Poker Bankroll Builders

A closer look at the $100 for $60 promotion

2009-07-13T01:16:00.000-07:00

So I make my first stop at the local casino to get my $100 for $60 promotion and play 3 hours in the 4/8 Holdem game. I last only an hour and go busted winning only one small hand in the process. I leave since I did not qualify for the freeroll tourney they have on Sundays (did not play 11 hours) and decided to go to the Indian reservation casino later on in the early evening. I then drive to the gym to get my exercise in. As I am driving, I was thinking to myself that playing a $100 in a 4/8 game requires that I make my hands early. If I do not, I will go bust very fast and be out of my $60 buy-in.

I start wondering, is the risk of playing a short stack of a $100 in a 4/8 game (equivalent to a $50 stack in a 2/4 game) worth the benefit of the extra $40. After some thought, I figured that it is worth the benefit. Reason being, not only is the $40 an extra win right off the top, but the action can lead for big wins that I would not have in a 2/4 game with limited risk. Since my strategy of play is to receive big rewards with limited risk, the $100 for $60 promotion does indeed fit right in my plans.

I end up winning $72 in the 2/4 game at the Indian Reservation Casino today to make up the $60 I loss earlier. Since I did not earn the free slot play, slot machines did not figure into my earning today. Taking the $72 won minus the $60 loss earlier, I net $12 for the day.

This week is off to a slow start!

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $327.55

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I get off to a hot start winning almost every hand I played and cruised to a final heads up match. I had a very small lead over my opponent and got crushed on one hand leaving me with 982 in chips and 12.000+ chips to the other guy. I make two quick double ups and my aggressive play wins me his blinds a few rounds. The next hand I flop a full house and double up again to give my the chip lead back. A few hands later, I flop a straight and get my guy to commit all of his chips and I take down the pot, the game, and the $49.50 prize.

$1 NL Holdem Rebuy MTT - 380 players

I rebuy once and take the add-on for a total investment of $3. I could not do anything at all in the tourney and finish 220th and out of the money.

$3.30 NL Holdem MTT KO - 90 players

I managed to get one KO for $.50 but nothing much else. I get knocked out 18th and out of the money.

Full Titl Ending Balance - $359.25

$5,000 Monthly Freeroll.....gone bad

2009-07-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

So today was the monthly $5,000 Freeroll at the Indian Reservation. However, the day got off to a bad start. My alarm did not go off, for some reason, and I missed the bus. Lucky, I still had time to drive down there but its an hour drive and gas, food, and the $10 free slot play was money taken out of my pocket. When I finally get there, I start my tourney with basically every hand I fight in getting beat. I would flop two pair, and get pushed out when a player raises me all-in. I would play my small ball strategy, yet it seemed that even though the field would be limited every player played very hard back at me. Again, even when I had top pair or two pairs. I last for two hours when the blinds start increasing and I go into my raise all-in being first to act phase. Of course, an older lady call my raise with A4 of hearts with A-10 and eliminates me 20th and out of the money.

The tournament had only 37 player and paid 1st $2500 2nd $1500 3rd $500 4th $300 and 5th $200. Very disappointing I did not place. I end up playing my free slot play earned from the previous day and get $5. I decide to drive home and call it a day.

Full Tilt Beginning balance - $308.06

$11 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

The tourney started with me losing 1,000 in chips fairly quickly when my 65432 got beat in razz by a wheel. I then get dealt AA in the hole in 7 stud hi and quickly get two pair only to lose to 4 7's and finish last and out of the money.

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG Matrix - 9 players

I get off to a great start in 3 of the tournaments, yet don't finish very well. I finish 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st and take 2nd overall in the points for a total prize of $25.74.

$.10/$.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - $12.50 buy-in

I lost on a big draw re bought and never really got anything going and cashed out $17.13 for a $7.87 loss.

$.10/$.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - $12.50 buy-in

In this game I actually did hit my big draw and ended up cashing out $29.22 for a $16.72 win.

$.10/$.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - $12.50 buy-in

I stayed even for awhile and then lost a hand with my big draw and bought in another $12.50. I end up winning a big split pot and get my money back cashing out $32.90 for a $7.90 win.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $327.55

1st day of the new week!

2009-07-11T02:17:00.001-07:00

I take my drive down the local card room and play my $100 for $60 and get murdered in the 4-8 Holdem game losing $70 fairly quickly as my hands just did not hold up. I managed to stick around for 2 hours with about $50 left, when I get into a 5 handed pot with a nut flush and end up losing most of my stack when I missed. After I lose the last of my chips soon after, I drive to the bus stop to go to the Indian Reservation. I end up winning $18 in the 2-4 game, make $11 from the free slot play, and $2 for the casino points for a total win of $31. Combined with the $60 loss in the morning, I lose $29 for the day.

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $229.03

Rakeback

I get $3 for this weeks rakeback

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I was able to dominate in the middle of the tourney and gain a big chip lead. I have a 5-1 chip lead when I get it heads up, but the guy would not die. The heads up match lasted about 15 minutes til I finally got him and took 1st with a $49.50 prize. Its been a long time since I took 1st!

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I follow up the 1st win with me slipping in 2nd place playing behind a guy who took out the field by himself. I get a $29.70 prize.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL MTT - 128 players

I could do nothing at all in this tourney as I finished 50th and out of the money trying just to hang on and wait for a hand.

$3.30 NL Holdem KO MTT - 90 players

I silently won little hands to make it to the last 18 players having above average chips. Then I double up twice with pocket Aces and Kings. I make it to the final table where I find this super aggressive player raising all-in every 3 to 4 hands. It was working! He was accumulating chips fast and when people challenged him they had to go all-in because he was chip leader. I ended up making it to three players left where I had to start standing up to the aggressive raiser, however, I lose my battle and finish 3rd with a $31.50 prize and get $1.50 for having 3 KO's.

$3.30 NL Holdem MTT - 354 players

I cruise to the final 70 players where I then double up to get to an average chip count. I then make a dumb mistake and bluff off half my stack trying to steal the big blind in the small blind. I was lucky enough to win the next two hands doubling up twice to get me right back to the mix of things. I stay competitive to about 25 players left where I raise with pocket 8's twice to steal blinds and put a 60% pot size bet on the turn both time only to get raises all-in both times making me short stack. I go all-in with QJ in desperation and get called my big stack with Q4 and a 4 comes on river giving me no help making me finish 20th and with a small $5.84 prize.

$.10/$.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - $15 buy-in

$3 bet on turn with a wrap around low, straight, and flush draw only to have to board pair. I lose $4.80 in the game with about 45 minutes of play.

Full Tilt Ending balance - $308.06 - Yippee back to the $300's!

I extended the vacation...

2009-07-10T00:31:00.000-07:00

When I got back into town on Monday, I decided that I was not it the mood to play. Tuesday became a party day, and on Wednesday my wife and I hung out and did nothing (and it still felt good).

Now, I really got it out of my system and today I went back to the Indian Reservation Casino. When I got there, I again instantly felt like not being there, however, I started thinking that for me not to be here, I need a bigger bankroll. For that reason, I need to win my projected wins to build that BR. I was in a tight game and pressed had to end up pressing the action. I won $41 in 4 hours from poker, $6 in the free slot play, and $2 in the casino points for a total win of $49.

After finding out the promotions have decreased again, I decided to make my new schedule and this time really stick to it!

Friday - 8:30am-11:30am $100 for $60 promo at the local casino - Est. Income - $40

12:00pm-7:00pm King cracked at the Indian reservation - Est. Income - $60

Saturday - 9:15am- 2:30pm High Hand at Indian Reservation - Est. Income - $51

Sunday - 9:30am - 4pm $100 for $60 promo and weekly Freeroll at local casino - $90

Monday - 9:15am - 7pm - Club flush pays $75 and high hand at Indian - Est. Income $108

Tuesday - 9:00am - 12pm - $100 for $60 promo at local casino - Est Income - $40

- 4:30pm - 12am - High hand at indian reservation - Est Income - $60

Wednesday - 8:30am -11:30am - $100 for $60 promo at local casino - Est Income - $40

- 4:30pm-12am - Spin wheel high hand - Est Income - $60

Thursday - 8:30am -11:30am - $100 for $60 promo at local casino-Est Income -$40

- 4:30pm-12am - Aces Cracked wins a rack - Est Income - $60

Total weekly projected income - $650/wk

*Note* This in my opinion is a conservative estimate. I actually believe that I will make at least $180 a week more which is equal to my expected win rate in the 4-8 games I will be playing in the morning for the $100 for $60 promo.

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $248.53

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I pushed all-in with KKQ10 double suited with blinds at 80-160 and five players left and get called with AA35 and lose and finish out of the money.

$12 Horse FL - 8 players

I finish 5th when in the third round of limit holdem I get 84 of spades and try to steal the big blind from the small blind when everyone folded to me. Blinds are 125-250 and BB calls. Flop come 10-8-3 and I bet, BB raises, I re-raise all-in and BB turns over J9 and catches Queen on river to eliminate me out of the money.

$3.30 KO NL Holdem MTT - 90 players

I get knocked out 32nd when my Aces get cracked against 3 players. I finish out of the money.

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

This was my last $11+ game if I lost since my BR would have been $209, however, I manage to get a very disappointing 3rd place and a prize of $19.80.

Something is wrong with my game, I believe, and I need to fix it.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $229.03

Long vacation....but I needed it!

2009-07-05T15:55:00.000-07:00

So I took a week vacation....but, I really really needed it! I had a bill that I needed to pay ( a $432 traffic ticket) and I took that money and my family and went to Reno on Monday. Believe it or not, I did not play....much. My son and I stayed in the pool for a long time (the hotel at the Peppermill was free) and the next morning we went to Circus Circus so he can have fun. I played a little 1-2 no limit and ended up winning about $100. We got back Tuesday night. Wednesday went to a funeral (RIP Nicole), Thursday played in a $140 No-Limit tourney at Bay 101 where I finished 12 out of 56 and out of the money, Friday spent most of the day working out with a buddy, and Saturday had a BBQ and spent the night watching fireworks with the boy and the woman.

Today, I played 4-8 Omaha Hi/Low and won $136 and will go back home tomorrow.

In between that week I played very little on Full Tilt yet did make some money in combination with the rakeback. As of today I now have $2.000 in my live poker bankroll and $293 in my Full Tilt BR.

I am now officially off of vacation, however my daily routine will change a bit. I have herd that the Indian Reservation that I go to has changed their promotions for the worse, and that will change my schedule a bit. I will update with more info when I get back into town. The goal will be also to hurry up and get my live BR to $2,400 so I can frequent the 4-8 games and low limit NL games into my routine.

Welcome back me!

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $293.25

$.10/$.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - $12.50 Buy-in

I play for about an hour and a half and cash out $18.94 for a win of $6.44.

