful city (I added a pic of Belvedere Palace which is now a Museum to this post).

Once I finish up with the casino site my next plan is to build a kind of Men’s Online Magazine which will be sort of a cross between Askmen.com and Forbes.com.  I really don’t know how it will do but it is more something I want to do for fun and think that it could have great potential.  Also I am kinda new to other types of online marketing so it will be a bit of a learning experience.

Anyway, that is all for now, and I will try and get some more interesting posts up soon.

Time Sensitive Offers (BUYING) – One of the things that I picked up that I thought could be applied to the affiliate industry is the use of time sensitive offers.  Basically what I mean by this is putting in an offer, but telling the person your offer expires in X # of hours.  This way you put the pressure back on the seller to either accept your offer (if it is the highest at the time there is a good possibility this will happen) and risk losing it, or holding out for a better one.  Typically if you come in around the amount they are looking to get, but a bit lower usually you will get the site you want and save some money doing it.  I find that far too many people on PAL and other forums have the worst approaches to both buying and selling their sites.  People post offers in a thread (which is now visible to any other potential buyers) and give the seller an endless amount of time to make a decision.  For me personally if I am going to commit to a purchase I want to know if I have it almost immediately, which is why I like using this approach.

Offer Conditions (BUYING) – Another thing that could work with purchasing websites (like they do in Real Estate) is putting restrictions or conditions on your offer.  Almost every real estate deal will have some kind of condition on the offer, so why not do the same with virtual real estate (or domains).  This way you can come in with a good offer and ask the seller to take the site off the market if he accepts, but also give yourself some time to do some due diligence on the property you are buying to make sure there is nothing funny about it.

Holding Back Offers (SELLING) – One common tactic used in the real estate market is to hold back offers.  Basically this means you set a sell date, and allow everyone to present their best offer anonymously.  This can create bidding wars back and forth as the seller will then usually try to work with the top 2 offers on price.  Sure, its annoying as hell from a buyers standpoint and it might discourage some, but this could also lead you to making a lot more on the sale of your property than you had planned.

Anyway, I am sure there are some other things and I didn’t really plan to write this post so most of this is off the top of my head.

Life Update… Well I have spent the last month or so getting settled into the new condo.  It has been a ton of work, but its pretty close to done now.  Just need a couple more small things.  Other than that I have been trying to get some other projects going that I have been working on for a long time.  One is a men’s magazine kind of site that is a cross between Forbes and AskMen.com.  Another one is a Casino Site that I will post more about once it is complete.  Then I have a few more sites that I will be developing further down the road which include a real estate site, a local furniture store site and a site about local restaurants.  I am really just trying to dabble in a bunch of different industries to see what works and what doesn’t.  I also hired a writer that is helping me get many of these sites ready.

Here are a couple of pics of the condo that I think I promised in the last post:

The View:

My Workcenter / Dining Room

Guest Bathroom:

View of most of the place (there is a new sofa now and the dining table is now white glass):

Kitchen:

Affiliate Tip:  I don’t think I have ever really posted many good tips on how to make money for a while so, here is an easy one.  Scour around for domains that have some good keywords in them (I know all the really good ones are gone, but if you look for ones with lower search volumes or find dropped ones its possible – preferably generic with things like “online” “poker” “review” “code” “bonus”, etc. in them).  If you have to spend $50-$100 to get a pretty decent domain.  Then get someone to build you a decent template that you can reuse for several sites (this will be the most expensive part but it is a one time cost and the more you spend the more you will get in return).  You should be able to get something decent for around $400.  Write around 25 pages of good content (the more the better) and add it to the site.  You should instantly be able to flip that site for around $2000 or more depending how much content is there on your $500 investment.

Work has been getting pretty busy lately too.  I am trying to develop a lot of the domains I have just sitting around with nothing on them.  The biggest one that I am building is a casino site, which I will post more about when its closer to completion (just in case any of you readers have similar domains that you are building on )

Other than that, not a lot else going on in my life.  Will try and write some better posts on this blog soon.

