Long day of various limits. Just got slaughtered by fish at 36 limit but managed to end the day up overall about 60.00. Only have about 30 minutes more work on the first Party bonus and them another 6 hours or so for the second one tomorrow. Should also finish up with the Interpoker bonus. Going to try and get to work early tomorrow so I can spend the evening packing up for the trip on Thursday.

have a good trip piers

Trip going fine so far. I am staying with my friend in New Iberia, Louisiana. Heading to the airport tomorrow for a trip to pick up my kids in NY and then return the same day back to New Orleans and then to Arkansas so a couple of long days coming up. Just played a little today at Empire. Other than that only played at Harrahs Casino in the French Quarter.

The games at Harrah's are very good, at least from my limited one session marathon of about 15 hours while waiting on the Venezuelan Embassy to open across the street. Played 6-12 limit for the most part and a little 36 limit after the 612 broke up. The rake is atrocious at 10% up to 5.00 with an additional 1.00 taken at 20 for a jackpot. The average or even good player really will have an extremely tough time overcoming these rakes at this level even though the play for the most part was very bad. Thought about returning to play tomorrow while waiting on my early Thursday morning flight but I think I will just go to the airport and play there after most of the folks go home and I can borrow a phone outlet.

Really having a nice time with my kids now. Keeping busy on the road and in the air the last few days so I have only played a little bit but that is ok.

[quote="piersmajestyk"]I guess I will give this a shot since no one else has stepped up. I don't know how much this will help anyone else but I think it will help me to sustain the necessary effort in playing that I sometimes lack (ie. putting in the hours).

I guess a little background. I have been playing poker as a primary or only source of income for ten years now. Baton Rouge was the first locale that I played frequently on the river boats there while attending graduate school in Lafayette, Louisiana. I spent the summers of 95 and 96 playing in Vegas mainly in the Binions 1530 and 2040 games and a little at the Mirage. I moved from Louisiana to New York City in the late summer of 1997 where I played nearly every night at the Diamond Club in Manahttan and also frequenlty at the Taj Majal in AC and less frequenly at Foxwoods. I moved to Vegas in the summer of 1998 until the fall of 1999 when I decided to return to NYC to get my doctorate degree in Botany. I returned to playing at the Diamond Club frequently but in 2000 I started to play on the internet at Paradise and soon after Party. I quickly realized that the lower rake and the ability to play multiple tables along with some very good games was a big benefit to me in many ways. By then I had two very young children and it gave me more time to spend with them rather than riding a subway or a greyhound to a game. And the extra time was also helpful in finishing my disserrtation:) which I did in May 2003. I then moved to Venezuela permanently earlier this year after a 6 month stay in 2003.

I have accounts on about 20 sites but I play mainly on Empire and on the Cryptos for the monthly bonuses. I play mainly limit holdem in the 12-510 range primarily but I also dabble in the NL arena from time to time. All I have recorded for this year is my wins and losses but I will attempt from now on to keep a more precise account on limits and hands as well.

Yearly Poker Summary

January 2005

1 ------ 38.62
2 ------ 30.86
3 ------ 58.47
4 ----- (-133.3)
5 ------ 6.56
6 ------ 70.8

My first week of January was primarily taken up with caring for my little girl who was born 6 weeks early on December 30th so I didn't put alot of time in at the tables and my resutls show but some things are more important than the poker table even for a full time player:)

7 ------ 283.46
8 ----- (-84.3)
9 ----- 361.16
10 ----- 150.09
11----- 365.06
12 ----- 334.59
13 ----- 236.89
14 ----- (-173.31)
15 ------ 194.86
16 ------ 92.99 1833.5
17 ------ 194.05 2027.55 W: 14 L: 3
18 ------ 125.29 2152.84 W: 15 L: 3 5h40m
19 ------ 142.53 2295.37 W: 16 L: 3 4h30m
20 ------ 236.57 2531.94 W: 17 L: 3 8h20m
21 ------ 181.70 2639.64 W: 18 L: 3 2h50m
22 ------ 124.45 2764.09 W: 19 L: 3 4h
23 ------ 133.94 2898.03 W: 20 L: 3 2h5m
24 ------ 302.86 3200.89 W: 21 L: 3 4h20m
25 ------ 173.45 3374.34 W: 22 L: 3 4h
26 ------ 254.55 3628.89 W: 23 L: 3 6h40m
27 ------ 16.73 3645.62 W: 24 L: 3 6h40m
28 ------ 85.78 3731.40 W: 25 L: 3 3h35m
29 ------ 487.81 4219.21 W: 26 L: 3 2h50m
30 ------ 29.78 4248.99 W: 27 L: 3 30m ca. 121 hours, 35.11/hour

Not a bad first month of the year.