$.10/$.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - $12.50 Buy-in

I play for about an hour and fifteen minutes and end up cashing out $18.37 for a win of $5.87.

$3.30 NL Holdem KO MTT - 983 players

I hung on as long as I could and ended up finishing 114th. I could have been more aggressive at the end but did not pull the trigger on one hand and finished out of the money. I did get one KO for $.50.

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

Finished 8th and had a horrible tourney.

$3.30 NL Holdem MTT KO - 90 players

Very bad tourney in my decision making, however with only $25 in chips, I brought it back to over $2200 in chips only to have AA lose to KK. I finish in 50th and out of the money.

$5.50 NL Holdem MTT - 18 players

Started out good by doubling up, but I think the rust showed in me as I played to many hands carelessly and ended up finishing 12th and out of the money.

$5.50 NL Holdem MTT - 45 players

I also started this tourney good by doubling up and really played very bad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I played post-flop horrible by trying to win too many pots and not laying down hands. I finished 24th and out of the money. I need to get it together when playing these tourney. These last two tourneys I should have placed! I will focus on post-flop play!!

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

The game get thin fast as 3 players bust out in 3 hands. I do my best to hang on as everyone has 3000+ chips and I have only 1500 when we are down to 5. I end up getting pushed all-in with my open ended straight and nut low draw and miss. I finish 5th and out of the money.

$3.30 NL Holdem MTT - 90 players

I get away from a bad beat when I flop a set of queens and two players turn a straight. However, it takes a third of my stack and I struggle the rest of the tourney. Never winning a hand I go out with 1200 chips on top pair (10's) and lose to pocket jacks who slowed played the pair. I finish 48th and out of the money.

$11 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

Finished 4th and out of the money when a player called me all the way down in holdem with 4-5 to catch a 4 on the river to win against my A-10. It does not feel like my day today!!

$.10/$.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - $12.50 Buy-in

I played for about an hour with little excitement and end up cashing out $11.05.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $248.53

Feeling really burned out....

2009-06-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

Every day is getting tougher to play as long as I have been. I just do not feel like grinding a really do need a day off. Anyhow, I play at the public card room and clear the $100 for $60 promotion plus make $80 in the game for a total profit of $120. I then right after take a bus to the Indian Reservation Casino and get my aces cracked, lose $11 in the poker game, make $11 in the free slots and make $2 in casino points for a total profit of $102 and a total profit for the day of $222.

Its amazing the way that I feel that I keep on winning?!

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $272.02

$3.30 NL Holdem MTT KO - 90 players

Didn't get anything going and ended up getting busted out in the middle rounds when I had pocket Jacks and I make a 2 1/2 X BB raise. I get raised back the minimum and I just called. Pot is a about 1,500 and the flop come 873 rainbow. I push all-in with 1800 and get called with pocket queens and finish out of the money.

$11 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players.

I finish 3rd when I could not bust an opponent 4 times relinquishing my lead. I push A34K against chip leade and lose to a pair of 9's when nothing comes my way and get a $18 prize.

$11.50 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - Heads up

I lose in a all-in shove pre-flop with AA2Q to two pair.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $264.21

Not feeling poker today...

2009-06-27T06:32:00.000-07:00

I woke up today feeling pretty burned out and did not want to play poker. On these kind of day, I know that I need to be careful, because if I don't, I could end up having a real bad day. I forced myself out to the Indian Reservation Casino and played in the morning 2-4 game. I was lucky and hit a splash pot for $100. However, some bad and anxious play mixed in with a bad beat or two, I leaked $72 of that back. I ended up leaving early with $8 in the free slot play, $1 in the Casino points, and $28 (net) from poker, giving me a $37 total profit.

I go home take a nap and call it a day for poker.

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $244.72

$11.50 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - Heads Up

I lose playing my hands way to aggressive.

$12 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

I can't get nothing going at all and eventually lose trying to push A10 suited at the end to finish 7th and out of the money.

$12 Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

I go down to the final 4 players and finally win a heads up match which propels me to 1st and a $49.50 prize.

$.05/$.10 Omaha Hi/Low Cash Game - $10 buy-in

I over play a weak low draw and top two and lose to trips on a big hand. I buy in again for $9.75. I end up cashing out $10.36 and lose $9.39.

$.05/$.10 Omaha Hi/Low Cash Game - $10 buy-in

I don't do much, but mange to get some money back as I cash out $11.68 for a $1.68 win.

$11.50 Omaha Hi/Low SNG - Heads up

I dominate my foe, however, he has like 9 lives and manages to give me a fight and does not die. I finally get him and win a $22 prize.

$11.50 Omaha Hi/Low SNG - Heads up

I play against an aggressive fella, and end up taking a big pot down that cripples him with a nut low and nut flush draw that misses but my top pair was still good to win the pot. I then pressured him for his final chips that he fought for. I take 1st and a $22 prize.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $272.01

The $100 for $60 is in the plan!

2009-06-27T00:40:00.000-07:00

Starting today, I have decided to intergrate another casino in the weekly schedule. It is a small local cardroom that offers a 4-8 Holdem game in the morning. As long as you sign up to play in the morning before 10am, the casino will give you $100 for $60 promotion. The one requirement is that you play for three hours or until you lose the whole $100. Thats a free $40 in promotions. Addittionaly, if you play at the casino for about 11-12 hours a week, you qualify for a $1500 freeroll tournament on Sundays every week that pays 5 places. So, I will start playing at this casino Friday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday every week in the morning. My expected average income utilizing this casino's promotion is $76 for every week.

I start my first day by winning $43 and keeping the $40 promo money at the new casino for a total of $83. I then go home to take a nap, however, I over sleep and miss the bus to go to the Indian Reservation Casino. I end up going to another cardroom that is a lot bigger and play a $55 tournament in which I had my AQ lose to pocket Jacks. To make it worse, the flop was JJ9, to flop my opponent a four of a kind for an easy victory.

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $241.35

$6 Rakeback - I make $6 in the rakeback.

$.05/$.10 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - Buy in $10

I lose $.83 in an uneventful session cashing out $9.17.

$.05.$.10 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - Buy in $10

I win $.33 in an uneventful session cashing out $10.33

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I lose again finishing 6th place and out of the money.

$11 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - players

I lose again finishing 7th and out of the money.

$5.50 NL Holdem MTT - 355 players

I finish 42nd and out of the money. They pay 36 places.

$11 Horse FL SNG - 9 players.

I was able to take my aggression and take 1st place and a $40 prize. Yippee! I needed a victory badly!

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $244.72

11 straight winning days!

2009-06-26T01:34:00.001-07:00

Today was another short day in which I took advantage of to rest. I make $70 in the poker game, $14 from the free slots and $2 in the casino cash for a total win of $86. This is the 11th straight day of winning! I hope I can keep it going.

On the other hand, the Full Tilt project has taken a step back as I have been on a bit of a slump losing every game yesterday. Hopefully I can turn it around today!

*The greatest singer of all time died today - RIP Michael Jackson!*

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $330.56

$11.50 Omaha Hi/Lo PL SNG - Heads Up

I made an all-in move on the turn with 2d nut-low and top two pair and he catches his inside straight draw and nut low draw to eliminate me. Running bad now!

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

Made it to the final three grinding it out, but made a terrible play and gambled with chip leader on turn with a weak low and a nut flush draw to finish 3rd and a $19.80 prize. Need to really focus on picking my spots in PL and NL games.

$11 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

Hang around and try to steal the $100-$200 blinds on the button with A349 and I get reraised all-in with A-A-4-10 and I finish 5th and out of the money.

$11 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

I was chip leader with 4 players left, then in a 7-stud hi/low game, a guy chased me down with his low draw to my trips to hit his straight and damage me. I was able to build up a little, and had to raise with AAQJ and lost to two pair and I finished 4th and out of the money.

$12 Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

I flop trips and pushed with a low draw out there (should of played slow) and low comes on turn and player puts me all-in and flushes it on the river and I finish 7th a few hands later and out of the money. Wow, I am really doing bad!

$11 Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

A crazy player stuck me in the middle with his raising and another player with wrap around straight and nut low and i miss and finish 5th and out of the money again!

$5.50 NL Holdem MTT - 45 players

Never got anything going and had to push with 11 players left and my "M" at 4 with 67 of spades. AQ calls me and i finish 11th and out of the money again. I am falling fast!!

$11 Horse FL SNG - 9 players

With 5 players left playing 7 stud Hi/Low, I have 234 of diamonds. A player completes the bet with a King showing and I call. I get a 5 of diamonds on 4th street and the other player gets an Ace. With 750 left, and 200 bets, I reraise his bets to go all-in. I get blanks on the remaining 3 streets and the other players wins with his pair of Aces. I finish 5th and out of the money. This is horrible!

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

With 5 players left, I have nut low and two pairs and go all-in with another player who rivers me when he its is wheel card and counterfeits me to scoop the pot and damage me. A few hands later I finish 4th and out of the money. Crazy!!

$11.50 - Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I lost!!!!!!!! I am just getting outdrawn or losing coin flips! Very very frustrating!!!!!!!!

I am really thinking if I am playing bad, or is it really just bad luck. I know a few times I put myself in a gambling coin-flip when I should not have. I will take a little break and try to reevaluate things before I lose too much more!

Full Tilt Ending Balance $241.35.......Wow!! Lost over $130 in two days which is about a third of my BR!!

I really really like drawings!!

2009-06-25T01:18:00.000-07:00

Today was the last day of the $500 drawings that the casino gives out. They give them out Monday's and Wednesday's with 5 winners at 7pm and 5 winners at 9pm. Well the whole day I was losing about $60-$80 and never really ever able to make a move to pull even. I never hit any promotions (flushes or high hands) and seemed destined to lose. Then at 7pm, my friend gets his name selected as a $500 winner. Sweet! An agreement that we made earlier is if he wins he will give me $100 and if I win I give him $100. So $100 was coming my way. Then the third name called was mine! Wow! There must have been over 6,000 tickets and out of the 5 winners picked it happened to be me and my friend! What are the odds?? Anyhow, I end up losing $84 in the poker game, winning $9 from the free slot play, $5 from the casino points, and $475 (after tips) from the drawing making a net profit of $405 for the day! Not too bad!

Full Tilt Beginning balance - $372.56

$6.50 NL Holdem MTT KO - 90 players

Playing this game, I knew that I was way too tired and I should not play today. Anyhow, I push way too hard with AQ and end up bluffing off my whole stack to finish 79th and out of the money...horrible play!!

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I have no choice but push with wrap around nut low draw and nut flush draw only to hit two blanks on turn and river and finish 4th and out of the money.

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I push with AA24 and get a caller pre-flop. I push with nut low draw and a pair of Aces and caller calls with a pair of Kings. Ends up turning and rivering a straight and no low for me. I finish 7th and out of the money.