New Office -  The past few weeks I have spent looking for a new office.  Finally, last Thursday I managed to find one in one of the best areas of the city (Yorkville for those of you that know Toronto) that doesn’t cost a fortune.  I am splitting the office with my good friend and fellow affiliate John making it even more affordable.  The office isn’t anything super fancy (it looks like it was probably used as a closet at one point), but the location can’t be beat.  I will try and get some pics up shortly (probably after we paint it and fix it up a bit more).  The main reason I decided to get an office was working from home and Starbucks all the time was really starting to take a toll on my productivity.  Even after being here for only 2 days, I feel like I am already accomplishing so much more.

Other Niches – Lately I have been really trying to focus on building some sites in other niches.  I have had a music site with a friend for a while now that gets pretty good traffic, and registered a few other domains to try and build on (such as a site about Toronto Catering companies – still being built).  Who knows what the future is for online poker, so I think diversification can never hurt.

Vacations – In January I will be heading down to Trinidad with a few friends for a week of fun in the sun.  I have never been there before, but my friend is half-trini and goes there all the time so he knows where to go.  After that I may head back to Argentina for a month, but still trying to decide.

Working Out – I am not sure if I mentioned it here before but for the past few months I have been taking Muay Thai classes.  They are an amazing workout and I am probably getting in the best shape of my life.  I think since I have started I have lost around 20lbs or so.  Anyone thinking about trying it, I HIGHLY reccomend it, but be ready to work your ass off!

Other than that, there isn’t too much else going on that I can think of, so I will end this by wishing everyone a Happy Holiday!

Bartending Course – A few weeks back I decided to take an introductory course on bartending and mixology.  I have always wanted to be a bartender and enjoy the high paced environment that comes with the job.  Anyway, 3.5 weeks have gone by and tonight I have my final exam.  Basically there is a written test as well as a practical exam where you have to do things like make 3 different drinks in 3 minutes.  I know that may sound easy, but its harder than it sounds.  Anyway, hopefully I pass tonight then the whole class is going drinking after.  Should be a good time.

Financial Planning – The markets are so bad right now, that I figure this is probably one of the best times to get in (well probably would have been better about a month ago, but never did that).  Anyway, I’ve realized over the years that I suck at trading and I think I have lost on pretty much every stock purchase I have ever made.  So, why not get someone else to do it for you.  I remember my bank telling me a long time ago that if you were willing to invest a certain amount they would give you one of their “experts” to work with you on an investment strategy.  Well, I finally reached that goal and had my meeting yesterday.  The planner is putting together my plan over the next week and a bit so I should be ready to go to make some money shortly.  Fingers crossed.

Trips – Will be heading to Las Vegas in a week for what will hopefully be an amazing weekend with several PAL members.  I have tried to organize some fun stuff, but so far it has been about a 50/50 interest so we’ll see where that goes.  Ah well, will be good to seem some old faces regardless and maybe meet some new people.  After Vegas I think I may go back down to Argentina for about 3 weeks, but still waiting to confirm on that.  After that I may or may not head over to Europe for August and maybe stick it out for Budapest in September, but that is just a  dream right now.

Motorcycle License – I bought the books to get my motorcycle license, but still need to read them and do the test.  I think driving a bike would be a lot of fun, though a little dangerous.  Since I don’t have a car (everything I would want is too expensive) I think a bike would be great to use to get around.  Once I get that done was thinking about picking up a used R6 or something.  I love the Harley Night Rod, but don’t want to spend that much.  Anyone have one?  Tips?

Affiliate Stuff – I am falling so far behind in this game I need to start busting my ass again.  I have like 3 new sites on the go and get so overwhelmed sometimes I don’t know where to focus my time.  To top it off my existing sites need some work and I just finished redesigning one of my bigger sites.  I need to hire someone I think, but am also kinda cheap with what I would want to pay.  Decisions, decisions.

Well… thats pretty much all I can think of for now.  I’ll try and get some better posts up here soon and put more focus into what I write here.  I definitely need to start doing more affiliate tips.  If you are coming to Vegas let me know and I’ll see you there!