February 1 ------ 38.61 4285.60 W: 28 L:3 30 min.
2 ----------------- 340.19 4625.79 W: 29 L: 3 7h20m
3 ----------------- 77.97 4703.76 W: 30 L: 3 3h15m
4 ----------------- 308.61 5012.37 W: 31 L: 3 5h35m
5 ----------------- 350.65 5363.02 W: 32 L: 3 7h20m
6-7--------------- traveling
8 ----------------- 30.05 5393.07 W: 33 L: 3 25m
9 ----------------- 159.55 5552.62 W: 34 L: 3 1h50m
10 --------------- 100.12 5652.74 W: 35 L: 3 5h
11 --------------- 193.97 5846.71 W: 36 L: 3 2h25m
12 --------------- 49.43 5896.14 W: 37 L: 3 4h10m
13 --------------- 168.21 6064.35 W: 38 L: 3 6h20m
14 --------------- 102.07 6166.42 W: 39 L: 3 5h55m
15 --------------- 23.90 6190.32 W: 40 L: 3 2h40m
16 --------------- 561.69 6751.98 W: 41 L: 3 2h20m
17 --------------- 43.65 6795.63 W: 42 L: 3 55m
18 --------------- 49.63 6845.26 W: 43 L: 3 25m
19 --------------- 191.16 7036.42 W: 44 L: 3 3h30m
20 --------------- 290.78 7327.20 W: 45 L: 3 7h
21 --------------- 205.14 7532.34 W: 46 L: 3 3h30m
22 --------------- 35.97 7568.31 W: 47 L: 3 3h40m
23 --------------- 202.51 7770.82 W: 48 L: 3 3h45m
24 --------------- 88.21 7859.03 W: 49 L: 3 1h
25 --------------- 81.15 7940.18 W: 50 L: 3 35m
26 --------------- 271.62 8211.80 W: 51 L: 3 5h35m
27 --------------- 50.11 8261.91 W: 52 L: 3 1h45m
28 --------------- 249.27 8511.18 W: 53 L: 3 5h10m

My continuing problem is putting in the hours. For February I only averaged 3.5/hr per day of work not counting the two days I was traveling. I really need to get this up to around 5 but with the added work now of my botany project that may not come to pass.

March 1 ------------ 160.05 8671.23 W: 54 L: 3 7h15m
2 -------------------- 240.32 8911.55 W: 55 L: 3 4h10m
3--------------------- 284.66 9196.21 W: 56 L: 3 6h55m
4 -------------------- 69.12 9265.33 W: 57 L: 3 2h55m
5 -------------------- 195.30 9460.63 W: 58 L: 3 6h45m
6 -------------------- (-1505.31) 7955.32 W: 58 L: 4 14h50m
7 --------------------- 1177.13 9132.45 W: 59 L: 4 4h25m
8 --------------------- 114.19 9246.64 W: 60 L: 4 25m
9-17------------------ Traveling
18 -------------------- (-243.03) 9003.61 W: 60 L: 5 6h40m
19 -------------------- (-2232.77) 6770.84 W: 60 L: 6 3h35m
20 -------------------- 547.37 7318.21 W: 61 L: 6 3h
21 -------------------- 50.68 7368.89 W: 62 L: 6 1h15m
22 -------------------- 187.70 7556.59 W: 63 L: 6 1h40m
23 -------------------- (-3.46) 7553.13 W: 63 L: 7 5h25m
24 ------------------- (-66.94) 7486.19 W: 63 L:8 11h10m
25 ------------------- 134.72 7620.91 W: 64 L: 8 2h
26 ------------------- 206.49 7827.40 W: 65 L: 8 2h25m
27 ------------------- 23.96 7851.36 W: 66 L: 8 30m
28 ------------------- 86.75 7938.11 W: 67 L: 8 30m
29 ------------------- 91.38 8029.49 W: 68 L: 8 5h
30 ------------------- 16.85 8046.34 W: 69 L: 8 0m
31 ------------------- 44.45 8090.79 W: 70 L: 8 20m