$12 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

This is when I knew I am running bad and should not play anymore for awhile. I don't get anything going, but on the 3rd round of limit holdem I get A10 suited on the button. Everyone folds and I raise, SB folds, and BB re-raises and I just call. Flop comes A-10-6. BB checks, I bet, BB raises, and I re-raise all-in. BB turns over pocket aces and I finish 5th and out of the money.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $330.06 - Horrible day!!

Throwing away a promotion!

2009-06-24T03:53:00.000-07:00

Today's promotion at the Casino is high hand every hour pays $50 and four 2's, 4's, 6's, and 8's pays $200. The four of a kind promotion has been a failure and in result, many people have not been showing up. Once I arrived at the casino, there was no game. I helped start the game 5 handed and figured at least I have a great shot to win the high hand. A few hands into it, a guy gets his name on the board for high hand with a 10 high flush. A few hands later, being aggressive in a short game, I turn a flush with my K8 of diamonds. After I bet on the turn, everyone folds and I much. Oh no! I forgot to show to prove my high hand. As it turns out, the 10 high flush holds up (meaning my King high would have too) and I mucked $50!

I guess things have a way of evening themselves out because I end up going on a rush for the next hour winning $98 and winning the next two high hands for a total promotions of $100. Add the $13 slot play and the $1 in casino points, I make $212 for the day!

Full Tilt beginning balance - $285.06 (I am tired and will give brief details today)

$3.30 NL Holdem MTT KO _673 players

I don't get anything started and finish 163rd and out of the money.

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I end up taking 2nd place and a $29.70 prize.

$11 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I take a disappointing beat and finish 3rd with a $18 prize.

$11 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

I have a horrible game but still was able to finish 3rd with a $16 prize.

$12 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

I do horrible and finish 6th and out of the money.

$5.50 Omaha Hi/Low PL MTT - 265 players

I can't do much and finish 49th and out of the money.

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I get lucky on a hand and surive to finish 3rd with a $19.80 prize.

$11 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I was able to take a mediocre tournament and dominate it at the end to take 1st and a $45 prize.

$5.50 NL Holdem MTT - 27 players

Horrible game and I finish 20th and out of the money.

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

Did well to stay til the final 3. Got lucky on some coin-flips initiated by aggressive play and pushed my way to 1st place and a $49.50 prize.

$5.50 NL Holdem MTT - 138 players

One of the most disappointing tourneys I have played in a while. I managed to coast to the late stages not really catching anything great. Then I was able to get Aces and double through. I used my chip stack to bluff and steal blinds and many pots playing small ball poker to give me 2nd in chips with 15 players remaining. Then the mistake! In the big blind (200-400 blinds) the button raises to 12oo and has 8,500 chips remaining. Small blinds fold and I look on the screen to see pocket fours. Instead of just calling and trying to take the pot away on the flop like I have been doing, something took over me and made me raise him all-in which was a pretty bad play. He call with his pocket nines and I get no help. My 22,000 in chips goes down to about 10,000 and I could never really recover. I end up finishing 11th after many small stacks show downs beat me. I get a $10.35 prize.

Full Tilt ending balance - $372.56 - yippee! I am in the $300's!!

Playing 2-4 all day is a grind!

2009-06-23T00:39:00.000-07:00

Everything you do is good in moderation. That statement is very true when it comes to poker. Playing 50-60 hours of live poker a week and about 20 hours a week on the internet can really drain a person. However, if this is the path a person chooses, then this is the grunt work that needs to be done! This message is my reminder!

Today was a real grind. From the first hour of play I was down $70. All through the day, right when I would start to make a comeback, I would get a big bad beat or two. I could never get over the hump. However, I stayed positive and played my game! Finally in my last hour and half of play, I went on a little rush that went uninterrupted and I recovered what I was down plus cashed out $87 ahead! Add the $12 of free slot play and $5 in casino points, I make $104 for the day.

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $286.46

$20 Stake - 10 $2.25 9 player SNG's and 1 $3.30 KO MTT 90 players - 50/50 backers cut

I decided to reward my horse that was profitable and offer him the same stake as before but give him 50/50 of the profits. He played them all in one day and held his own, but a few unlucky breaks only had him up $1.20 when the stake was over. I gained $.60 from the deal.

$.10/$.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - Buy in $14

I played a few rounds getting stuck with trips and getting raised for the pot. I let the hand go, and lost $3. I ended up cashing out soon later with $11.95 losing $2.05.

I am very tired and will call it an early night!

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $285.01

Staking pays off!!

2009-06-21T22:54:00.001-07:00

I have been only getting a couple of hours a day in sleep since I have been playing a lot of poker lately! I finally slept in today and had a total sleep of 14 hours! Wow! So since I missed the buses that go up to the Indian Reservation Casino, I drove down to the local card room and played my favorite 4-8 Omaha Hi/Low game. I know its a bit above my BR requirements, but I gave it the ok today since it was my only option for the night and my variance in the game is relatively low. I ended up picking up $104 in an hour and called it a night.

When I got back home, I discovered that both of my horses for my stakes had completed their tournaments. The first horse finished my $20 stake with only $11.40 left losing $8.60. The second horse finished with a BR of $89 and returned me $62.78 for a total profit of $42.68. Yipee!! So, I made a total of $34.38 on the deal and very happy!

Full Tilt Starting Balance - $214.34

$20 Staking - 1 Horse 10 $2.25 SNG's and 1 $3.30 MTT KO 90 players - 60/40 backers cut

This horse did not give very good details and seemed not to care to much about the stake. He played very fast and only posted details when he was completed with the whole thing. He got 1 1st place and 2 3rd places in the $2.25 SNG and finished out of the money in the $3.30 KO MTT for a total loss of $8.60.

$20 Staking - 1 Horse 10 $2.25 SNG's and 1 $3.30 KO 90 players - 60/40 backers cut

This horse gave very good detail all the way through and after the 10 sNGs he was losing $2.40. He finished with 1 1st place finish and 3 3rd place finishes in the SNG's. He played the $3.30 KO MTT the next day and knocked out 6 players and finished 1st and took down $75. Yippee! Even when the player was losing, I liked him since his details indicated he was just getting a bit unlucky. Will use again!

The wins from the stake took my BR to over $260 and now allows me to play $10 SNG's!! Yes!

$11 Horse FL SNG - 9 players

I never got anything going at all. In the 2nd round of the limit holdem round I get pocket 10's in which I push all the way with a low board and get rivered when a 7 comes to give the guy a straight. I finished out of the money

$11 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

Another tourney that never really got started for me...however, with 4 players left I was able to double up twice on a very aggressive chip leader in which I became the chip leader. I lasted to the final 2 with a slight chip lead, however a hand where we both had nut low and he had the high with a high card damaged me and I could never recover. I finished 2nd with a $27 prize.

$3.30 NL Holdem KO MTT - 345 players

I could not get anything going here as well yet was able to last towards the end but eventually had to make a move with 23 hearts with a "M" of about 1 1/2 and finished 49th and out of the money. I did manage to knock out one person for a $.50 return.

$11.50 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - Heads Up

The game started off bad as I registered and forgot about it for awhile and started talking on the phone. I go back to the computer and the game already started and I only had 1200 of my 1500 chips left. I then started playing and it was a tough hard fighting game. I was able to make a comeback by being super aggressive. I then had my guy on the ropes 4 times but he would catch the card that kept him alive. Finally on the 5th time I got'em and finished 1st with a $22 prize.

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

On the third hand of the game I flopped a King high straight with two pairs. A player bets into me and I raise the pot, he raises all in and I call. Turns out he has the straight, a flush draw, and trip Jacks. So my only out to beat him for the whole pot was a King. The turn comes a blank, but he river comes a heart and his flush wins and I finish 9th and out of the money.

$5.50 NL Holdem MTT - 166 players

Talk about a tourney that could never get anything going...I never got cards and tried little moves that were always being challenged. I lasted as long as I could when I finally got rivered and finished 69th and out of the money.

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

Tourney started slow and I built a little stack. However, with four players remaining one player dominated and took out everyone leaving just me and him. He had about a 8 to 1 chip lead and I never could catch him. I finished 2nd with a $27.90 prize.

$12 Holdem NL SNG - 9 players

This tourney started on a great track for me as I read an all-in bluff correctly and doubled up quick. I pretty much went card dead after that and my moves were not very successful. With four players left, I attacked the short stack with KQ and he called with JJ. Jack on the flop and now I was the short stack. A few hands later I get eliminated 4th and out of the money. Very disappointing!!

$3.30 NL Holdem MTT KO - 90 players

Another tourney where nothing got started and nothing ever did. I finished 36th as I almost got blinded out. I finally made a move with Q9 at the end to die to Ace high.

$.10/$.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - $12 buy-in

I got creamed as I went all-in with a 2nd nut low draw, nut flush draw and open ended straight draw and got a blank to lose to a pair of 2's!. I buy-in another $12 and leave after a few more rounds losing a total of $10.89 for the session. Bad start on new level of cash game!

$12 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG Matrix - 9 players

Playing my favorite game and my favorite structure (matrix) I was able to finish 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st and take 2nd in the Matrix total points. I take a $25.74 prize.

$3.30 NL Holdem MTT - 334 players

I get around to where its 90 players where I just doubled up to have about 7,000 chips which is about average at the time. Then in the blind I have 3-6 clubs and everyone folds and I call. The big blind raises a minimum raise and I look at his 3400 in chips and call. The flop comes A47 with two clubs. I check and he bets the pot then I go all-in and he calls. I miss and lose a big hand. I never was able to recover and finish 38th. The tourney pays top 36! Oh no!! The swing hand could have been avoided and I could have hung around maybe to place but oh well. I went for big chips and the win.

$.10/$.25 Omaha Hi/Low Cash Game - $12 buy-in

I didn't really hit any hands. However, I made two decent plays on players that I knew were on low draws. So on the turn I bet half the pot to establish a high (which I did not have) and I hoped for no low. When a high card game I bet half the pot again and took the pot down. I cashed out $20.59 for a $8.59 profit.

$11.50 Omaha Hi/Low SNG PL - Heads Up

On the very first hand I make a full house and my guy calls two big pot bets and folds on the river to leave him only 670 of the 1500 starting chips. I then raise him to death and he folds majority of his hands til finally I take him down and finish 1st with a $22 prize.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $286.46

No More Live Tournaments...for now

2009-06-21T01:31:00.000-07:00

Going to a casino every day to play 2-4 holdem is tough. It is a grind!!!! So, when I play a tournament and lose $60 very fast, it is very discouraging to keep doing the grind. I told myself that I would not play anymore until my BR was bigger, but the game broke today for an hour due to the tourney. So I again decided to play. I again finished out of the money in 15th place losing my big hand with a pair of Aces and a low kicker.

