Project Whore: Day4

Felt kinda shitty today, for no particular reason.
I skipped class and went to the place where my GF worked, and played a good 3 hours at PokerRoom, 4 Tabling FullRing 50 cent blind games. I usually dont play this, but I figured this is better for clearing the bonus because I only need to be dealt cards in raked pots to get bonus points.
For the session, I made about 20 bucks...

Pokerstars BR: 2200
Pokerroom BR:707.25 (+40.25)
Bonus: +207 1893 points left

Finals Suck!

Project Whore: Day3

Playing on Pokerroom is just painful...
I tried playing their SNGs, won 1 out of 3, pays $100 for first place since there are ten entrants,not too bad. Lost a few bucks after hours of money games. I'm just glad I havent hung myself.
On Saturday I played a lot on STars and ran really well, but lost some of it back in the evening, playing stupid goofball poker and blew a whole $100 stack. At this point I cashed out $135, leaving me with $2200 in my Stars BR.
Although it is not good to cash out, I need this money to pay bills LoL. Plus it was kind of a way to regulate my tilt.
Anyway, here is the week's result.

Cashed out: 135
Pokerstars BR: 2200
Pokerroom BR:692.50 (+25.50)
Bonus: +102 1998 points left

Week's Total Earnings (7/24-7/30) +461.15

*This Coming week is my Finals week, so I may not get to play as much. My goal will be to clear 200 bonus points, and make 450 for the week.

...The kind of hand that puts you on TILT

I really want to get hand-coverter.. but for now I'll have to settle for the regular Stars hand history... here's a hand I ran into in my Stars session (and how it would normally put a player on tilt)


Table 'Schurer' 6-max Seat #5 is the button
Seat 1: maylg1 ($12 in chips)
Seat 2: Giant_Green ($22.85 in chips)
Seat 3: HardCoreBO ($60.15 in chips)
Seat 4: lancelotti ($37.30 in chips)
Seat 5: Verdan ($20.90 in chips)
Seat 6: crabber12 ($8.30 in chips)
crabber12: posts small blind $0.25
maylg1: posts big blind $0.50
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to HardCoreBO [Kh Ah]
Giant_Green: raises $1.50 to $2
HardCoreBO: calls $2
lancelotti: folds
Verdan: folds
crabber12: folds
maylg1: folds
*** FLOP *** [8d 2c 4d]
Giant_Green: bets $3.50
maylg1 leaves the table
HardCoreBO: raises $4.50 to $8
Giant_Green: calls $4.50
*** TURN *** [8d 2c 4d] [4h]
Giant_Green: bets $12.85 and is all-in

... my read is as follows:
I raised this guy on the flop and got the information I needed.
He doesnt have an eight, or 99, TT, JJ, QQ: because those hands woulda reraised all in on the flop... to stop the K and A from drawing

He doesnt have KK or AA, those hands would have checked on the turn to induce bet.

He doesnt have low set or full house... those hands would bet small or check raise.

So my read is... he either has AK, AQ, AJ, or even some BS like A7 trying to make a play. He may possibly have the 2 or a low pair like 5s, but that is less likely, and against those hands I have outs. Here's how the rest of the hand turned out.

HardCoreBO: calls $12.85
*** RIVER *** [8d 2c 4d 4h] [Qd]
*** SHOW DOWN ***
Giant_Green: shows [Qc Ks] (two pair, Queens and Fours)
HardCoreBO: shows [Kh Ah] (a pair of Fours)
Giant_Green collected $44.20 from pot
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot $46.45 Rake $2.25

*Needless to say, i got 3 outed after making a good read. Luckily I didnt tilt. I stayed at the table and later on Busted this guy real good.

Lesson: You need to try extra hard to remain calm after a suckout like this... if your heart is beating faster then normal, you are likely to turn into a bluffhead, and the noobs will call you down and win your hard earned money. *this applies to me the most, hehe*

Project Whore: Day1... What have I gotten myself into

I signed up with Pokerroom today and the bonus that they gave me was 50% up to $300, cleared at 7x the rake... which is aiite.
But Wow... this site is freakign weird....
the chips are like toys... and for the same reason I dont think people realize they're playing with real money.
My session tonight was pretty damn shitty, I lost with AA vs QQ for a 100 pot.
That cancelled out my winnings. I ended up positive 3 dollars. I only played 2 tables for a lil more then an hour...here's my status:

PokerStars BR: 2101.55

Pokeroom BR: $669.75 (+2.75)
+32 points 2068 points left

I plan to clear at least 68 points tomorrow... as long as I dont lose a bunch aa vs qq again... time to sleep ya'll...

