Hi,

Well since we are in journal fever and I am never one to pass up a good fad I'm all-in!

Okay, if anyone is still reading then I should start this with a little bio. I am a 25yr old male from London. I currently work as a banker though I am not paid loads, far from it. I don't mind my job but it could be better and its something I am trying to improve as we speak. I am with girlfriend though I am very lucky in this respect. Not only is my girl beautiful, funny and all around great, she also PLAYS! Yep, read that again if you will. We never met through poker or anything sad like that but she took it up after I did and its good.

I was interested to read a thread about partners and poker and to be honest I think it depends on the dynamic of the relationship. It does help though since I can share my bad beat stories with her and get genuine sympathy. Are relationship is going through a long distance period which is arse at the moment but we play together online sometimes (Collusion! Nah, though I admit to once doing a chip dump as she needed something like $2 for a cash out). We are not poker driven but it is fair to say its my main hobby and its been nice to share. I have found sometimes this is the type of hobby that doesn't translate well depending in the people so I am coy about sharing unless I know the person real well. I taught her how to play and she seems to have taken to it real well, even with the handicaps of my tuition. She is about to plunge he depths of $1/$2 limit having earnt her way from $0.50/$1. I am proud.

Me, I have been playing since May last year. It started after trip Las Vegas where poker looked cool. Luckily I am a sharp tool and decided learning at the table was madness but when I got home I clicked on a Pokerroom link and off I went. I played play money and learnt the basics of the game. I also purchased a couple of books and through a bit of luck and craziness I made $1000 in play money into $20 000. Well like most money driven people I had the "what if" thought and so it began. Well I sucked and lost about $100 quickly. I went back, regrouped, got Jones WLLH and started again. I am not really sure where it began but I know I was playing Party. Things clicked and I started to grind out some winning sessions. I got PT, I did some bonus whoring and before you know it I had about $300.

It was about this time I learned about another site I found via UPF and I won't name names as most know them but I underwent tuition with them. This lead to me slowly gaining an insite into this game and making more money. There were a few set backs, especially making the jump to $1/$2 where I suffered a mental losing streak of about 200BB. I also started $25NL to get away from the limit slaughter and rebuilt my BR. Well I have had a good 4 mths and I am now pretty much up to date.

Well since the point of this journal is to document my poker journey then I should give you as much detail on where I am now, and were I want to go. Makes perfect sense so lets go.

I am currently playing $2/$4 and $50NL. My main game is limit at the moment but I go through phases. I have a BR currently of $2100 though $570 if currently stuck in bonus's on UB and Paradise. As it stands I am about to leap to $3/$6 since I can and I have verified my game looks good enough for it. Even though I am coming close to the 20 buy-in rule I am sticking with $50NL. I haven't played as much NL as I should, maybe only 3k in hands at $50NL, so I going to wait and take it slower. I think there are more nuances to NL and I also hear the jump from $50NL to $100NL is significant. I am in no rush at the moment. I have also been playing some $5+$1 sng's. I know I can afford more but I normally do them for fun. Cool thing I have monied in 4 out 5 I have played so far winning 3 of them. Maybe I am on a hot streak? Anyone seeing my play in BTP tournaments should feel free to chip in.

I currently do take small sums from my BR to cover some costs, maybe $400 per month. I do this though only in the context of what I am doing with my BR at the time. I am working to the 300BB for the limit I am playing and basically pull money based on that. I do see poker as an extra income at the moment (its like weeks extra wages right now) but I also want to move limits and make more money! Easy eh?

So thats where I am, where am I going? Well I see the last 9mths as the biggest part of my poker education. I orginally learnt poker for fun, in the same way someone might learn a langauge or musical instrument. I had no aspirations of making money from it, isn't that gambling, pah! Well now I know different. As I mentioned earlier, my relationship has gone long distance and the wild card in bring us together quicker is poker. This doesn't mean I am putting pressure on myself but I see myself already on a progression which would be useful.

So my goals right now are to be playing $5/$10 properly bankrolled by the end of the year. I also want to be playing $100NL. I want to be winning at both too. I want to improve on my tournament play and do some more of them. The tournament thing has only recently clicked with me but I seem to be having some promising results, I recently won £120 in my first live tournament and I have made the final table now twice in the BTP tournaments (which due to the standard of play I am chuffed about). I also want to learn PLO, at the minute I know the rules but nothing more so I should get involved.