Again, the loss screwed my brain and made me feel very discouraged. Lucky for me, I was able to get right back in the 2-4 game and win pots. I ended up making $130 from poker, $50 in promotions, $14 in free slot play, $2 in the casino points, and loss $60 from the tourney. The total amount made was $136.

Full Tilt Beginning balance - $197.80

$6.50 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - Heads Up

Looking at many of the interenet poker pros stats, I noticed that many of them played and made huge profits from heads up tourneys. So, I decided to give it a try. I end up spending half of the tourney reading my opponent and the other half kicking his butt. I won and received $12.

$6.50 Omaha Hi/Low SNG - Heads UP

The guy wanted a rematch and I beat him even faster then before. Winning another prize of $12.

$6.50 Horse FL SNG Matrix - 9 players

I hang for most of the tourney and got eliminated early in two of the game. The other two, I took 1st place and won 2nd in the overall matrix point system. I end up winning a prize of $8.64.

$3.30 NL Holdem MTT KO - 90 players

I end up knocking out three people and get real lucky to survive all the way to the final three and finished third for a prize of $33.

$3.30 Omaha Hi/Low PL MTT - 153 players

I controlled early, but took a bad beat a couple of times and ended up finishing 32nd and out of the money. They would have paid top 15 players.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $214.34. Yippee, crossed over the $200 mark!

Staking

2009-06-19T04:11:00.000-07:00

So as I build my bankroll, I am trying of other ways to make the BR grow besides just poker winnings. At the Indian Reservation Casino I have the free slot machine play and the casino points that helps with close to $100/week in help.

On the internet I have rakeback (talk about it in future post) and now staking. Basically staking is when a willing investor puts out the money for a player to play a tournament or hours in a cash game. There is this site called partimepoker.com that helps facilitate these functions. Now being that I am new to the scene, I would have a hard time getting staked. I need to insert myself into this community. I discovered that the best way to do this is to stake other people. So I have set aside $40 and will invest in two people to play 10 $2.25 SNG's and 1 $3.30 MTT KO Tourney. I accepted applications and picked the top two with the best ROI stats. I don't think this goes very well with my BR requirements, however, I think this may be worth the risk if I can get staked in the future.

At the casino today I had a tough day. I started the morning playing in a $35 tourney that really ended up being a $60 tourney with the 2 $10 add-ons and the $5 bonus chips. Not only is this beyond my BR, but when I got knocked out early with pocket Queens to A9 losing an all-in bet by the villain that was called to me when the 2nd 9 showed up on the turn, but it destroyed my momentum and hurt me mentally. I ended up being stuck $115 during late evening. I eventually stayed for 12 hours getting my money back plus $14.

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $187.71

$2.25 NL Holdem HU - 2 players

I was pretty much dominated the whole game. I never got the player to come in when I was strong and he was always there when I was pushing with the weak stuff. With 500 of my 1500 chips left, my laptop turns off because I forgot to plug the damn thing back into the adapter. I log back in and I was done.

$5.50 Omaha Hi/Low PL HU - 2 players

I slowly chipped away at my opponent and finally got him to start pushing with junk when he was short stacked and I busted him to win. Prize is $10.

$6.50 Omaha Hi/Low PL Matrix SNG - 9 players

I ended up 6th and 7th in two tourney and took 1st in the other two. I also finished 2nd in total points for a total prize of $14.04.

I am tired and going to call it a short day today.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $197.80

Week 5 is another good week

2009-06-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

I did another short session at the casino day making $31 from poker (very slow action game) and $18 from free slot play, and $1 from the casino point for a total win of $50. The short stays are to keep me fresh so I don't get burned out like I did a couple of weeks ago.

Today ends the 5th week since I started this Indian Reservation Casino project and it is another above expectation week. Since I missed three days due to my vacation, I was only targeted to make $415 for the week and I ended up making $497. Where $12 came from the casino points, $34 from free slot play, $125 from promotions, $50 from my friend's raffle win, and $276 from poker play. I will use most of the money to pay personal expenses and $80 will go to the bankroll bringing my BR to $1,280.

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $144.28

200 FTP - NL Holdem MTT - 7,506 players

Early in the tourney my AQ flops two pair with the board A-Q-10 rainbow. We end up going all-in three handed as I priced myself in with a bet and backdoor flush draw. Everyone turns their cards over and one player has A-10 and the other KJ. The board does not pair and flush does not come. I finish 5.000 something place and no money.

$6.50 - NL Holdem SNG Matrix - 9 players

This was a horrible tourney as I got rivered in three of the four tourneys eliminated me 5th, 6th, and 7th place. The last tourney I was able to take 1st knocking all my opponents out and barely getting in with a tie for third for the Matrix points. I ended up with a total prize of $6.40.

$6.50 - Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I took a decent lead early but got card dead and when I started getting aggressive to protect myself I got slapped around. I finished 5th place and out of the money.

$5.50 - Horse FL SNG - 8 players

I managed to have a bad game but stayed in there and made plays when I could to finish third and a $8 prize.

$5.50 - Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

Again, I started with a decent lead only to go card dead at the end. However, I managed to stay in contention by stealing blinds and finished third with a $9 prize.

$5.50 - NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

Towards the middle of the tourney I got super aggressive when I realized that most of the player were playing pretty tight. I was able to take a decent lead and run it all the way to first and a $22.50 prize.

$2.25 NL Holdem MTT - 263 players

I managed to stay alive for a long time and even got very lucky a few hands, but could never get chip stack very high. I push KQ at the end in desperation but was called down with pocket fours and I finished 30th. I should have been a bit more aware of the field as they pay only 27 places.

$3.30 NL Holdem KO MTT - 90 players

I played aggressive and really just grinded it out. I only knocked out two people who were already very low on chips when they went all-in with me. I ended up making the final table, yet finished 3rd when my blinds were eating me up and I had to gamble with K7 which lost to K-10. I won a prize of $31.50 and the 2 knockout paid me $.50/each for a total prize of $32.50.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $187.71

The Road to $10,000 on Full Tilt!

2009-06-18T02:37:00.000-07:00

So in previous posts I wrote about my income earnings plan at the Indian Reservation Casino I frequent. It basically is make $135/day on Monday & Wednesday and $73/day every other day. My plan is to raise my Bankroll to $6,000 and have an extras savings of $6.000 by late September.

My goal also on Full Tilt is to build a bankroll from my starting point of $8. I will use the BR requirements set forth by Chris Ferguson and attempt to grow my Full Tilt BR to $10,000.

I recently put a estimated schedule and time frame for when I expect to reach this goal. The time frame was based on a conservative expected ROI of 10% and to play at least a combo of 8 Sit and Go's (SNG), Multi-tourneys (MTT), and cash games a day.

So for example, now that I am currently able to play $5 SNG my total investment for the day would be $44 ($5.50 X 8). And my expected ROI or profit for the day would be $4.40 ($44 X 10%). So as long as I am playing of the $5 SNG levels I should make $4.40 a day.

After spending some time with this, here is how my schedule and expected timetable looks:

6/17-7/11 - $5 SNG's and $2 MTT on July 11th I should have at least $221 in the account.

7/12-8/8 - $10 SNG's and $5 MTT (at a point) on August 8th I should have at least $445 in the account

8/9-8/22 - $20 SNG's on August 22nd I should have at least $669 in the account.

8/23 - 9/9 - $30 SNG's and $10 MTT on September 9th I should have at least $1,103 in the account

9/10-10/06 - $50 SNG's and $20 MTT on October 6th I should have at least $2.183 in the account.

10/07-11/03 - $100 SNG's and $30-$50 MTT on November 3rd I should have at least $4,423 in my Full Tilt account.

11/4-12/8 - $200 SNG's and $100-$150 MTT on December 8th I should have reached my goal of $10,000 in the account!

Lets see how that works and I will revise it as we move forward.

Today I hit my first promotions all month at the casino. I hit two high hands and got to spin the wheel. I got $50 the first time and $75 the second. I ended up making $91 in the poker game taking my total poker winnings to $216, $4 from the free slot play, and $5 from the casino points. I made in total for the day $225.

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $123.91

$5.50 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

I did not do very well in hitting my hands but I managed to finish 3rd with my aggressive play for a $8 prize.

$5.50 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I was able to double on the very first hand with 2nd nut low and 2nd nut flush. I then dominated from there taking it all the way to 1st and a $22.50 prize.

$2.25 NL Holdem MTT - 156 players

I got off to a very slow start getting caught in a bluff and not able to hit hands. Towards the middle end of the tourney, with my short stack, I was able to double up from my big blind and then win the next three hands with aggressive play. I built up to about average and got caught in a big hand with pocket 10's after raising in 5 X BB and getting called by chip leader. The flop is 995 and I go all-in and chip leader calls with 9-8 and I finish 16th with a $3.12 prize.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $144.28

A Gift From The Maniac

2009-06-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

I had a short day at the casino, however it was interesting. I first sit down at my 2-4 game and I'm given pocket sixes at the cut-off. I play the hand and end up winning it with trip sixes giving me a profit of a bit over $30. I don't win another hand for One hour and forty minutes. However, when I did start catching hands, I was able to get paid off nicely. Being up $100 I turn the nut straight with a flush draw against a maniac and he raises me heads up. I re-raise and he re-raises. We do this about 10 times when he says here take everything which is about $25 more. The dealer says its ok and I call. The river is a blank and I'm thinking we are chopping it up. He turns over his cards and he has the idiot end of the straight. Wow! I end up winning $153 from poker, $12 from the free slot play, and $1 for the casino points giving me a total win of $166 for the day. I decide to take off at 1:30pm so I can get some rest and relax.

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $118.06

$6.50 NL Holdem SNG Matrix - 9 players

The required amount to play this game would be if my BR was $130 however I decided to play anyways since it was the only Matrix game in my range. I placed 2nd in one game third in another and fifth and sixth the other two. I only placed fourth in matrix points for a total prize of $5.40 which is a $1.10 loss.

200 FTP NL Holdem MTT - 7,817 players

This is the Daily dollar tourney where it cost $1 or 200 FTP to enter. 1st prize is $1,599! I tried to play my tourney but eventually got knocked out 2.817th.

$2.25 NL Holdem MTT - 18 players

Nothing went right and I got knocked out 13th and out of the money.

$5.50 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I was able to take control of the tourney raising every hand when the table got four handed and I ended up taking 1st and a prize of $22.50. Bigger prizes...LOL!

$5.50 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

It was a long tourney in which I hung around average until it was four handed and the game was limit Holdem. I took control of the game taking a nice chip lead and eventually taking down the whole table and 1st place for a prize of $20.

$2.25 NL Holdem MTT - 90 players

I could never really get a good chip lead although I was trying. Towards the end I had to play aggressive survival and was finally caught when I raised Q9 on the button and was called down by AK of hearts. A king flops and I finish 17th and a $3.60 prize.