I choose PokerRoom

So I cashed out another $67 this morning... I decided to make sign up with PokerRoom instead of FullTilt Poker first. They have a sweet 30% bonus up to $200 that can be cleared at 5x the rake... and give you 100% rakeback on your SNGs towards the bonus...
This means that I can play excactly 100 $22 buy-in SNGs and claim the bonus... this is what I will most likely do.
Anyway, after I cashed out I lost some money playing cash games, then lost another $27 in class playing the stupid turbo. I made up for this in my evening session, played 3 $22 SNGs and got 2x 2nd and a 3rd, which is somewhat disappointing because I blew a chip lead in one of the headsup.
So right now I have:
Current BR 2146.55 *667 NEteller REserve
Target BR 3000
I still need 853.45
*this goal has to be put on hold once I sign up at Pokerroom, as I have to focus on playing there and claiming their bonus

Managing my Ego

Days Change +157.50
Current BR 2180.50 *reserve in Neteller 600
Target BR 3000
I still need 819.50

Coming off of a bad night yesterday I was determined to bounce back strong. I played 6 SNGs in the morning got 1rst 3x, 2nd, 3rd, and only one lost. That put me as high as 2265.
But later in the evening I slumped, played 3 more SNgs and only cashed 2nd in one... and lost a bit in cash games.

I have noticed that after really good sessions, I tend to lose my chips back... I'm going to call this the Buffer Effect. The Buffer Effect is that since I have a newfound Buffer, I sub-consciously want to fall on it, like an idiot. This process is also accelerated by my Ego. My Ego says... what bitch I dont lose I'm a Godlike player... take this... I call with ace high!... and lose money... or take this... I bet with nothing... then they call and I lose money. Or what bitch, I'm all in with my openended cuz i'm Pro like that... then they call and I lose all my money....

This is a form of tilt, and its detremental to my game especially in cash games.... I have to learn how to control this...
Next time I have a slump after a Godlike session... I will set a limit to how much I can lose, and once I hit that mark either stop for the day or mess around with the lower limits...
You can argue that this is counterproductive, but the EV of each hand played while i'm on tilt is negative, so there's no point in playing more.

Tomorrow I will play more SNGs, but probably not much because I have a paper to write.

Setback!

Damn it ... a bad session in cash games sent my pokerstars account down to 2023...it was set off by losing an sng with AA...vs straight... then followed by losing all kinds of suckouts in money games... and with it comes the calling of my bluffs.... i went down to as low as 1970... but brought it back up over 2000 before I ended my session.
It is quite alright... I shall bounce back... from now on I am setting strict rules for myself to follow... here are some ideas:
1) Play 3 max tables, no more then 3
2) I will not be able to play .50/1 CASH until my BR reaches 3000.... thats right... I'm punishing myself for blowign my roll... this has happened one too many times.
3) After Midnight, Stay away from CASH games period... I have realized that this is when the game is the hardest... a bunch of rocks and rounders trying to grind money.
4) Must play 9 SNGs per day
5) ...Grind Away, and never look back... gotta reach 3K... take it one step at a time...

Getting Ready

After my last update I played 3 more 20 dollar SNGs, placed 1rst in two of them and lost the other one. I got really lucky in one sucking out AT vs AJ, and JQ vs JK after the jack hits. Hey... I'll take it anyway I can hehe.

These two wins upped my Stars Br to 2267... I will now cash out an additional 100, leaving exactly 600 in Neteller, which equals the max amount I need to claim the 600 dollar bonus at FullTilt Poker... I think I will officially start this project on Friday Night... installing the program first on my own computer.

For now I'll just keep playing SNGs and small sidegames at PokerStars.

Pokerstars BR 2167.70
Neteller Reserve 600

Project Whore?