My burning ambition is to make one months salary in a month from poker, thats about $2500. That would rock! Then I might be able to say I am a semi-pro...

Right now I am coming off a hot weekend. I made $167 from play and unleashed $170 in bonus money. I am up about $245 this month having played $1/$2 (for raked hands) and $2/$4. Bah, if I am going to do this I should do this correct...

$1/$2. 884 Hands. Won $48.24. 2.73BB/100
$2/$4. 1315 Hands. Won $137. 2.60BB/100
$50NL (on UB). 294 Hands. Won $42.20. 14.35BB/100

Total 2493 Hands. Won $227.44. 4.03BB/100

The extra is some sng wins on Paradise. There are for fun so there are not important in the figures, more just cos I get to kick my mates arse.

Well thanks for sticking with me. I will not normally be so long winded. All comments greatfully received (even "Dead Money" Monk).

Thanks

Rich

Today I am not playing.

I went out after work, had a few drinks which means I can play the responsible card. Truth is cannot be arsed tonight.

I totally understand what Kenny was going on about when he wrote about the hassle doing hours. Now I am documenting my play, logging hours and playing for real monetary gain I feel I have to be in my "poker zone" to play. This has meant I will not play for the odd half hour, instead try to put in sessions of at least 90mins. I try to work my week so I have nights where I will play and put the time in. The good thing being these nights are based around whatever social life I manage to create so poker shouldn't feel like a hassle. Sadly to be honest at times it does. I have also had a few issues with Party Bonus', the issue being where I have mis-managed my time and had to do something like 550 raked hands in a night to clear of a bonus.

Part of my new outlook on poker is to be a bit more professional in my out look. Plan my time better and not get in situations where I "have" to play. I think what has maybe caused this funk is the realisation I am now in a situation where soon it will be too lucrative to leave. I am not scared of this but I guess my typical guy reaction to commitment is kicking in.

Well I think this is me grouching. It is the realisation that I do now want to play tonight even though it is 9pm and I have no real reason not to. I can easily do a couple of hours but I guess I just don't feel like it.

Okay, in order to set up some sembalance of a plan here is my week:

Wed: Free all night and intend to play. Bah, I have just been reminded I am at the cinema watching Oceans 12. Since I will be getting home late that means no poker.

Thur: I am viewing a new flat (as Monk so eliquently put it, I have just finished from one relationship so I am packing my bags) but this shouldn't be long, so I am going to play.

Fri: Drinking with friends.

Sat: Fish night, going to spend the night making money. I try to have one non-school night where I can really put hours in. This will mean playing till maybe 4am my time to make the best of the weekend fishies.

Sun: Will play again though this will not be late, basically like afternoon yankee time.

Mon: No plans so I guess play.

Tue: No plans but I will be amazed if I do manage to play, I might go out and mess about so I get a break.

I am playing a home game next Friday, its a £10 freeze out tournament. Its my first home game so I am a little nervous. Its not really serious and I am treating it as recreational poker, whatever I win or lose will not count on my record. God, recreational poker... how sad am I?

Well in the spirit of the journal I am going to leave it now. Hopefully I can play in Thursday and lose loads of money, since that is more fun to write about than winning. Failing that I shall win a heap and write a dry critique of it with lots of stats.

Just a word on the stats thing. I think since we have things like PT and we can all give off lots of details about our play. I worry though that sometimes in the posts I see the stats seem an end to itself. Just cos you are tight, you have an aggression factor thats high and you seem to raise the right percentage does not mean you are playing right, or that you do not have some major leaks. I like to think, especially post flop, most poker questions should have an answer that starts "it depends" as I can think of many situations where multiple actions can be correct. I have moved now 3 limits and I am about to start my 4th and I have found the way I play change with every move. Also using things like PV or GT Plus mean I can spot changes in a players betting pattern so things that might have been a call become a fold as the tight passive has suddenly lite up like Christmas.

I think that now on some areas I feel I can venture to give advice I would hope I always put my thinking on the situation rather than just an action. Its has been through reading about a players mindset I have gained the most insight. I would like to think that even with the ability to play several tables that people will take the time to learn the insight behind being a good player, rather than the ABC answer.