Anyway, I’ll leave you with this…

I found a pretty kick-ass apartment and I have actually been able to get a little more work done.  Here are some pics of the new place:

Fortunately this apartment has wifi, so I can even sit outside and do work.  Right now its around 30+ degrees everyday and there is always a nice cool breeze.

Also I have joined a gym and am trying to be a little more healthy.  Reading Justin’s new site has really made me start thinking about getting back into a more proper workout routine/diet, rather than just going to the gym a few times per week.

Anyway, I’ll try and write more later, but unforunately I HAVE HOMEWORK/STUDYING TO DO… I know… WTF?

Yesterday I got back from a week in Margarita Island, Venezuela with my good friend Greg.  It was a nice relaxing trip, but I would probably never go back there.  The people were pretty rude, unfriendly and didn’t seem to welcoming to tourists.  For example, I went to the mall and tried to order a pretzel, the girl just looked at me with one of the coldest looks and was like “no”.  I couldn’t tell if they didn’t have them or if she just didn’t want to sell one to me.  Also, when we were leaving the Country at the airport they had these Chavez dolls that talked.  I decided to push the button to hear what it said and some douchebag came over and said, “you aren’t going to buy it so why are you doing that”.  I just looked at him and said, “this is why your country sucks and why I’ll never come back”.  I am so tempted to register MargaritaIslandSucks.com right now, but I’ll sit on it for now.

I shouldn’t say that all the people were bad ovbiously, as one of the bartenders at our resort was awsome, but I think he was probably the only nice Venezuelan we met down there.  I even asked some Venzuelan/Canadian girl about the general attitude we had been receiving at one of the clubs and was told simply: “they don’t like gringos here”.  On top of that the island itself had a communist feel to it, and at times didn’t feel very safe.  When I asked one girl about going to a club one night she must have told me about 5 times to “cuidado” which means be careful in spanish.

The trip wasn’t all bad though.  I spent most of my time there lying on a beach getting a tan, doing little to no work.  We left the resort quite a bit and took a jeep tour of the island which was a ton of fun.  It was 8 hours long and included a boat tour, open air jeep driving around the island (you could stand in the back which was a ton of fun), off-road driving, lunch, stop at a beach, and much more all for just $50.  Here are some pics of that:

The food at the resort was pretty decent, so I can’t really complain about that.  One thing that was a little annoying though was Greg and I were probably the only single guys at the resort so the “girls” situation was awful.  Long story short.. if you are thinking of going to Margarita Island, I’d pick somewhere else (like Jamaica) instead.

Well, next week I am headed back to Buenos Aires   I am so excited to get back there as the winter cold is killing me being inside all the time.  I need to get out and move around as I feel that winter makes me feel so much unhealthier.

As for ’09, I think this will be a good year.  My main goals are to start expanding on non-gambling projects and investigate other areas of online marketing.  I think my strong points are consulting others so if possible I would like to focus on that a little more.  Hopefully this year I can come up with a more long term goal for myself as right now I still have no clue what I want to do with my life.  Time will tell!  If anyone is planning to come to BsAs (Buenos Aires) or wants to, send me a note.  Best to everyone with this year!

Well, I survived the paragliding.  What an experience that was!  For the rest of my time in Mendoza I went rafting and biking around the vineyards.  It was probably one of the best parts of my trip and I had a ton of fun there.  Here are a couple pics:

Gettin Ready to Jump

On top of the mountain

Biking to the wineries

Dinner with the Dutch Girls on their last night.  Amazing Tapas and Wine!

After Mendoza I headed back to Buenos Aires where the trip came to an end after a few more nights of partying.

All in all it was an amazing experience and I am so glad I went.  I met a ton of great people from all over the world and made some new friends.

Here are some more highlights from the trip and things that I’ll miss about Buenos Aires…

- Finding out they have Stoli Elite for less than Absolut at Godoy (obvious mistake)
- Celebrating Colombian Christmas at Claudia’s Appt
- Daily beer tips to Plaza Serrano
- Seeing a new “hottest girl in the world” every single day
- My friend Lucio trying to pick up the same girl about 50 times in a row while she is standing at the bar with her boyfriend
- Cheap amazing dinners at sick restaurants every day
- Random blaring of “Feliz Cumple Anos” in nice restaurants
Plus many more!