So I've been thinking about about trying out a new Pokersite, and claiming their bonus in the process.
Now I've been a loyal PokerStars player, and only play at Partypoker occasionally to claim their reload bonuses.
As an aspiring poker pro, I owe it to myself to explore around, and also to claim the big bonuses that are out there.
I've been told to stay away from small sites because they suck... so after much research I've narrowed it down to two sites: FullTilt Poker and UltimateBet.

Full Tilt Poker is the 5th-8th most popular online poker site for ring games.
FullTilt has:
100% up to $600 deposit bonus
Full Tilt Poker bonus code is NOT required
16.67 points are needed for each $1 in bonus money (each point accumulated is worth $0.06).
Bonus released in increments of 10% or $20.00, whichever is less.
Bonus expires after 120 days
Percentage of tournament rake refunded when clearing the bonus: 42%
The max tables you can play at Full Tilt Poker is 4*:
6max NL grade: D+

Ultimate Bet is the 5th-7th most popular online poker site for ring games.
UltimateBet has
100% up to $650 max deposit bonus
Use Ultimate Bet deposit bonus code UBWHORE
Must earn 10 Ultimate Points for each $1 in bonus money
Bonus released as points are accumulated.
Bonuses are stackable and never expire.
Percentage of tournament rake refunded when clearing the bonus: 20%
The max tables you can play at Ultimate Bet is 3*:
6mx nL Grade: C+

It seems that UB is a better option if I want to play pure cash games to clear the bonus, and FT is a better option if I want to do a mix between SNG and cash games. It's hard to decide which one I want to do first... I am leaning towards FT because of their returns on SNGs and incremental Bonus Releases. Either way, I will sign up for the next site as soon as I finish claiming the bonus in one...
This will be my next project: Project WHORE: goal, to claim 600 + 650 in bonuses at UB and FT.
I will update in a few days with details.

SNG Project1: Day 6 END of Project

First off: I did not do the 125 SNGs... i played more like 25, prolly made like 50 bucks from them.... my sharkscope average is pretty accurate LoL
After a few days into the project it became more about breakign the 2500 mark... I keep getting close giong to around 2400 then losing back down to 2200, up to 2400 again then down to as low as 2100.
This weekend I went home with a mere 2170 in my account.... this is pretty pathetic because I left home with over 2350 last week.
So I decided to cash out 100... so I can value the money I was playign with. That was a great move because within two days, I cashed out another 50, then another 100, then two other 50s, then another 150...
That puts me right over my target BR... Right now my Pokerstars BR is sitting at 2067, with 500 sitting in NETeller.
I won the bulk of my money from cash games... playing heads up vs low stacks (though not always successfully), and grinding some .25/.50 6max NL. The advantage of this blind limit is that there are MORE FISH who will throw money at my big stack...
As of right now... I am still searching for my game... right now there's nothing I am exceptionally good in... I feel like I had to claw for every dollar I've won. I had aspiration to be a consistent SNG grinder, playing 30+ with aobut a 15% ROI (which is around where i'm at). However, the variance in SNGs always brings me back to cash games... after losing 5 cionflips and getting two outted on the bubble a few times... some immediate cash put back into my BR sounds too appealling.
I have to admit I've been lucky enough to have been able to do well going back and fourth from cash and SNGs... in a way they compliment each other... When I am running bad in one I turn to the other.
I really don't know what to do from now on... it seems a lot harder then I imagined... I made about 500 in a week.... I need to make about twice this much or at least 800 a week.
I think I am going to use the 500 in my neteller to do some bonuswhoring....is it too late to be a whore? Other than that... I'll keep playing some SNGs and low stakes side games at Stars... hopefully I can be a little more efficient in the next couple of weeks.

It's still a grind... Guess everyone has to pay their dues...
I won't have any specific goals for now.... lets see how I do in the next couple of weeks without one.

Current PokerStars BR: 2066.35
Reserve (Neteller): 500
Week's Total Earnings (7/16 to7/23) +566.35

SNG Project1: Day3 part B

I worked my BR up to 2450 aprox today and lost it back to 2200 within a couple of hours.
I am thinking I need a break from this blog... and just play poker...
This blog may be makign me too goal oriented, and maybe I just need to go with the flow of thigns for awhile... I will update sometime later in the future... wish me luck.