Well rant over. Need to sleep but will try to be funnier later.

Rich

Trip to cinema went to crap, waiting around for friends who are late so missed film. Bah.

Well did get to play instead. I played 3 tables at Paradise on $2/$4. I am thinking of making my big move up limits this weekend. I may put it off depending on how things are going. I always feel super nervous when I make a move up, like first day of school. I also just pray when I do I don't have one of those cursed sessions where everything goes to crap.

Okay, tonights play:

285 Hands. Won $106.50. 9.34 BB/100.

Truth is I made nearly all the money on 1 table where I got about $91. The others I was treading water all night, win a pot then lose a pot. There were no real highlights to report. I did manage to get both rockets and queens at the same time on two tables which was cool, especially as all four held up. TT was also kind to me for once, I hit sets twice with it to drag down nice pots.

It seems to me that on the $2/$4 most players have an idea what they are doing but when you get a fish, they tend to be a super fish. All three tables at various points had a couple of awful players. For the most part they lost though I missed on splitting one $80 pot with another AKo when some twat had called a raise in the blinds with A2o. Sadly he hit the two pair. Good thing was he sucked so bad he didn't have the fore sight to do something like raise despite the flush draw so it was cheaper than is should have been.

I am now up $333.94 for the month. This is my best so far in just two weeks. I haven't really had a monkey day (touch wood) and its been steady progress. It would be nice to think that with the move I am going to make up limits I might be able to get to $700 or $800. Then its all out for $1000 next month.

I have also made another $400 or so in bonus' this month which has been welcome. I now have over $1100 in NETeller even with money on other sites so its nice to know I can max out any bonus without planning cashouts and monkeying about. I am not writing this things to boast but I like to savour this little things as the achievments they are. I can tell for a fact I set my BR up with $210 of my money. Thats all the bank deposits I ever put in NETeller, the last being on 1st July 2004. Its not been all success success success but I have worked hard and I am now finally feeling some of the benefits. Compared to others my achievements are modest but its still nice to have goals and to surpass them. Its also nice to reflect on how far on the journey I have come if only to put any future issues in prospective. I remember posting sometime in September last year when achieved a BR of $500.

Well I need to sleep now. Got some house hunting to do tomorrow and hopefully also get a few hundred hands in.

No play today.

I have now sorted out the details on my house move. That is a big weight off my mind. I think now I will be left all to my own devices I will be able to really get down to poker. Speaking of which I got today from Amazon Super/System 2! I have been reading through the preface pages and cannot wait to get stuck into it. The fact that is has sections on games like Omaha is good too, I have been wanting to learn that but have been too busy. I will of course compare it with our own Felonious Monk as I am sure he can teach them a thing or two (£5 please).

I will write my thoughts on the book once I have read it through. I also will write some about Small Stakes Hold'em. I have read it once when it first came out but I have to admit it was earlier in my hold'em career and I think a lot of it went over my head first time. Its my aim to have read both these within the next 6-8 weeks. I would be far quicker but I want to make sure I take in as much as possible. I think I have quite a snappy limit hold'em game so it will be interesting to see where differences pop up. I think the area I can improve on is in how I loosen up according to texture, especially loose passive games where I think SSH considers almost any AXs hand playable from middle position. I need to study this as I am still quite tight in my requirments and I don't think I do make enough adjustments to my standard game.

I have been thinking about this. The way I see it a good player would join a table and play a certain way to start, kinda like the first 20 or so scripted plays in football game but after this there is the point where you start making the plays as you go along. This is where edge can be gained or lost. I think I am still playing too tightly in certain situations and need to be able to open it out. To be honest I do not see this as a leak in my game, more just me missing on potential dollar.

Well I am going to sleep now. I will not put anything on tomorrow as I am going to be mostly drunk. Saturday though I am going to be back to make some money. Good luck all.

Rich

Okay, so I know I made the title of this about trial, but still...

I decided today was the day to make the $3/$6 move. I am currently playing Paradise doing a bonus and the games there are soft so why not?

JESUS CHRIST! (sorry to religous folk, but I cannot swear here)

I have just broken a new record, my first $300 losing day.

Yep, I got my arse handed to me big time. I have just stopped playing so I have yet to analysis much but I do know that I have been handed some massive beats.