April 1-10 Traveling
11 --------------------- 319.37 8410.16 W: 71 L: 8 5h
12--------------------- 325.28 8735.44 W: 72 L: 8 2h
13 -------------------- (-230.03) 8505.41 W: 72 L: 9 4h30m
14 -------------------- 158.30 8663.71 W: 73 L: 9 3h20m
15 -------------------- 296.97 8960.68 W: 74 L: 9 2h15m
16 -------------------- 345.58 9306.26 W: 75 L: 9 4h25m
17 -------------------- 74.97 9381.23 W: 76 L: 9 3h30m
18 -------------------- 170.21 9551.45 W: 77 L: 9 2h30m
19 -------------------- 94.44 9645.89 W: 78 L: 9 2h30m
20 ------------------ (-776.46) 8869.43 W: 78 L: 10 4h40m
21 ------------------- 571.08 9440.51 W: 79 L: 10 1h25m
22 ------------------- 86.00 9526.51 W: 80 L: 10 6h
23 ------------------- 160.90 9687.41 W: 81 L: 10 1h50m
24 ------------------- 324.29 10011.70 W: 82 L: 10 4h35m
25 ------------------- 68.19 10079.89 W: 83 L: 10 6h10m
26 ------------------- 162.58 10242.47 W: 84 L: 10 2h55m
27 ------------------- 173.46 10415.93 W: 85 L: 10 1h50m
28 ------------------- 234.94 10650.87 W: 86 L: 10 40m
29 ------------------- 272.89 10923.76 W: 87 L: 10 2h40m
30 ------------------- 440.00 11363.76 W: 88 L: 10 6h


May 1 -------------------- (-1706.96) 9656.80 W: 88 L: 11 10h
May 2 -------------------- 743.34 10400.14 W: 89 L: 11 12h
May 3 -------------------- 197.39 10597.53 W: 90 L: 11 5h30m
May 4 ------------------- (-3004.63) 7592.9 W: 90 L: 12 15h
May 5 -------------------- 314.91 7907.81 W: 91 L: 12 2h20m
May 6 -------------------- 205.99 8113.80 W: 92 L: 12 5h
May 7 -------------------- 101.80 8215.60 W: 93 L: 12 4h20m
May 8 -------------------- 72.10 8287.70 W: 94 L: 12 2h
May 9 -------------------- 141.51 8429.21 W: 94 L: 12 6h30m
May 10 ------------------- 414.28 8843.49 W: 95 L: 12 4h20m
May 11 ------------------- 54.72 8898.21 W: 96 L: 12 1h15m
May 12 ------------------- 365.50 9263.71 W: 97 L: 12 6h20m
May 13 ------------------- 30.93 9294.64 W: 98 L: 12 6h20m
May 14 ------------------- 276.59 9571.23 W: 99 L: 12 50m
May 15 ------------------- 109.73 9680.96 W: 100 L: 12 8h
May 16 ------------------- 353.84 10034.80 W: 101 L: 12 4h
May 17 ----------------- (-104.69) 9930.11 W: 101 L: 13 6h
May 18 ------------------- 535.59 10465.70 W: 102 L: 13 4h30m
May 19 ------------------ (-833.91) 9631.79 W: 102 L: 14 5h
May 20 ----------------- (-925.67) 8706.12 W: 102 L: 15 14h
May 21 -------------------- 693.96 9399.12 W: 103 L: 15 7h20m
May 22 -------------------- 277.55 9676.67 W: 104 L: 15 6h30m
May 23 -------------------- 105.13 9781.80 W: 105 L: 15 3h40m
May 24 -------------------- 32.10 9813.90 W: 106 L: 15 1h30m
May 25 -------------------- 99.57 9913.47 W: 107 L: 15 2h55m
May 26 -------------------- 125.68 10039.15 W: 108 L: 15 2h45m
May 27 -------------------- 156.61 10195.74 W: 109 L: 15 9h15m
May 28 -------------------- 81.80 10277.54 W: 110 L: 15 4h30m
May 29 -------------------- 301.63 10579.17 W: 111 L: 15 6h50m
May 30 -------------------- 215.31 10794.48 W: 112 L: 15 2h25m (2 hr BTP tourny)
May 31 -------------------- (-52.10) 10742.38 W: 112 L: 16 3h45m

Year Results Thus Far:

January: 4248.99 121 hours 35.11/hr
February: 4262.19 91h15m 46.71/hr
March results: (-420.39) 91h10m (-4.61/hr)
April results: 3272.97 64h45m 50.54/hr
May results: (-621.38) 174h40m (-3.56/hr)
---------------------------------------------------------
Total: 10742.38 542h50m 30.86/hr 19.79/hr

June 1-3 - Traveling
4------------------------------ 58.05 10800.43 W: 113 L: 16 35m
5 ----------------------------- 264.83 11065.26 W: 114 L: 16 9h
6 ----------------------------- 64.03 11129.29 W: 115 L: 16 40m
7 ----------------------------- 60.86 11190.15 W: 116 L: 16 6h10m
8 ----------------------------- 277.76 11467.91 W: 117 L: 16 2h10m
9-14 ------------------------- 118.10 11586.09 W: 118 L: 16 15m
15-18 ----------------------- 62.72 11648.81 W: 119 L: 16 5m
19 --------------------------- 38.57 11687.38 W: 120 L: 16 5m

Played about 4.5 hours of live low limit today at a guys house. They play alot of wild card games (dealers choice with the joker in there as well) with shucking cards at the end etc. Everytime it was my time to deal I removed the joker and dealt Omaha 8B. These guys really stunk at this game (NOONE folded before the flop ever except me). By the end of the night all of them were dealing Omaha. I didn't win much as a couple of big pots I was involved in ended up as splits on the river. All in all a good time and I will probably be visited every Thursday while I am around to pick up a few duckets. They are also having what amounts to sit and go Holdem tournies on Sunday. The blinds are pretty high and they go up fast but can't help but think I have a pretty big overlay on these guys regardless so I will probably be there most of the day as they run one after the other for several hours.