Current BR 2204
Goal BR 2500
I still need 296

SNG Project1: Day3 partA

I am writing thisblog at 4 AM and I really am screwed because I didnt do my paper yet.... been playing poker...
But the bright side is- unlike last night-- i had a positive session.
I found a new way to make money... play tables with one or two people sitting down... people like to donk off 20, 30, 40 bucks vs my 100+ Stack... and I very much appreciate it.

Total +140.95

Current BR 2334.25
Goal BR 2500
I still need 165.75

Here are some hands in which I won money

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to HardCoreBO [6d 6h]

HardCoreBO: calls $0.50

mike_the_cat: raises $36.35 to $37.35 and is all-in

HardCoreBO: calls $36.35

*** FLOP *** [9d 2h Qs]

*** TURN *** [9d 2h Qs] [3c]

*** RIVER *** [9d 2h Qs 3c] [6s]

*** SHOW DOWN ***

HardCoreBO: shows [6d 6h] (three of a kind, Sixes)

mike_the_cat: shows [5h 5s] (a pair of Fives)

mike_the_cat said, "zing"

HardCoreBO collected $73.70 from pot

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to HardCoreBO [7h Qh]

iamsuckerpun: calls $1

owie76: calls $1

UTG RAISE leaves the table

HardCoreBO: calls $0.50

cvbluffer: checks

*** FLOP *** [7s Qs 5h]

HardCoreBO: bets $2

cvbluffer: calls $2

iamsuckerpun: calls $2

owie76: calls $2

*** TURN *** [7s Qs 5h] [6c]

HardCoreBO: bets $8

cvbluffer: calls $8

iamsuckerpun: raises $34.80 to $42.80 and is all-in

owie76: folds

HardCoreBO: calls $34.80

cvbluffer: folds

cvbluffer is sitting out

*** RIVER *** [7s Qs 5h 6c] [2s]

*** SHOW DOWN ***

HardCoreBO: shows [7h Qh] (two pair, Queens and Sevens)

iamsuckerpun: mucks hand

HardCoreBO collected $103.60 from pot

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to HardCoreBO [4d Kd]

HardCoreBO: raises $2 to $3

owie76: calls $2

*** FLOP *** [9h Kc 2d]

HardCoreBO: checks

owie76: checks

*** TURN *** [9h Kc 2d] [7d]

HardCoreBO: bets $2

owie76: raises $5.65 to $7.65 and is all-in

HardCoreBO: calls $5.65

*** RIVER *** [9h Kc 2d 7d] [Qd]

*** SHOW DOWN ***

HardCoreBO: shows [4d Kd] (a flush, King high)

owie76: mucks hand

HardCoreBO collected $20.30 from pot

owie76 leaves the table

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to HardCoreBO [8d Js]

HardCoreBO: calls $0.50

KraZZ DawG: checks

*** FLOP *** [7s 8c Tc]

HardCoreBO: checks

KraZZ DawG: bets $7

HardCoreBO: raises $63 to $70

KraZZ DawG: calls $10 and is all-in

*** TURN *** [7s 8c Tc] [2h]

*** RIVER *** [7s 8c Tc 2h] [6s]

*** SHOW DOWN ***

HardCoreBO: shows [8d Js] (a pair of Eights)

KraZZ DawG: mucks hand

HardCoreBO collected $35 from pot

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to HardCoreBO [4d 6d]

cajun40: calls $1

HardCoreBO: calls $0.50

spike191: checks

*** FLOP *** [5d 9d 2h]

HardCoreBO: checks

spike191: checks

cajun40: bets $3

HardCoreBO: calls $3

spike191: raises $3 to $6

cajun40: calls $3

HardCoreBO: calls $3

*** TURN *** [5d 9d 2h] [3c]

HardCoreBO: checks

spike191: bets $4

cajun40: raises $27.35 to $31.35 and is all-in

HardCoreBO: calls $31.35

spike191: calls $11.20 and is all-in

*** RIVER *** [5d 9d 2h 3c] [Qc]

*** SHOW DOWN ***

HardCoreBO: shows [4d 6d] (a straight, Deuce to Six)

cajun40: mucks hand

HardCoreBO collected $32.30 from side pot

cajun40 leaves the table

spike191: mucks hand

HardCoreBO collected $65.60 from main pot

spike191 leaves the table

*

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to HardCoreBO [9d Kc]