$2.25 NL Holdem MTT - 291 players with re buys and add-ons

I decided to try a big score and play a re buy and add-on tourney. I ended up having to re buy once and took the add-on taking my total investment to $6.25. I was in this tourney as well fighting for survival towards the end and was caught and only left with 81 chips with about 90 players left. I double up with the antes three times to put my chip stack back at $10,000. I did my best to hustle for chips but ended up finishing short in 47th place and out of the money.

$.05/$.10 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - Buy-in $5.00

I was up over $6 and then I pushed and K high nut straight to go all in (mistake) and I get re raised all-in for over $5 from a guy who has the same hand plus a draw for the flush. I call and on the river is that flush. I end up losing $1 for the session.

$5.50 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

Could never get anything going and finished 6th and out of the money.

$5.50 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

Tried to hang on, but could not get anything going. Finished 5th and out of the money.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $123.91

I like drawings...

2009-06-16T01:58:00.000-07:00

So I am back at it going to the casino (reservation) playing 2-4 and trying to pick up some of the nice promotions and perks they have. My first full day back, I end up only winning $1 from the 2-4 game, nothing from the free slot play, and $5 from the casino points. However, I find out that a guy that I met from there, who we agreed to give one another $50 if we hit a drawing on Monday or Wednesday that pays $500, got his name pulled. And just like the gentleman he is, he handed me $50 once I seen him. Sot that turned my day into a $56 win. Still way below the $135 expectations for today, but hopefully I will make it up later this week.

On a higher note, my Full Tilt play today documented below, moved my Full Tilt BR to over $110. This allowed my to move up my stakes and play $5 SNG and $2 MTT provided my BR is over $110. Check out below how I did!

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $105.38

$.05/$.10 NL Holdem Cash Game - Buy-in $5.00

I was able to make a little money on some pots won by top pair. The big pot came when I had called with pocket threes in middle position and everyone folded but the big blind. I have about $8 in from of me and the BB has a little over $5. The flop comes 773 and we both check. The turn comes a King and we both check. The river comes a 10 and for some reason he goes all-in. I call instantly and he turns over 7-4 and I take down the pot with my threes full. I cash out the very next hand $13.52 for a profit of $8.52.

$.05/$.10 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - Buy-in $5.00

I play for a bit making a little money when I win nut low four handed. I cash out $6.62 for a $1.62 profit.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I was down to 225 in chips with 6 players left. I doubled up three times in a row to get my stack to about average. I then bust three players on one big scooper hand to take the chip lead and never looked back. I finish 1st in a big comeback victory and took down a $9 prize.

$5.50 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

Could never get anything going and finished 6th and out of the money. Not too good for my 1st $5 tourney.

$2.25 NL Holdem MTT - 27 Players

I hang around for as long as I can and on the big blind with 4 limpers with 13 players left and my chips at $1300 compared to the 80-160 blinds, I get pocket sevens and go all-in. I get one caller with A3 of hearts and he catches an Ace on the river to eliminate me 13th and out of the money. Not too good for my 1st $2 Multi-tourney.

$5.50 Omaha Hi/Low FL SNG - 9 players

I hang with an average stack for awhile, stealing blinds when I can and out betting scary flops. When it got down to the three of us left I had a small chip lead. However, I tried hard to push any of the other two players out and they would not die. We played for about 15 minutes 3 handed til yours truly finished 3rd and a $9 prize.

Full Tilt Ending Balance $118.06

My First MTT 1st place finish!

2009-06-15T01:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back and ready to go back to little Indian Reservation Casino and start making some money again. I got back in town about 10pm and played a few tourneys. I actually ended up taking down my first MTT tourney. I can honestly say, that most of my tactics came from Daniel Negreanu's Power Holdem Strategy Book. More specific, his small ball strategy. Combine that with Harringtons "M" factor and I am starting to have a real nice NL tourney game.

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $70.63

$2.25 PL Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

I never got anything going in this game and ended up finishing 7th and out of the money.

$2.25 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

I dominated the whole game and found myself back finishing 1st place and a $8 prize. I again took advantage of the weak play of my opponents in Razz.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I was able to survive down to the final three players then started stealing blinds using small raises and ended up taking down all and finishing 1st with a $9 prize.

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT - 27 players

I started off bad by losing a hand for a third of my stack. I came back later in the tourney doubling up with my pocket Kings. I lasted to the final 6 players ( tourney pays top 5) and with my "M" about 3, and in 2nd position, I chose to go all-in with J-10 of hearts. Everyone folds, but the big blind who calls with J9, and on the flop is a 9 and so I finish in 6th and out of the money. I hate finishing on the bubble.

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT - 45 players

I tripled up early when my set beat out top pair and a guy with two pair. I controlled the tourney the whole time and really started taking over when I reached the final table. Changing gears at the end, when I would flop top pair and check the flop really induced players into me and caused them to go busted. I end up taking first place and win a prize of $17.10.

$2.25 PL Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

I end up taking control early and doubled up. I later catch a three outer that turned my nut low hand into a scooper. I end up getting heads up with a calling station and waited til I got a hand and busted him to take 1st and a $9 prize.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I could not win a hand at all during most of the tournament. Then I doubled up with 6 players left to stay alive. I then went on a stealing blinds rampage and got myself to about an average stack. I then use a combo of position raises and post-flop small bets to get myself into a heads up match with the chip leader who has a 3-1 chip lead over me. I could not overcome the deficit and I finish 2nd with a $5.40 prize.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $105.38

Yipee made another milestone and have entered the $100 mark! It took Chris Ferguson 9 months to get over $100. Granted, he started with zero, and it actually took him 7 months to just stabilize around the $6.50 mark. However, I am on my way to building a good BR!

Weddings are boring...

2009-06-13T22:46:00.000-07:00

I qualified for a free monthly ending tournament for playing so many hours at the Indian Reservation Casino I frequent. There would be about 40 to 50 players that qualified by playing 50 hours or more at the casino. 1st place is $2500, 2nd place is $1,500, 3rd place is $500, 4th place is $300, and 5th place is $200. The tournament was today, but because I am a good husband, I did not go but instead went with my wife to her friends wedding. By the way, the wedding was very boring!

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $63.29

$.02/$.05 PL Omaha Hi/Low Cash game - $3.00 buy-in

I woke up early to play and was way too tired and ended up making loose calls and lost a $1 cashing out $2.02.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I double up on the 3rd hand of the game and cruise to four players left. I put a guy all-in with my AQ and he makes a desperate call with Q3. A 3 hits on the flop and I get no help. It takes a 1/3 of my stack away but I am still Ok. A few hands later that same guy goes all-in with pocket 10's to the chip leader who has pocket Kings. The turn comes a 10 and he doubles up. I end up making my stand with AQ again and a guy call with 69 who makes a straight on the river and I finish 4th and out of the money again!!!!

$2.25 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

I don't win a hand the whole tourney and I finish 5th and out of the money. It looks like I am in a bit of a slump.

$.02/$.05 NL Holdem Cash Game - $2.50 Buy-in

About 10 minutes in I get AK on the button. I make it 20 cents to go and the SB, who has be going all-in with over $3 every single hand goes all-in again. Everyone folds and I call putting myself all-in. He turns over J9 of hearts and on the flop comes a J and I get no help. I go busted and decide that things are going bad for me today so I should cut down my playing time today.

$.02/$.05 PL Omaha Hi/Low Cash Game - $2.50 buy-in

I end up winning a small pot and had enough of playing for now. I cash out $2.62, up 12 cents.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 Players

Finally got past 4th and finished 3rd for $3.60 prize.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

Finished 3rd place and got rivered for a big pot. Won a $3.60 prize.

1800 FTP NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

Used my points to play a single table tourney where the final 3 players win a $26 tourney token that will allow you to play a $26 tourney. I hung on for as long as I could, but finished 4th! The magic number.

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT - 27 players

I doubled up quick but took a couple of hits and finished 10th and out of the money.

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT - 45 players

Was short stacked all the way through when I lost with AK early on. I managed to hang on for awhile, but finished 12th and out of the money.

$2.25 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

I have been running bad lately and this just goes to show another example of it: I was in the late stages playing razz where I had a 6 low made on 6th street and was all-in. The other player catches is Ace on the river to get a lower 6 than me and knock me out in 5th place and out of the money.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low FL SNG - 9 players

I never got anything going and finish 5th and out of the money.

$2.25 Horse SNG FL - 8 players

Again, never got anything going and finished 5th here as well and out of the money.

1800 FTP NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

Going for the $26 token again and ended up short in 6th place.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

Started to dominate in the early stages of the tourney and had a 4 to 1 chip lead when only three of us were left. I ended up taking 1st when I go all-in with pocket sevens and one guy calls with pocket queens and the other guy calls with A9 and a seven hits the board. I win a $9 prize.

1800 FTP NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

My last shot at the $26 token went bad as I finished in 5th place.

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT - 90 Players

I got down to the final table with 8 players left and then boom, Full Tilt's software crashed. I received some money, but not sure how they determined it. (edit) Just got an email stating they gave me $2.70 which was the next guaranteed prize, and then we shared the remaining which my share was $2.28, and got refunded the .25 fee, which totaled $5.23.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I was down to me and another guy with a 2 to 1 chip lead on him and then boom, Full Tilt's software crashed. I received some money, but not sure how they determined it. (edit) Turned out to be a total of $7.93

$2.25 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

There was 6 players left and I had slightly above average in chips. Full Tilt's software crashed and not sure how much money was returned to me. (edit) Turned out to be the whole amount of $2.25 refunded to me.

$.02/$.05 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - $3 buy-in

There was a maniac in the game that raised every pot. I waited to get the right pot and doubled up. I ended up having to cash out at $6.40 since it was more than 10% of my BR. Plus, the maniac had finally left.

$.05/$.10 Horse FL Cash Game - $3 buy-in

It was a steady grind as I played a full round of all the games. I was tired, and ended up cashing out $5.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $70.63...Yippee made a new mark into the 70's!

Bankroll Management, Position, and Player's Playing Styles

2009-06-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

I have been playing poker for awhile and have been a low-limit winner in my games. The reason I did win was based on my playing very basic fundamental poker. I just sat back and waited for good hands and capitalized on other player's mistakes. This works in low limit games but I knew that if I ever wanted to compete in a higher level game, I would need to learn more. Now I will learn more strategy and specific weapons will be gained, however there were three main basic fundamentals that were missing from my game. These 3 things are:

1) Bankroll Management - so many times I have played over my head only to eventually go busted and have to start all over again from nothing. If I had in the past followed strict bankroll management guidelines, I would have probably already been playing at least 15-30 on a regular basis. This problem has now been figured out and is fixed.