Well here is the result:

Hands: 552
VP$IP: 12.14
Amount won (ha ha): -$316
BB/100 Hands: -9.54

I know all about variance in poker but given this is a new thing I would have like to start in the middle, maybe a little up. Not too much to ask? Truth is this is the result of two sessions. The first I went $150 down in a flash, losing a set to straight (surely he couldn't have KQ if he raised EP, guess he could dammit) then a few other wanky hands. Flush beat by full house and I got out kicked on stuff. I was playing good and keeping cool, just each loss trying to concentrate more and more. Well I fought back and got it to only down $20. Took a break then decided all my bad luck must have passed and I will start winning...

Yeah, I know. Looking at my overall stats the only diff to my $2/$4 stuff is won $ at SD, for $2/$4 I am 58%, $3/$6 is 31%. I know some of this is crap happening but I will go through it anyway.

This sucks now as I have had a $200 losing day to but my best winning day is only $160 or something. I have also best part wiped out my playing profits for the month in one foul swoop. Well I am going to take tomorrow off. I was meant to take tonight off but plans changed. I am going to drink lots and forget all about poker. Then I will come back and retry the $3/$6 and start winning. I mean this is why we have bankrolls?

Well I will prob write again on Sunday, fingers crossed.

Rich

Turns out Paradise were slow sending some hands, I only lost $304 after all. Now I feel better, phew!

Well thinking about this logically I have lost $50 at $0.50/$1 in a day, $100 at $1/$2 and I lost $200 at $2/$4. Guess I am keeping up a long standing tradition. Cannot wait till I lose $500 in one day playing $5/$10 or $3000 playing $30/$60 one day. Happy days.

Well I am going to sleep, for a long time now...

Rich

Kudos to you for being able to stop when you did. The fact that you didn't tilt off another $1,000 by immediately chasing at higher limit games makes me confident that you've got your head on your shoulders and a promising poker future. I mention this because with all the surrounding pain of a big losing day, you will not necessarily recognize this as an achievement.

Thanks for the words Subman. I haven't ever done the higher limit to get even thing. I guess one of the reasons I think I have the making of a good poker player is that I am total fatalist. I believe shit happens and I am sure it happens to me more than most. Truth is this is prob the opporsite and I am actually quite lucky but I don't think it. This means that when I lose, get rivered etc I expect that to happen and I am more surprised when I have a good hand and it holds up. I am not some grouch but I think a healthy bout of skeptism helps keep your mind in the zone. I am happy to play with two truths in my head, 1: Because I play well and correctly in the long term I will always win and 2: Shit does happen. I also think in the short term you need to have some bad luck to get some good luck in the long term.

This also means as far as limits go, I will wait till I have enough of a BR and then go all out on a limit, no toe dipping. I think if I were to play on one $5/$10 table and two $3/$6 tables I would win on two and lose on the other one, any prizes for guessing the losing table? This is the third limit I have jumped since December and I guess I was due for a whacking.

The good news is I have been through PT and looking at all the big losers. Well firstly I know I was on the end of some crap. Of my big hands AKs, AKo, AQo and QQ are all losers. Statistically this cannot last. I am also taking heart in my low SD percentage, 31.25%. I know for me to be like that I got stiffed on more than my fair share of hands.

I have been through my biggest losers. There is a little bit of everything but having replayed the hands I am actually very happy with my play. Weird I know but I find when I am watching the replays and you can also see the other hole cards I will be willing certain actions from myself. If I follow those actions then I know I cannot be all bad. I think on another night I could easily have lost $400-$500. I played hard when I had hands but I also extracted myself from some positions when I missed or hit but was playing into heavy betting traffic. I like to think I am getting good at seeing the value I hold and if that value is not holding up to what is going on around me I would I am happy to fold and wait for another time.