HardCoreBO: calls $0.50

eleza: raises $3 to $4

HardCoreBO: calls $3

*** FLOP *** [9h Ac 7s]

HardCoreBO: checks

eleza: bets $11.45 and is all-in

HardCoreBO: calls $11.45

*** TURN *** [9h Ac 7s] [6h]

*** RIVER *** [9h Ac 7s 6h] [Ah]

*** SHOW DOWN ***

HardCoreBO: shows [9d Kc] (two pair, Aces and Nines)

eleza: mucks hand

eleza said, "lol"

HardCoreBO collected $29.90 from pot

*** HOLE CARDS ***

Dealt to HardCoreBO [As Kc]

sabianatrix: folds

ripwell: folds

nickslick: folds

HardCoreBO: raises $3 to $4

MangoD: folds

acheman08: folds

gl79: folds

homsi: folds

SlimFan: calls $3

*** FLOP *** [8c 8s Tc]

SlimFan: bets $3

HardCoreBO: calls $3

*** TURN *** [8c 8s Tc] [2s]

SlimFan: bets $3

HardCoreBO: raises $6 to $9

SlimFan: calls $6

*** RIVER *** [8c 8s Tc 2s] [7d]

SlimFan: checks

HardCoreBO: bets $6

SlimFan: calls $5.70 and is all-in

*** SHOW DOWN ***

HardCoreBO: shows [As Kc] (a pair of Eights)

SlimFan: mucks hand

HardCoreBO collected $41.80 from pot

HardCoreBO said, "lol"

*** SUMMARY ***

Total pot $43.90 | Rake $2.10

Board [8c 8s Tc 2s 7d]

Seat 1: acheman08 folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Seat 2: gl79 (button) folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Seat 3: homsi (small blind) folded before Flop

Seat 4: SlimFan (big blind) mucked [Qd Ah]

Seat 5: sabianatrix folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Seat 6: ripwell folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Seat 7: nickslick folded before Flop (didn't bet)

Seat 8: HardCoreBO showed [As Kc] and won ($41.80) with a pair of Eights

Seat 9: MangoD folded before Flop (didn't bet)

...now I'm gonna have to suck it up and do this paper... God I hate school.

SNG Project1: Day2 partB

I usually don't do hit and run but this one felt good... was just gonna look at my BR... browsed some tables and decided to sit down just for "real quick" lol...

During current Hold'em session you were dealt 72 hands and saw flop:
- 9 out of 17 times while in big blind (52%)
- 9 out of 18 times while in small blind (50%)
- 5 out of 37 times in other positions (13%)
- a total of 23 out of 72 (31%)
Pots won at showdown - 3 of 5 (60%)
Pots won without showdown - 13

Total +59.80

Current BR 2193.30
Goal BR 2500
I still need 306.70

ok.... this counts as an end to my slump... no more red anytime soon I hope!

SNG Project1: Day2 partA

SNG 15 (25+2) 6th JQ vs K9
SNG 16 (25+2) 7th JJ vs JK
SNG 17 (25+2) 4th 9K vs AJ on 9JX board

Total -81

Current BR 2133.50
Goal BR 2500

I still need 366.5

Note to Self: Ego Needs To Go

I want to take this time to reflect a little bit on my play. I have to admit that due to my recent successes I've been a little cocky. Confidence is good but overconfidence is bad.
I need to start doing the following from now on:
1) Keep my Poker Business on the Downlow.... relatives and friends do not need to know how much I just won on my session, and they don't need to know how much my BR is, and how much I make per hour... Talking about it to them only builds my ego and my ego is something that needs to be put in the closet for good.
2) Put School First! I tend to play poker much better when I dont have anything to worry about. Last night I played while havign to do a paper, and that may have caused me to lose.
3) Grind the SNGs until I meet my goal. And grind some more until I reach 3000, that is when I am officially properly rolled for the 100 buy in table. (30x max buy in).
4) Have Better Game Selection! Yesterday I sat way too long at tables that were not profitable, with big stack right to my left.... this was due to pride and ego... once again my ego needs to go.... no more sitting long at non-profitable tables.
5) Have More Fun! I'm going to try to be in really good moods from now on before I start sessions.