2) Position - I always had hand requirements that I followed, however, I never followed where they needed to be played. I always was told position was important, but never really understood how much until it finally clicked. I have now tightened my hand requirements up front and loosened then from the rear. Position also give me opportunities to steal a lot of pots that I never took advantage before. I still need to refine how I will play position a bit, but I am almost there.

3) Playing styles - I always gave a half-ass effort in studying my opponents but never took it to the next level. I never really placed them in a certain category and developed a plan on how I would play that player. I never studied how they reacted or bet in certain situations. This part will be the toughest for me to master, but I am aware and will be trying.

Full Tilt beginning balance - $61.85

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I finish 4th and out of the money. I make a dumb bluff play in the middle of the tourney that goes wrong and hurts my stack.

$2.25 PL Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

I was dominating the game with a huge stack lead. With 3 players left I was raising uncontested almost all the time. Then, out of the blue, my computer shuts off! It takes about 8 minutes to get it back on and logged back in, by then, the tourney was over. I finish 3rd with a $3.60 prize. That sucked.

$2.25 Horse FL SNG - 9 players

The computer outage did not hurt this tourney as much, since it was only the middle of it and the game was Razz which is a fairly slow game. With 3 players left and holdem the game, a super aggressive player starts attacking me. I double up when I flat call all the way with my pair of Aces. The very next hand, I call a raise and flop two Kings up. My opponent flops Aces up and destroys me. I bust out 3rd a few hands later for a $3.20 prize.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I finish 4th again...race at end that I lose like always...

$.02/$.05 Omaha Hi/Low NL Cash game - Buy-in $3

I make a few hands that builds my stack to about $5. With 8 players left I have a nut low draw and a nut flush draw that I push and get called for my whole $5. I end up hitting the flush and take down the whole pot. I cash out when the blinds hit me for $11.13 and a $8.13 profit.

$.02/$.05 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - Buy-in $2.50

I play for a long time not really able to hit any kind of hand and end up cashing out $1.53 and a $.97 loser.

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT - 27 players

I get knocked out early when my small pair and flush draw miss and lose to high pair. No money.

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT - 90 Players

I get knocked out midway through the tourney when 3 of us go all-in pre-flop - I have pocket Aces, another player has pocket queens, and the 3rd player has pocket nines and hits quads on the turn. No money for me.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I hold my own and go a marathon with only 4 players remaining and last to 2nd place with a $5.60 prize.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG Matrix - 9 players

It was a bad tourney for me as I only finish in the money with one tourney, however, that finish was 1st place and I finished 2nd in the Matrix points for a total prize of $2.88.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG 9 players

I try to steal the limper from the BB with A-10 and go all-in with blinds at $50-$100 for $1400 and get called by AJ and lose and finish 5th and no money. Dumb play...not using my brains.

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT - 27 Players

I finish 20th when I go all-in with pocket Jacks against AK and Ace and a King hit the flop. No money.

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT - 45 players

I start out hot by doubling up. I try to use position and steal but keep getting caught with better hands and got crippled mid-way through. I then played a hand really bad where I open from the button and raise it 3 x BB with K-10 of hearts and get called from big blind. The board come A65 and we both check. The turn is a 10 and he checks and for some reason I check. River comes a Q and he bets out 25% of the pot and I call. He shows Q6 and takes the pot down. I later go all-in with A4 out of desperation and finish 14th and no money.

$2.25 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

I must be tired because I played the last four tourneys pretty bad. I started playing this one by making very passive calls and bad raises. I end up making a comeback only to fall short by finishing 4th.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I start the tourney again real bad, however, I double up towards the end and survive to finish in 2nd place and a $5.60 prize.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I double up early and cruise for awhile. I then get caught bluffing in two spots and have to hang on to finish in 3rd and a $3.60 prize.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low SNG Matrix - 9 players

This is the 1st Matrix tourney that I have played in that I did not place in one table. I end up air balling the whole tourney and get no return.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $63.29

San Jose Casino's

2009-06-11T04:38:00.000-07:00

So I finally made my way out to both of the San Jose casinos. I started out my night by going to Bay 101 to play some Omaha Hi/Low. However, the game was not going and I elected to play a 3-6 Limit game over a 2-5 blind NL Holdem game. I ended up getting up $130 fast when my pocket 10's flopped a full house with 8 players! I lost a couple of small pots after and cashed out up $110.

I then decide that I still want to play Omaha and decided to drive 10 minutes to the other side of town and play at Garden City Casino. When I get there I find that the Omaha game recently broke up. I decide to play 3-6 Holdem again and ended up winning $70 and called it a night.

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $54.60

$.02/$.05 NL Holdem Cash Game - $2.50 buy-in 9 players

I played my J-10 in the big blind too strong against one player who had AJ with a board of J74 and lost more than half of my stack on that hand. I bought in another $2 and lost all when my AQ flopped a Queen but ran into pocket kings.

$.02/$.05 PL Omaha Hi/Low Cash Game - $2.50 buy-in 6 players

I get in with AK34 and flop two pairs. I bet all the way and have to let it go when one player bets the river with a possible flush. I lose more than half of my stack on that hand. I end up getting up 17 cents from splitting a bunch of pots and then the game breaks. I get into another game and lose the whole buy-in on the third hand when my nut low and trips hand runs into bigger trips and no low hits the river.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I again lose another NL tourney and finish 5th place and out of the money. Maybe I should give up NL for now?

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG - 9 players

I cruise to the final 4 players and then go card dead. I have only about 800 chips with a 100-200 blinds and somehow double up a couple of times and end up finishing 1st place and a $9 prize!

$2.15 Horse FL - Heads up

I am getting beat almost every hand and really get beat in Razz as everything goes wrong. I hang on for a few more rounds but end up losing.

$2.15 Horse FL - Heads up

I offer a rematch and the guy accepts. This time he does not go on a rush and I dominate him from the very beginning. I end up closing the deal and winning the tourney and a $4 prize. I offer him a rematch and he declines.

$.02/$.05 PL Omaha Hi/Low cash game - $2.50 buy in

I started out a bit slow losing a few hands but eventually caught a little fire and ended up cashing out $5.57 when the blinds reached me.

$.02/$.05 NL Holdem cash game - $2.50 buy-in

I played position very well and took down a bunch of small pots and got ahead early. However, I lost a decent pot with pocket Kings and played A-10 spades bad and ended up cashing out $2.77 with only a $.27 profit.

$.02/$.05 PL Omaha Hi/Low cash game - $2.50 Buy0in

I get back in this game and double up my money on the first round. Since my BR has increased, the double up was not quite more than 10% of my BR so I continued to play. I end up making a bad call a bit later and decide to cash out at $3.27 for a $.77 profit.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I am stubborn and determined to make my NL Holdem tourney profitable. This was a very tight tourney and lasted very long. I was able to take advantage of the tight game and steal a lot of small pots. I end up getting crushed with an open ended straight and flush draw against the chip leader with only 3 players left. The loss leaves me with only $800 in chips in the late stage of the game. I double up and still continue to steal blinds and end up busting out another player. I could not take over 1st and finish in 2nd with a $5.40 prize.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $59.17

Taking notes and looking for betting patterns...

2009-06-11T00:26:00.000-07:00

Did not get out to Bay 101 yet as I was just hanging out with the family and doing what a family does. I will probably aim for tomorrow or Friday to head on over there.

The one poker thing that I am doing is getting through Daniel Negreanu's Power Hold'em Strategy book. It is a real good read. I am on Erick Lindgren's section on playing NL Hold'em online. The two most important things that Erick mentions when playing online is paying attention to betting patterns and then taking notes on those patterns for future reference. I have been horrible in doing that and will add that to my everyday playing tasks as I move forward in my bankroll building quest!

Full Tilt Beginning Balance - $38.90

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I got my pocket QQ's chased down my AK on the flop after a all-in re-raise by me and go out 5th and out of the money.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

Surviving all the way down to four players and the blinds rising I was forced to go all-in in middle position with pocket nines and the initial raiser with AK calls and catches on the flop sending me out of the money. Man I am not doing well in NL Holdem tourneys!!

$2.25 PL Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

I pretty much cruise down to the final three players after winning a couple of scoops. I then with my 3 to 1 chip lead push on the final two players and end up getting lucky a couple of times to take 1st place and a $9 prize.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I double on a few players right from the beginning and have a 2 to 1 chip lead on the rest of the table with 3 other players remaining. It is a battle for about 20 minutes and me losing my lead for a bit, but when I call top pair with my middle pair on a all-in bet for about 25% of my stack and my second pair hits I am left with only one player left and a 3 to 1 lead on him. We play for about 10 minutes when I am able to get him with my pocket Jacks when he goes all-in with a busted flush draw. I win 1st and a $9 prize.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Lo PL SNG - 9 players

I struggle all the way through barely making it to the final three players and lose when I go all-in with A225 and finish 3rd and a prize of $3.60 when all high cards come out on the board giving the other player two pair.

$2.25 Horse FL SNG - 9 players

I start out slow, but then good ol' Razz comes in and I start building my chips. I get yelled and cussed at when I miss my low in seven stud 8 but go triple runner runner runner to get a flush a scoop the pot. That was the last pot that I would win for awhile. I end up barely surviving to the end when its heads up between me and another player who has me dominated with a 5 to 1 chip lead. I fight but end up taking 2nd and a $4.80 prize.

$.05/.10 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - $2.50 buy-in

I play to aggressive and end up having my AA2X shoved up my butt when a straight and no low comes. I lose the whole buy-in and decide not to buy back in. The game was a bit too big like I noted before and should not come back unless I can buy-in at least $4.

$2.25 PL Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

This game was soo long and everyone was playing so tight. I took advantage of this and raised almost every time from position. I ended up being about even when me and two other players remained. I played aggressive the whole way through and ended up taking 1st and a $9 prize.

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT - 45 players

I doubled up early and took advantage of position. However, after taking two beats, the last being my pocket Jacks versus AK and a Ace spiking on the river to exit me out at 11th and out of the money.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $54.60

Well finally I broke the $40 barrier and the milestone $50 barrier today for the first time! Yippee! Next up is the $110 mark so I can start playing $5.50 tourneys and $2.25 MTT's.

The Vegas Trip!

2009-06-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

The Las Vegas trip was a good time. I could not access their "free wifi" Internet at the Orleans so I will have to summarize the whole trip in one posting.

Friday:

We get to Vegas and after we check into our hotel I went to get my free $250 in promotional chips. I find out that the host was wrong and once you play a bet with the promotional chips, win or lose, you lose the promo chip. Second, I am only given 6 $25 in chips and one $100 chip in which I have to bet. The whole arrangement threw me off and I had to think what I wanted to do. I decided, at that point, that if I can turn half of the $250 into cash ($125) I would be happy. So I decided to to play roulette and bet $125 on black and $125 on red. The only way I would lose all is if the ball landed on 0 or 00. However, after the pit floor declined my bet, I left for the stip to have a good time and make my decision on the promo chips later.