Because I have got an aggressive game I have always felt I will win more than my share of hands and win them handsomely. I have been trying to work on stopping the flow out, paying off less and getting out quicker when its not good. I have taken to looking at this side of my game like a business. All the pots I win and keep the money in are my revenue, all the pots I play in and lose at various stages are my costs. I do think I am currently running very well in terms of maximising revenue but think my costs can be reduced. I know we always talk about leaks but I think this is always seen in terms of big errors or fundimentals. I see my costs in this example as any money I am losing on the table and as such I have made some massive changes to my game. By using things like PV and GT Plus and making solid notes I can recognise things quicker. If the table tight/passive raises me on the turn and I really don't fancy my holding then I will fold, I can dig it. In the past my reaction would have been to call the raise and chk call the river to keep him honest. Thats 2 big bets. Also any money I commit to a drawing hand has to be on the basis I am chasing a good winning draw. This means the pot odds have to right and I also have to be as sure as I can be that making that draw will win me the pot. Now I might get bluffed the odd time but overall I know by being snappier and more selective I am saving money left, right and centre. I also know that this adds up over time and is a big boon to my bottom line.

High Revenue + Lows Costs = Big Profit (remember, you heard it here first)

My personal demon has been my river play. I am better now but for too long I was treating it the same as the turn and betting for aggression. Its taken a while to for it to really sink in so I can stop, take a second and work out what I am doing. Who is with me, what can he have and is this a value bet? I guess that is the key to the river, I want only to be betting when I have the best hand, that is what my bet should say to others. Previously if I bet the turn I would bet the river, sure as night followed day. This meant I got chk raised too often or I got called and lost. Well no longer. Also by adding a little trickery into my play (the sort of thing I mean is betting into your flush draw but chking when it hits to induce the bluff, and raising) I can often see cheaper show downs when I need as I add a little subjectiveness into my chks. You only need to chk raise a guy a few times and if he is passive he becomes gun shy.

I do find I ramble when I write these things. I guess the advantage of this being a journal is I can write whatever I like and if it makes sense great. If not then at least the therapist has a head start. Well I am sticking with my plan to take a night off tonight. Sunday night normally treats me well in the past, especially if I have had a sticky Friday or Saturday night session. I guess the one thing I worry about after a big losing session is having another one, then another one after that. Even a modest winner on Sunday and I will feel back in the saddle. This might not be so important but as I have just jumped limits, a big loser again and I am back to $2/$4 straight away.

Well fingers crossed for me.

Rich

Hi,

Okay. Confession first. I was all for taking a day off today but a mixture of too much time on my hands and an urge to "get back in saddle" meant I played today. After going though PT and assuring myself I am was the victim of some major muggings I decided to try to put some of the damage right.

Mistake.

Right it is like this at the momemt:



Yep. I know this seems dramatic but I can prove it. Okay, I have a small sample but I think the finding more than cover themselves.

Sessions so far: 16
Winning sessions: 3
Losing sessions: 13
Winning session percentage: 18.75%

How is this possible? I mean I reckon I could do better playing blind folded and making my decisions based on the Force or something. So far I have dropped $600 in my efforts and felt very little reward. The thing that is killing me right now is I know I am playing well, maybe the best. Going through the carnage on PT I am just seeing sod's law again and again.

Okay, typical hand.

Ultimate Bet 3/6 Hold'em (10 handed)

Preflop: Hero is SB with , .
4 folds, MP2 Passive Nugget/ calls, 3 folds, Hero completes, BB checks.

Easy limp, ATo isn't nice in a big field but in this one I feel good. Passive Nugget is just that, too many hands and for way too long. BB isn't great but does bail when he misses.

Flop: (3 SB) , , (3 players)
Hero checks, BB checks, Passive Nugget checks.

Okay, guess no one likes it. There are times when I might bet into this field but these players are too bad and I just see this as bad money after good.

Turn: (1.50 BB) (3 players)
Hero bets, BB folds, Passive Nugget raises, Hero calls.

Since I had 2nd pair and top kicker then I figure its a fair bet, when he raises I totally WTF. J9 is the only possible hand that he can be one where that T is Christmas as I am sure he would raise preflop with TT. Against a good player this is an easy fold but sadly for me he is an eegit.

River: (5.50 BB) (2 players)
Hero checks, Passive Nugget bets, Hero calls.

Well I am confused but he it too awful not to conclude he reckons I might be betting ace high and he had with a T with a bad kicker or an 8 or something.

Final Pot: 7.50 BB

Hero has Ts Ad (two pair, tens and eights).
Passive Nugget has Kc Qc (two pair, queens and eights).
Outcome: Passive Nugget wins 7.50 BB.