Doh!

I was suppose to work on my essay tonight and right now I so wish I did.
I logged in a great session winning over 100 but then ran cold and i mean super cold running into walls and getting setted and set over set left and right. I am down to 2214.50 after this long session. Definitely a humbling experience. But I will beat that game soon enough (.50/1 NL)

Total -204.90

I still Need 285.50

Quickie

Like predicted I didn't have anytime today for Poker. I am not going to count this as part of my 14 days.
I did, however, managed to get in a tiny half hour session while I was in class playing one table .25/.50 6max (class was so boring). Made +32.80, not too shabby.

Current BR 2419.40
Goal BR 2500
I still need 80.60

Arm Curls 100 900

SNG Project1:Day1 partC

So I am back in LA... I came back b4 my GF so I stopped by my buddy John's place and squeezed in one more set of SNGs. Here are the results

SNG 12 (20+2) 7th -22
SNG 13 (20+2) 1rst +68
SNG 14 (25+2) 4th -27 89 VS AT pushed got caught

Total +19

btw congrats to John... he won a 20 dollar tournament while i was there.

Current BR 2386.60
Goal BR 2500
I still need 113.40

Situps 100

SNG Project1: Day1 partB

SNG3 (25+2) 2nd +40.50
SNG4 (20+2) 9th -22 KK vs AA
SNG5 (20+2) 3rd +14
SNG6 (25+2) 3rd +18
SNG7 (20+2) 5th -22 AA vs J8 all in then Op. turn two pairs
SNG8 (20+2) 3rd +14 AA vs JQ all in then got rivered two pairs
SNG9 (25+2) 1rst +85.50 Suck out Ace vs pair
SNG10 (20+2) 6th -22 Trips vs Full House on river; 2 outed
SNG11 (20+2) 6th -22 66 vs K8

Total: +84

I played 3 tournaments at once with one of them being TURBO. I am very comfortable at this pace for now. I think I can do 4 at a time, and will try that soon.
I played for about 3.5 hours ... and +84 in 3.5 hours is about average... But I think that this has been a better than average session. This means that in order to be making good money playing SNG I will have to play more tables and/or move up stakes.
I know how it is done now... pro grinders play 6 or 7 at once to take full advantage of the small edge they have on the game. This is the only way they can keep up with Cash players.
For now I will play 3 or 4 tables still. But in the future I will experiment with higher stakes and more multitabling. I have a midterm paper to do so I may not play in the next few days... But I most likely will find the time to squeeze in poker.

Current BR 2367.60
Goal BR 2500
I still need 133

Push ups 100 900

SNG Project1: Day 1 partA

To give myself a headstart on the project, I played from Saturday night into past Midnight or the 0 Hours of Sunday, and count it as part of my Project. The results were great.... I played in three .25/.50 NL 6max tables. At one point ran up to over 100 in each of them but lost it down in two of them and ran one up to over 200. I also squeezed in a 22+2 and a 25+2 SNG. I faced elimination in both of them but managed to suck out vs AA both times.... haha... I won the turbo and got 2nd in the 20+2.

So for the first part of the day my results are as follows:

SNG 1 (20+2) 2nd +32
SNG2 (25+2) 1rst +85.50

CASH .25/.50 NL 6max 944 Hands +153.50

At this rate I will complete my goal of 2500 in one or two day... but I guess I'll just have to adjust my target BR once i've reached that mark. For now at least its still 2500.