Played in 5 small NL tournies tonight at a guys house here in my small home town. About 12-14 players per tourny for a 10.00 buyin. When I say that noone had a semblance of a clue about how to play NL holdem I am not going out on a limb. The bad thing is that they had the blinds going up out of site very fast with 1500 starting chips. First levels, 25-50, 50-100, 100-200 with a 200 ante, 200-400 with a 400 ante and so forth with the ante matching the BB and the levels changed when the dealer button came around to the starting guy whither it was 11 handed or 2 handed. I managed to win one and offered two other nice guys an even three way chop on the end when the blinds where VERY high to which they gladly agreed. Would have probably faired well in another one if I could have avoided a gut shot on the river. I raised to 250 in the first round and got 2 callers. Flop A, J, 6. I go all in with my remaining 850 and get called in both places by K10 and A3. Q on the river sends me out again but that was the kind of action there was. They have these every Sunday so I guess they can go ahead and mark me down for being in attendance All in all made 100 for the evening. Not including my live game play in my overall records here in the journal as of now they have been minimal. I am very near even overall from this and my New Orleans fiasco so here on out I will add them in.

Year Results Thus Far:

January: 4248.99 121 hours 35.11/hr
February: 4262.19 91h15m 46.71/hr
March results: (-420.39) 91h10m (-4.61/hr)
April results: 3272.97 64h45m 50.54/hr
May results: (-621.38) 174h40m (-3.56/hr)
June results: 1365.49 23h10m 58.96/hr
---------------------------------------------------------
Total: 12107.87 566h 21.39/hr

Overall a pretty sad output for the first 6 months of the year do to those 2 awful months. Guess it could have been worse as I lost a little over 6500 in only 4 days in May and still managed to nearly break even. Hopefully things will be much better in the second half of the year as I plan on working alot more in order to pay for my new house as well as purchase some type of used jeep for transportation.

At least the end of the 6 month period finished with a nice hand.

Party Poker 10/20 Hold'em (6 max, 6 handed)

Preflop: Hero is BB with , .
1 fold, MP raises, 2 folds, SB calls, Hero 3-bets, MP caps, SB calls, Hero calls.

Flop: (12 SB) , , (3 players)
SB checks, Hero bets, MP raises, SB folds, Hero calls.

Turn: (8 BB) (2 players)
Hero checks, MP bets, Hero raises, MP calls.

River: (12 BB) (2 players)
Hero bets, MP calls.

Final Pot: 14 BB

Results in white below:
Hero has 7h 7d (four of a kind, sevens).
MP has Th Td (two pair, tens and sevens).
Outcome: Hero wins 14 BB.

Somebody probably needs to check my math for today as I have just finished off a liter of crown during the last 9 hours or so while playing some Arkansas good old boys some NL tournaments. 5 tournies I managed to win 2, place in 1 and got knocked out of two, the last with the nut flush against 86o who called a big preflop raise and managed to catch a boat on the river. If I lived here full time these guys would be in alot of trouble

In pretty bad shape overall now so it is off to bed for a long sleep.

Nice job Piers, you old souse you! A liter of crown is a pretty decent amount...all in all, a very respectable days work for a souse and even more respectable for his liver.

I am trying to think of how my recent B&M bender went. I got there friday night at 7pm or so, drank about 4 martinis and 4 long islands before 2am, then when 6am saturday rolled around i had a couple long islands, then throughout the day drank about 7-8 shots of jack, an irish coffee, a martini, and a manhattan. Then right before last call, a couple more long islands. Then when 6am sunday rolled around, i....okay,fine, i drank 2 red bulls because my buddy made me. The world was starting to get all dreamy-like, and i remember one time looking around the table and not quite knowing what was goin on, and askin my buddy 'what are we playing for?' and he said 'were playing for chips.' and i said '...why??' Thats when he forced the red bulls upon me (which i really hate), and i went on to win a couple more racks before i finally left.

Moral of the story is that if it were true that drinking and playing is -EV, i would be the brokest mofo on the planet. A credit to the human race we are piers, guys like you n me.