My wife and her friend wanted to hang out at Bellagio and Cesar's Palace for awhile so I went and played some 4-8 Holdem at the Bellagio. The game was great, however I was still running pretty bad. I did not pick up a pot into about an hour and forty five minutes of playing. I went on to win three pots total for the night and was up $75 and headed back to my hotel.

I decided to go back to the Roulette table with my promo chips and bet two separate bets of $125 on black. The first spin was red, but the second spin bailed me out and was black. I took my $125 win and went to the room for the night.

Saturday:

I woke up at 11:30am and got into the noon tournament at the Orleans. The buy-in was $60 and consisted of 82 players. I played perfect. After four hours of play and only getting four premium hands (AQ, JJ, 10-10, and 10-10 again) I used my position to steal pots and get to the final table. With 7 players left and the blinds at $4,000-$8,000 and antes at $200, I am in the small blind with 9-10 clubs. Everyone folds and with my $25,000 in chips, I decide to make a move and go all-in. The big blind calls instantly with A-6 off. The flop comes 8-J-4, the turn is a Q and I double up and leave the big blind with less than $8,000 in chips. I steal the big blinds the very next hand with K-9 on the button. A few hands later we are left with 5 players. We have the chip leader with $170,000, 2nd has $80,000 in chips and me and the other two have about $50,000 each. Everyone on the table agrees to make a deal giving the chip leader $750, $550 to 2nd, and $435 to me and the other two players. Yipee!

After the tourney my wife and I take a cab to the Rio where we check out the WSOP! We star gaze and see Mike Caro, Anne Duke, Phil Ivey, and Todd Brunson. My wife ends up going up to Daniel Negreanu and asks him to take a picture with her. He agrees and was extremely nice and funny. I get him to sign the newest edition of Bluff with him on the cover. It was pretty cool.

We go back to the Orleans and my wife goes and hangs with her friend for awhile where I head back to the tables. I was expecting to play 4-8 Omaha but see one table playing a sort of mix games and one seat open. The game is 4-8 limit and consists of Razz, Seven Stud 8 or better, Omaha Hi/Low, 2-7 Low Ball, and Bodogey. I am very familiar with Omaha and have played Stud 8 and Razz in the online Horse tourneys. However, I have never played 2-7 low ball nor even herd of Bodogey. I decide to get in the game and play it anyways as it looked like a lot of fun. The players were all drinking and were WSOP dealers. They said they come to the Orleans and play this game 5 days a week while the series is going. I learn 2-7 lowball which is a triple draw game where you want to make the lowest hand possible without making a straight, flush, or pair, and Ace in this game is high only. Bodogey is another triple draw game with four cards where you want to make the lowest four card hand possible with Ace being low only. Also, all four cards need to be of different suites. If any cards are of the same suit, the hand is considered only a three card hand and would lose to any four card hand. Confusing? Anyhow, I play the game for 8 hours and develop a strategy for the new games and end up winning $65 in which I was very happy to do! I end up calling it a night or morning as it was 10am!

Sunday:

I wake up about 1pm and my wife and I decide to go back to the WSOP as she wanted to see Jenifer Tilly (don't ask me why.) We get there about 4pm and find out that Tilly was already knocked out of the Ladies WSOP Tourney ($1,000 buy-in). However, as we were walking up we see our good friend Su playing in the series and figured she would be there. As we approached her at her table she gets up and starts walking towards us. She gives us a hug and then starts walking away from the tables stating she just got knocked out. Turns out she had AQ in the small blind and just called a two big blind raise from a middle position player with KQ. The flop came A-J-10 and that was her tournament! We hang around for a bit after that and watch the final table of the $2,500 Limit Holdem tourney where our new friend Daniel Negreanu was at final table with two other players. We find out the next day that he did not win.

I go back to The Orleans where I play 8-16 Omaha Hi/Low for about two hours and end up winning $40. I go up to the room with my wife about 11pm and take a nap.

My wife and I wake up at 1am and decide to take a cab back to the strip. We stop by a small casino calle Osheas where she played a little Casino War and I got into a short stacked 3am $45 NL tourney. There was 18 players and I ended up pushing A-10 off against KQ towards the middle of the tourney and lose when a Queen hits the board and I get no help. My wife and I get back to the hotel at 8am and crash.

Monday:

My wife and I decide to take Monday slow and hang out at the pool and pretty much wait for out 6pm flight back home. The trip was a pretty good time!

I am now visiting my in-laws in San Jose, CA and until Sunday and will probably play some 4-8 Omaha Hi/Low at Bay 101. I went to Borders and picked up Daniel Negreanu's No-Limit Holdem strategy book and will read the book very soon.

Full Tilt beginning balance - $36.99

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

Excited to start practicing my NL tourney skills and improve my NL stats, I jump into a SNG NL tourney. The very first hand in middle position I get AJ diamonds and raise 4 X BB to $120. The big blind re-raises $120 and I call with everyone else folding. The flop is 8-9-10 rainbow and the BB shoots out half the pot $240 and I call. The turn is a 3 and the BB checks, I bet out $500 and the BB goes all-in and I call. The BB shows QQ and the river comes another 3 and I lose on the very first hand. I think to myself that I risked too much with AJ and should have taken the free card on the turn. Oh well!

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

I hang on surviving most of the tourney only to finish 4th when I push a nut-nut draw on the turn only to miss completely on the river.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I double up in the first round when my BB hand of 8-5 flops two pairs and a player with a straight draw calls all-in on the turn and misses. I play aggressive the whole way through and find myself left heads up with a 3.5-1 chip advantage over the other lone player. My opponent makes things even when my AJ goes all-in against his pocket Kings. We then go all-in a few hands later with my opponent covering me and him holding K8 of clubs and my holding A6 of spades. When the flop hits all clubs I finish 2nd and get $5.40 out of it.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I try another NL game only to lose when I over play my AQ to a set of nines. I finish 4th and out of the money...oh brother.

500FTP NL Holdem MTT - 18 players

I had a hunger to play a multi-tourney and decided to use some of my 1,800 FTP points to do so. The first two places get a free entry to a $22 Sunday tourney that has 1st place at $31,000...wow! Anyhow, I play my position and cards to 1st place and get a free entry to the big tourney! Yipee!

$.02/$.05 Omaha HI/Lo PL Cash game - $2.50 buy-in

I get back into a cash game and soon double up with AA2J double suited (hearts and diamonds) when I go all in on the turn with the board Q976 (2 hearts) and a player with J-J-10-10 calls me down and the river pairs the 6. A few hands later I push my nut low on the turn and take down a $1 pot. I cash out when the blind hit me $5.64.

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT - 90 players

Again, I was in the mood to play some multi-table tourneys coming back from Vegas and the WSOP. I again use my strategy of playing position and actually start catching pocket Aces twice and pocket Kings once. I get to the final table and with 7 players remaining and 1000-2000 blinds in middle position I raise 7000 of my 24000 chips with KQ of spades and the button re-raises all-in and has me covered. The pot has 38,000 in it and cost me 17,000 to call. Getting more than 2 to 1 and my table image is one that is very aggressive, I call. My opponent has KQ also the King of diamonds and queen of clubs. The flop comes three diamonds and I knew I was in trouble. The turn comes 3 of clubs and the river is a nice queen of diamonds to send me packing with a $3.60 prize. I hate MTT tourneys...haha only half kidding.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $38.70

Moving on up!

2009-06-05T15:56:00.001-07:00

So we fly out at 8:30 pm and I wanted to brush up on my Omaha game a bit before I head out to Vegas. I decided to get a few games in:

Full Tilt beginning balance - $35.25

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I don't know what it is but I just cannot place in this game. I hang around long enough but end up busting out fourth place and out of the money.

$.05/$.10 Horse FL cash game- $2.50 buy in

I decided to play another Horse game but at a smaller limit because the $.10/$.25 seemed a bit big for my buy-in. I play for about 30 minutes and end up cashing out $2.98 up $.48 cents.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low SNG Matrix - 9 players

These games seem to be my money maker as I have only lost money in one of the many I have played in. Once again I do well placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd and having a tie for 1st in the Matrix overall points having a total prize of $5.76.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $36.99

Talk to you all in Vegas!!

Las Vegas Baby!

2009-06-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

I decided to take today off from the Indian Reservation Casino since my wife and I are headed out to Vegas tomorrow for a little vacation. I got a pretty good hook-up! Three free nights at The Orleans with an extra $250 in gaming chips. The chips can be placed at table games and are promotional only. Meaning they cannot be cashed out for real money. However, whenever you win a bet with them, you get real chips back.

I have an extra money set-aside for the trip and will be playing mostly 4-8 Omaha Hi/Lo and a small NL Hold'em game while there. Since this is a vacation (and money was set aside for this), I wlll not be abiding by my bankroll rules for my poker games there. However, any extra winnings not spent on the trip will be added to my shrinking bankroll. I will take my computer on the trip and will document how I do while I am there.

Full Tilt Balance - $16.57

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I get Aces shoved down my throat in the middle of the tourney and finish 5th and out of the money.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/LO SNG - 9 players

Mid way through the tourney I push over the top all-in to the initial raiser with AA2J and my opponent calls and turns over AAQ10. The flop comes Q97, turns a 10 and rivers a 2. I finish 6th and out of the money.

$2.25 Horse SNG - 9 players

I hang on for most of the tourney with about average chips compare to the field and make a big push at the end in Hold'em and Omaha to finish the tourney 1st and a $8 prize.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low Matrix SNG - 9 players

I end up finishing in the money in all four tourneys - 1st, 2nd, 2nd, 3rd and end up splitting 1st for the overall points in the Matrix tourney for a total cash out of $6.14.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

I finish 9th (last) when I pushed a two pair with 2nd low draw and lost the pot when no low came and the board pair (not my pairs) giving pocket Kings a higher two pair.

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I start the tourney by doubling up quick. I gradually increase my lead and with 4 players remaining I am chip leader. Then, I try to bully a player I have a 2.5 to 1 chip lead on with a flush draw and the player ends up calling me with top player and wins the pot when no flush hits. A few hands later I go all-in with QQ with a player who has me covered and is playing AQ suited. The flop comes an Ace and I finish 4th and out of the money...disappointing tourney!

$2.25 Horse SNG - 9 players

The tourney was mostly uneventful early on..however, I started building a small lead on the bad play of others in Razz. Towards the end, Razz actually gave me such a big lead that I cruised into 1st place and a $8 prize. Looks like Horse maybe my game with three straight 1st place finishes!

$.05/$.10 Omaha Hi/Low PL Cash Game - $2.50 buy in

I grinded it out for about 20 minutes then hit a big hand where I hit nut and 2nd nut to take the whole pot down and doubled up. While waiting for my big blind I take down another small pot and cash out $6.23.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Lo SNG - 9 players

I made a bad bluff with a solo nut low wheel draw on the turn and called got called with two pair and finished 8th and out of the money.