Day's Change: +271
Total Cahnge: +271
I still need: 229

125 SNGs in 14 Days

Ok here's the deal. My BR is sitting at 2512 right now. My 1000 in 100 days goal said that I was to cash out 1000 by the time i completed the project. But I realize that the EV of that move would be negative, as that money helps me much more in my BR then in my bank. However, I will cash out 500, and use that along with some money I got from relatives on my BDAy to pay for rent the next two months. I will use the rest of my loan money to pay for tuition. This means that after this cashout I will have no financial responsibility from now until the end of August.
This is excactly what I needed... now I can move foward in building my BR and not have to cash out anytime soon.
I feel like I'm at the crossroads in my poker Quest. I've been playing Poker for about two years, and respectively made about 3000 in cashouts with 2000 still in my BR, which totals out to be around 5000 profit. The scary thing is that I made aoubt half of my 5000 in the last two months, and about 1000 in the last two weeks. If I was to draw a graph to show how much I've been winning in Poker, the graph would be far from a linear graph, and look more like an exponential graph.
That exponential graph clearly has a limit, and at some point it would have to bend back down, at that point is the point where I am making as much as I can possibly make playing Poker online on a regular basis.
**Now this is the Crossroad I am talking about... Am I able to ride this graph and go to places I've never been before, or does it start bending back now, and this is as good as I can do... I certainly hope the later is not the case.
I did some Math and over the course of my project, assuming I play 4 hours a day every day of the week, I made on average about 30 dollars a day and 7.5 dollars per hour. I moved from 1720 to 2515 within 13 days, so that is 785 for the last 13 days, 60.38 dollars a day, 15.10 dollars per hour.
I averaged this much by playing mainly .25/.50 NL, and only a few .50/1 sessions. Now if I can move up to playing .50/1 and have the same success rate as in .25/.50 blinds. I have a legitamite chance at making at least 25 dollars per hour playing Poker.
This is not to say that I am turning pro or anything, but at the rate in which I had estimated, I have a lot to look foward to as a Poker player.
Now its all about building my BR, so I can move up limits. I know it does not make sense to play SNGs, but I just want to give it a try again... it still is a lot less scary to build your BR playing SNGs. Lets think of it as going to the gym in practice for a big fight rather then going out to pick fights in practice for a big fight.
According to Sharkscope, I average 2 dollars per SNG.... which is pathetic. My goal for the next 125 SNG is to average 4 dollars profit per SNG, which should total out to be excactly 500 profit. This will put me back to 2500 and get me rolling again. I plan to play 20+2 and 25+2 SNGs.
I will also be playing Cash games, but for the next 14 Days it will have to take a backseat to to the SNGs. Hopefully I will be over 2500 by the end of this short 14 day goal, but to get back to 2500 is my humble goal.

This project will officially began tomorrow on SUNDAY.
Project name: SNG Project 1
Starting BR 2012
Goal BR 2512
I need 500
**I will do the following:
125 SNGs (20+2 and 25+2 TURBO)
1000 Push Ups
5000 Sit Ups
1000 Arm Curls

Got Beat Up by the Big Boys

So the day after I finished my project I was so excited to keep playing. I went to Jamba Juice in the morning while my GF had class and logged in to a good 2 hour session 3 tabling .50/1 NL 6max tables. I won a little over 200 bucks in 2 hours thats like 100 dollars per hour!
Unfortunately I lost it all back later in the day when I was at home... I was browsing the 1/2 NL 6 max tables and saw one with a bunch of lower stacks. I cashed in 200 and after a few encounters with a player who i had a read on as a loose caller, the following hand happened. I had KK from dealer position raise only to 6 dollars 3x the blinds... I wanted action. The SB which was the loose player and BB called . Flop comes JQ7. The SB opened with a standard bet of 8 dollars and BB called. I raised to about 48, SB goes all in, BB calls... and I... CALLED for about 100 more. Turn and River are 6 and 5 or something like that. Loose player flips over JQ and BB mucks and I mucked my KK. Certainly was a questionable called but both these players were so loose it was hard for me to lay down my overpair against them.
I did not feel nearly as bad losing that 200 dollar however for some reason, I guess it is because I had won earlier that day. This in a way made me feel good about my game as I know I can play with a deep enough stack and BR to not be scared of losing money anymore.
Its also good to know that at one point I can be playign at this blind limit. My goal is to start playing at this limit when i hit around 7k BR. For now I will grind it up in the .50/1 dollar tables.

Day 68: Happy Birthday to Me! Its All Over!