I might be heading back there again in the new year.  If anyone is interested in coming down, let me know.

Bye for now!

This morning I arrived in Mendoza, Argentina.  Mendoza is a city in the north that sits right on the edge of the Andes mountains.  It is most known for being the wine region of Argentina and probably South America as a whole.

I took the bus last night by myself and arrived here at 8am (John decided to stay back in BsAs with his future wife).  Last week I met a few Dutch girls who mentioned they were going to be coming here also, and we managed to meet up at the bus station and head to the same hostel.  In a few hours we are all going paragliding.  When I signed up for it, I thought it was hangliding, but apparently I was mistaken.  Anyway, should be a lot of fun!

Tomorrow we are thinking of doing a wine/bike tour.  Basically you go from winery to winery on bikes getting drunk along the way on great Argentinian wines.  Should get interesting…

If I have time, I am also going to go white water rafting.  I have always wanted to do it, and it is only like $30 here, so its hard to say no.

I am also having my first real hostel experience.  The last few times we stayed in hostels we did the private room thing, but this one I am in a shared room.  I was supposed to be in a room with some russian guy, but the room did not have lockers so I asked for another.  The only other room had 3 spanish girls, so I decided that I would suffer and take that one

Anyway, hopefully I’ll be writing again in the next few days to let you know how it goes.  Bye for now!

1) Food – The food here is REALLY GOOD, and EXTREMELY INEXPENSIVE. I am really picky about what I eat, but I haven’t had too many issues here. For example, here is one meal I had recently: Caprese Salad (soooo good) + Filet Mignion + AMAZING bottle of wine = $25 USD / person. The equivalent meal in Toronto would cost roughly $150.

2) Women – I have never seen more beautiful women in my life than I have here in Buenos Aires. When I walk down Santa Fe (one of the main streets) I will see more attractive women here in about 30 minutes than I would see in Toronto in an entire year (and the girls in Toronto aren’t that ugly). As I read on one site, even the ugly girls are cute.

Not only are the girls so good looking, they are also really nice and generous. For example, a couple of days ago I went out for dinner with a beautiful girl that I met here. When it came time to pay the bill I pretty much had to fight her for it, and she got really mad at me for paying. She insisted that she should pay. That would never happen in Canada.

3) People – The people that I have met here so far have been some of the nicest people I have ever met. We have been offered free places to stay, invited to peoples’ homes for BBQs (or Asado as they call it here) and much more.

4) Barrios – Buenos Aires has many different areas (barrios in spanish) and all of them have a unique character. You can go hang out at an amazing (and very cheap) restaurant in Palermo Hollywood, walk through the parks of Palermo, go shopping in Recolleta, or head to San Telmo to watch some tango. These are just a few examples, as there is way more that I am missing.

5) Prices – Other than apartments, which can get pricey if you want something really nice, everything else here is so cheap. Here are some examples:
Subway Ride: $0.30
Taxi (for about a 10-15 min ride) – $3
Decent sit down lunch in a relatively nice restaurant – $8
Drinks in nightclubs – $3-$5
Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice 500ml – $1.10
Bus Ride to city 10 hours away – $60 for what would probably be called business class
Tickets to a huge concert with many international DJs and probably 100,000 people – $40

6) Nightlife – All the clubs we have gone to so far are amazing, and everyone is having a really good time. Not to mention, you don’t go out until 2am as most nightclubs don’t even start to get busy until 3am. They go until about 8am.

Anyway, I could probably go on and on but I don’t feel like writing a 2000 word post. I will end this with some pics:

My friend Matias on the grill making us a nice steak dinner

The roof of our current apartment… soooooo nice. There is also a pool, gym and restaurant up on the roof that are out of this pic, but the park is my favorite.

On the boat to Uruguay with some people we met here

Nice area called Puerto Madero

Everyone getting ready to go out for Halloween at Borges Design Hostel

Ciao for now… hasta luego!