Checking the flop is either the mark of genius, or he is an idiot. PT says idiot.

This is the sort of shit I am finding time and time again. I would love to say I was out played, maybe that guy meant that play but it would serve him right for me to get the ace and skew his arse. Well whether it was a great play or not, my point is I am the muggings who falls in everytime. If there is a card in the deck that can both entise me and hurt me, its out. I am doing all I can to keep my zone as I am not worried about tilting, I am worried about becoming gun shy to preserve money. This is not my style and I know it actually will mean I win less in terms of number of pots as well as actual money.

Well I shall see. I know this is a streak and shit happens all the time in poker. I guess it just sucks when it coincides with a limit change as it makes you question more than you should. I feel I am playing well and if I wasn't I maintain I would have lost more. I have set $900 as the max loss I can take without moving down. This would leave me a bit wanky at $2/$4 as I currently have money still tied in bonus' but I am willing to risk it to play through.

Well its late and I am going to sleep.

Tomorrow cannot be any worse...

Rich

You might recall my effort of 3/6 at Party last year where I decided after a lengthy hiatus I would try to get back into limit poker, play ABC tight tight tight on 4 tables, see if I could manage $10/hour on each table and thus make $40/hour overall. After losing nearly all of the $1000 I allotted to the task within the first three days, primarily to people staying in with bottom pair and catching their second on the river to derail my KK, I remembered why I quit limit holdem in the first place. Because it totally sucks.

Looking on the brightside, however, that means you've only got another $400 to go before you reach the same conclusion.

If your ultimate intention is to play 30/60 or something I can see the point, but at the smaller limits (unless you really enjoy it) I just think you can make so much more money out of either severe bonus whoring or playing the big-bet games, with a smaller bankroll and lower variance, than you can for the "equivalent" (in terms of likely profits) limit game. Just my take on things anyhow.

On the other hand, I know you to ba a decent limit player and I think you SHOULD be beating this game for sure. I'm sure your bad run will end soon and $600 is "only" 100BBs anyway but I know how bad these things can hit you and nibble away at your confidence. Keep plugging away and i'm sure it'll come good.

One other thing, do you think it might be worth (rather than jumping up when you have 300BBs) waiting until you have 300BBs over and above the amount you'd need to have before moving down again before you take a crack at a new limit? What I mean is, this time you've played a small sample, had a bad run, and "only" lost 100BBs yet you're just one bad session or so away from dropping down again; if you'd allocated maybe $1800 or at least $1500 for your 3/6 dip it would give you a bit more time to aclimatise to the new limit if you hit a bad run before you take the psychological setback of having to move down. But I understand also it can be hard building that much money when you're impatient to start moving up the levels. Just throwing out an idea anyhow.

Hope things turn around for you soon. Maybe try some NL as a change of pace. I know if I'd just got my BR to $2000 or however much u had before stepping up to 3/6, that I'd be taking my first stabs at the 100NL at gaming club maybe worth a try for you sometime once you emerge from this funk.

Monk
xxxxx

Thanks Monk.

I am going to see how tonight goes in ending my funk. I know logically I am just getting an arse whooping and it happens. I know I am playing good. Its just annouying. I did make the move when I had $2100. I know what you mean about waiting a bit longer. I guess I didn't really count on a major losing streak, I was hoping to just keep on grinding upwards.

I am going to do some more $50NL on UB. At the moment I still have another $90 to grind of Paradise so when that is done its back to NL. I do this since I like the NL game on UB plus I still have a zillion dollars to work off. I am going to stick to $50NL as I am still learning it and figure its better to be really safe. Once I feel I can beat the level I will move assuming I haven't lost my BR!

I found when I made the jump to $2/$4 it was heaps easier. I guess having lower numbers seeing flops means you are dodging less bullits. Also my "bet first" attitude was winning me pots with hands like AKo that miss as I was getting respect for the raise. Now for some weird reason the players I am seeing at $3/$6 are worse. Last night I had a player on Paradise who never raised, played everyhand and would call down to show down anytime he connected with any part of the flop. Knowing this player played this way coincided with a run of AK, AQ and AJ all missing. Having this read meant I saved a heap of money as I knew I couldn't push him off the hand but it pissed me off as I could have also got him to pay off everyhand I hit.