2515.35 Booyah!
I still need: 0
Total Profit: a lil over 2030


Its July 13th and my Bday is on July 12... I really wanted to complete my goal on my B-Day but I had a midterm today so ... a belated B-Day present to myself is just as good =)
I have a lot to reflect on and say about this project. It is by far my most successful poker project ever, though it wasnt easy at all. I came close to giving up a few times, and nothing that I had orginally planned worked out the way I wanted it to. But for the love of the game, I kept at it, and found a winning formula. Note i said for the love of the game and not the money... its true! But the money is good too =)
I have a midterm paper due on Monday, so glad I got this goal over with... now I can focus on school at least for a bit. This is not to say I will stop playing. Over the weekend I will post a blog with a more in depth analysis of my play over the course of this project. I will also think of a new goal for myself... any suggestion? oh wait I forgot nobody reads this LoL I am a loser.

Day 62: Inching Closer

I am updating this early friday morning because I will have to pack up and go home soon. Its kinda sad but now i gotta say goodbye to my apartment.
Yesterday I played a lot of poker, losing virtually all my SNGs but made up for it with my successes in money games. I ventured the 1 dollar blinds tables for the first time, actually did pretty well... hit one good set early vs top pair to give me a head start. around +130 for Thursday.
This morning I just played 2 SNGs, a 25 and a 20. Sucked out a guy with 99 vs JJ when blinds are high... running a flush. After that I bullied my way into the money, won two key coinflips AK vs 88 and AK vs 77, hitting it on the river with style knocking out 2nd and 3rd place. So I won the 25 and lost the 20, I lost calling vs the near nuts like an idiot... with just top pair too: a4s on 2s3c4c board, and the guy had A5D. The reason why i called was because i had already raised him... but still... I suck. Taht totals to +63.50 so far for the day.
Whenever i can make 50 bucks an hour I am happy... and whenever it happens it makes it all the more tempting to play poker whenever possible.... can't help but to be excited about making easy money right? (*but its not that easy) haha. Total Profit:

Days left to accomplish my goal: 38
Total Profit:+1726.05
My Current BR: $2202.55
My Goal: $2500
I still need: $297.45

DAy 60: So Close Yet So Far

After my last update I ran really hot, winning 20 dollars and 25 dollars one table SNGs and doing real well in cash games also. I find it most efficient for me to play 3 table cash games at a time and 2 SNGs at a time. I've been experimenting playign 3 cash game tables and one SNG simultaneousl. Had pretty good success doing that for awhile. I ran my bankroll up to as high as 2270.
But yesterday I ran into a big bump in the road. was doing well, working my BR from 2140 to 2270, then all of the sudden within an hour and a half I just lost a bunch of money. It was a combination of bad luck and bad play. I lose with JJ vs a guy calling me down with K2 hitting his king, going all in on a JQxx board with 99 and having a guy call with AT hitting his ace on the river... To top it off I lost 66 dollar in one hand with AA with a on a Qxxx board to a guy who hit his low straight... I could have gotten away from this but when you are losing you tend to not fold AA. I also lot a few pots by bluffing. Lost it back down to 2022. -250 may not seem like a lot but to me it is a lot. Overall, the lesson to be learned from that day are:
1. When I feel frustrated, I should stop, because I am still not immune to a slight tilt and that effects my play.
2. When a guy at my tables develop a big stack over 100 and I have less money then him, I should quit thattable.
3. There was a rounder at my table (the guy who busted me) who was playign 7 tables. I should avoid playing with rounders because they dictate the pace and that can mess up my game at least for now.
4. I should not play when it is too hot and I am sweating profusely... Have to be comfortable physically to play good poker.

With that being said, I have to now look foward. The bright side is that I worked my BR up to over the 2K mark and right now its sitting at $2011. The frustrating thing is that I was so close to reaching my goal and the one bad day put me back farther behind. Thats the reason why the finish line for this project seems so close yet so far.
I plan to play more 20 dollar and 25 dollar SNGs and less cash from now on in attempt to reach my goal.... But that doenst mean i wont play cash, just not as much. I think SNGs is still less volatile then cash, I can grind money more surely in SNGs, though it still seems slower and less profitable.
I am going to round up my overall goal to be the mark where my BR hits 2500 as opposed to 2470 before. Total profit at that point should be a little over 2000. Overall here are my results up to date.

Days left to accomplish Goal: 40
My BR: 2011
My overall profit: +1535
I still need: 489