Argh, I am not going to grouch about bad luck. All my big Ax hands are still negative, QQ is barely positive and JJ is negative. TT I have done really well on which is odd as my first $3/$6 hand was hitting a set with TT and losing a heap to a straight. Also my SD % is down so I know these are objective measures of cold cards. I am still reviewing my play. There have been a few bad hands played, maybe $60 I have bet away though in my defence sometimes playing into someone hard has given my knowledge about them that has helped me later, and scared them into not playing crap against me in the future.

Last night I had a more promising session. I made about $5 over two tables at Paradise. I know this doesn't sound like a lot but I was good and solid and I was about $40 up but on my final orbit I got AKs and AQs, both missed and I had multiple players with me including Mr Any-Two-Will-Do so I bailed early. Well thats life?

As I said earlier I am willing to keep going till 150BB before I drop down, $900. This month has given me some flexibility in so much as I do not need to make a profit this month. Up till now I have been taking little bits as extra life style money. Feb is bonus month so no need this month. This basically gives me 6 weeks to repair the damage and profit. I only say this as it only really occurred to me just now. I have no pressure and this is good.

I think I am going to target my BR to get to $2500 by 1st April. All I basically need is about $1200 in 6 weeks and I would imagine a third of that might come in bonus'. I like to set myself goals when playing, just to keep focus and feel I am making progress. I also think it takes the sting out of things, if I am playing to a goal then I am not playing for money per say. I dread to think what my losses run into when I convert it to pounds. We are basically talking nearly a weeks salary!

Right, new plan:

I am going to set up stats on PT to show me only from today, the $600 is now history. From today I am not on a losing streak, I am starting again. I have done this before, like after the $200 in one day on $2/$4. At the end of the day there is no need for me to drag baggage from previous sessions. I have enough to play today so I am. Everything resets. I am not going to carry no hoo-doo about limits since its bets I am playing for.

I have this theory too, you see I think I am a victim of the Friday night/Saturday night crowd. I think these are the days you can either win big or as I have proved lose big. I reckon during the week there is more solid play and I think this benefits me. I know this is a whingy argument and is there is cover flaws in my game. I am happy with that but I am thinking in terms of winning money. Looking at my stats I tend to have my break out winning days during the week. Having said this last weekend was very good for me, guess thats why poker hates me now.

Well I am going to eat, watch some football on the telly then go into combat. I don't want to make out like today is make or break but I really really want to win today, if only to prove all is right with the world again.

(Just so you know, since keeping records I have not had three overall losing days. Another record to be broken?)

Rich

Well, good luck this evening. You get used to the amounts involvd btw - I have lost single pots that correspond to a week's wages in my fulltime job before (one particularly annoying occasion at $100PLO at UB when I was all in against two opponents and they had 5 outs between them). Today I've played about 3 hours and pretty much won a week's wages after tax. As long as the big wins outnumber the big losses and you have a big BR I find the hit isn't quite so bad. I could not cope with losing like 10% of my BR in one session, I don't think. In fact, BR is a bit of a nebulous concept to me at the moment as I play so far below what I could afford I have basically 0 chance of ever going broke, or realistically even losing 10% of my BR. I am too much of a pu**y to play bigger .

Anyway, hope things work out.

Monk
xxxxx

Hello Rich,

Sorry to hear about your bad run at the start of 36 but if you are playing well take heart that things should turn around soon. I have been down as many as 100 BB in one day at both 24 and 36 limits only to turn profits on both days!! And with my VIP% hovering around 11.5% you know that I took some serious asswhippings to be down that much in one day. Just keep your head about you and things should be fine.

Are you taking advantage of the bonus dollars on Crypto? Those are always nice to add 300-400 to your bankroll while killing them off 1 hour at a time 5 tabling at 12 limit. One more thing. At 36 Limit with the SB only being 1.00 you should be mucking the majority of the time. Ask yourself would you call 3.00 UTG with A10o if not and you shouldn´t in my opinion then you shouldn´t be calling 2.00 from the SB with it. Sure you have a decent read on your two opponents but you are still out of position with a pretty shitty hand. Muck that shit and let that 1.00 go. And if you can´t then raise and try to get it heads up and lead at the flop at whatever hits. Better luck soon.