$.05/$.10 NL Holdem cash game - $2.50 buy-ins

I was fuming from the Omaha game and pushed pocket 3's with a flop of 245 in when a player made an initial bet. Turns out he had K5 and my all-in raise gets no help and I lose the $2.50 buy-in. I buy in one more time, lose 15 cents and cash out. Man do I get frustrated over so little.

$2.25 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

Early on, I seem to be in a bad mood and was blinding off. I thought for sure I was going to lose this tourney early! Then after a bad beat I had only 650 out of my initial 1500 chips left. I end up taking a nice lead from good hands in Omaha and with 4 players left I am chip leader. 30 minutes later and everyone on the bubble surviving I get knocked out 4th in a Razz race where I was in the lead. Frustrating!

$1.00 NL Holdem MTT w/ $1 Rebuys and a $1 add-on - 351 players

I started this tourney thinking ok its just a $1 MTT and a rebuy and add on won't hurt. However, the early stages of the tourney was crazy and everyone was going all-in every hand! I got caught in some hands and ended up having to re-buy 3 times. I also took an add-on for a total buy-in of $5! This was too much for my bankroll to bear and I will not do this again. However, the prize pool looked sweet at $283 for 1st place! That would be a great boost to my BR. I fought hard all tourney and was below average in chips for all of my tourney life. With 30 people left the average chip count was $47,000 and I had $18,000. I look on my screen and I have two pretty Aces on the button. A player opens for twice the blind at $4000 another player makes it $8000 and I go all-in. The initial raiser and the re-raiser both call with pocket 5's and pocket 8's. The flop comes a five and my MTT tourney hopes and dreams shattered when I got no help. I finish 30th and get $5.01! So I made a penny!

$2.25 Horse SNG FL - 8 players

I get right back on the Horse (so to speak) and ride the bad play of my opponents in Razz to 1st place and a $8 payout. Four out of my last five Horse SNG I have placed first. Not too bad!

$2.25 NL Holdem SNG - 9 players

I have been playing a lot more NL holdem to get my ROI in the positive, but things are just not working out. I can't do anything for the whole tourney and end up busting out 5th with KJ suited against pocket fives.

$2.25 PL Omaha Hi/Low SNG - 9 players

I gradually gained chips early in the tourney. With 3 players left, we all change leads for about 25 minutes. Finally I was able to knock one guy out giving me a 2 to 1 chip lead on the remaining players. A few hands later I knock him out and take 1st and a $9 prize.

$.25/$.50 Horse FL Cash Game - $2.50 buy-ins

Since I have been doing so well in the Horse tourneys, I decided to see how I would do in a cash game. After a slow start (I thought I was going to re-buy), I got on a bit of a rush and ended up cashing out $7.55. Not too bad!

After a marathon of games I finally reached the $20 mark and the $30 mark! Yea!

Final Full Tilt Balance - $35.25

Adjusting to a crazy game...

2009-06-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

As my day started again on Wednesday, I was very optimistic that I was going to get back on track and start winning again. Wednesday's are the best days for promotions: 1) High hand spins a wheel that can win from $50 to $250 2) Ace High Heart Flushes pay $75 and 3) they draw 10 names for the whole casino and the winners get $500 each. Not to mention that the games are the best on these days because the action is so good.

Playing with the morning crowd (older crowd), my aggressive style works best as I am able make many continuation bets with little resistance. The problem is about 1pm when the younger or more loose players come in, I need to really tone down the aggressiveness. I always new this, yet I think that since I been playing so many hours, I tend to forget. Also, when I start losing, the aggressiveness for me is hard to tone down because I am really anxious for the next pot.

Well, Wednesday became a losing day during the last couple of hours of the night because I did not tone down my aggressiveness. I ran cold and did not win a hand for over 2 hours. My continuation bets and lead bets with mediocre hands is exactly what killed me and turned me from a $60 winner to a $37 loser.

I know the problem, now I need to fix it!

Full Tilt Balance - $15.22

$.05/$.10 PL Omaha Hi/Lo Cash game - $2.50 buy-in

I decided to try another cash game and ended up doubling up my $2.50 buy-in within 20 minutes of play. I had A2KK with AK of spades suited, and raised to 45 cents, another player reraised and I went all-in. The players had A237 and after only one low card in the board, I won the pot with my kings. I ended up cashing out $5.10 when the blinds hit me.

$1.25 NL Holdem SNG MTT - 45 players

I was exhausted by the time I played this game and really should not have got involved. I played a decent game however, but when I ran into Aces toward the end of tourney, I finished 10th and out of the money.

Full Tilt Ending Balance - $16.57

Back to back losses!

2009-06-03T03:40:00.000-07:00

Before yesterday, I have never had a loss of over $100 at the Indian Reservation Casino that I go to.....now I have two of them! Today was another session where I was just card dead and the game was juicy! Chips were flying all over the place and I tightened my starting hand requirements even more.....but somehow, I could not make a hand hold up. In fact, for 2 1/2 hours I never won a hand. I ended up losing $115 (again not hitting a promotion) and then called it a night after 6 hours of play.

Losing $300 in two days in a 2-4 game kind of wipes away your confidence...you know what I mean??

Full Tilt beginning balance $5.39

Since I was running bad live I decided to play a few games of online poker.

$2.25 NL Hold'em SNG - 9 players

I ended up having a decent lead mid-way through and cruised into 3rd place getting $3.60 for my trouble.

$2.25 Omaha Hi/Lo SNG - 9 players

I never really could get anything going, however after a few all-ins I was able to survive long enough to finish 3rd and get $3.60

$2.25 NL Hold'em Matrix SNG 9 players

I love to play the matrix Horse or Omaha H/L PL tourneys, but the fact is that not many are spread. So, I settled for the NL variety. I finished 6th, 4th, 2nd, and 1st in the four tourneys as well as finishing 1st overall to finish with a total winnings of $4.68.

$1.25 NL Hold'em MTT - 45 players

I was able to double up on the very first hand which help me cruise to the final table. However, I was a bit short stacked and held out to finish 5th for $2.75.

$.02/$.05 Omaha Hi/Lo PL cash game - 6 max

I decided to try and play a PL cash game in Omaha...however, after getting raised pre-flop with me holding AAQ3, and getting beat after I turned the straight and went all in only for the board to pair and lose the whole $2.50 buy-in, I don't know if it was such a good idea.

$2.25 Horse FL SNG - 8 players

Having some success in the Horse games playing Matrix, I decided to take my chances in a one table tourney. Lucky for me, I was able to dominate all the way through and finished 1st for $8 rather easily!

Back on "Online" track!

Full Tilt Ending balance - $15.22

My biggest losing day yet!

2009-06-02T01:05:00.000-07:00

In poker, over at the Indian Reservation Casino that I frequent, I have yet to book a loss over $100. Well, today (Monday), I did just that! I ended up playing 10 hours, hitting no promotions, and losing $191 in poker. I am sure I overplayed some hands towards the end of my play, but nothing out of line! I also know that I opened with too many mediocre hand in early position too many times when my losses exceeded $100. So, I really need to focus on playing my same game even when losses occur!

I will make sure my head is clear and focused for tomorrow!

I made $4 in my free slot play and $5 from the casino points.

Full Tilt beginning balance - $8.87

$2.25 NL Hold'em SNG 9 players

This was a pretty frustrating tourney where I doubled up early and had a 2 to 1 chip lead with 4 players left.....yet, ended up finishing 4th and out of the money when I ran into flushes and was outdrawn!

$1.25 NL Holdem MTT 45 players

Nothing really happened for me the whole tournament, yet I was able to get down to 15 players and made a move with AQ with 1300 chips all-in and the blinds at 100-200 pocket 6's called and neither an ace or a Queen hit the board.

Full Tilt Ending balance - $5.39

Playing with Organized Crime!

2009-05-31T15:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted today to be a short day since I felt very emotional still from last week. I was not in the mood to grind it out at all...

As I was playing in seat 8, I started chit chatting with one of the regulars who noticed that I win very often. He is a man that we will call Ron (not is real name) that is in his late 50's yet you can tell has been in the gambling business for a long time. When you first see Ron, you can sort of tell that the man was very wealthy at one point in his life...so what was he doing playing 2-4 everyday...

Anyhow, curious to learn a little more about Ron, I asked what he did for a living. He responded by saying that he used to be in the jewelry business but now is retired. Well I thought to myself, that kind of explains it...but I still felt something was missing. So I probed some more and got a little of a response when I asked if he liked betting on sports. He responded by saying its a long story. I joked back by saying "we got a lot of time..."

Its amazing that when decent players notice other decent players, they kind of bond. Well I can tell Ron kind of bonded with me and he proceeded to tell me a pretty lengthy story about how he used to be a big sports better, but soon found out that he can make sure money by taking other peoples bets. He later moved up in the "bookie ladder" and soon was in charge of a major operation in Northern California in the early 90's for about 2 years. The authorities soon caught up with Ron and raided his office. The trial lasted for four years and after Ron made a deal with the DA by giving up some of the bosses (he called them something different that I can't remember), he only got 3 years of probation. The down side was that he lost everything and had 2 felonies attached to his record. The felonies had prevented Ron from getting a decent job and the trial and lawyer fees pretty much ate up his nest egg.

Now, Ron just tries to get by with social security and playing 2-4 to pass time...

Wow what an interesting story!

I ended up getting my aces cracked (which wins $100 today) in the middle of that story and found myself up $98. I played to my button and decided to get take off early. I played my free slots and ended up getting nothing at all...

Back on home I decided to jump on Full Tilt and play a few tourneys:

Full Tilt starting balance - $7.99

I wanted to play some regular SNG today's so I can stay fresh and not rely on the matrix...

$2.25 NL Hold'em SNG 9 players

First NL tourney in a while and it showed. I ended up being too aggressive from probably playing too much limit hold'em at the reservation. Lucky for me, I was able to get it together by the middle of the tourney and finished 2nd for $5.40. Yeah!

$2.25 Omaha High SNG 9 players

Yea, I messed up again and sat in a Omaha high only tourney instead of the hi/lo game I know and love. I actually threw away half my chips on the first hand after I flopped nut low...since nut low does not pay anything in this game 800 of my $1500 chips went bye-bye. I was able to get most of it back, but then when I flopped a set of jacks, and a player goes all-in with a gut shot straight, it was curtains for me as I finished 5th.

Full Tilt Ending balance - $8.87

Back on Track!

2009-05-30T21:24:00.000-07:00

I needed a nice win today for confidence, a healthy mind, and most important a bigger bankroll!

Fortunately for me, I was able to have a decent day today without hitting any of the promos. I ended up making $167 in the 2-4 game which of course is above the $73 projected amount.

The bad news is that the new June schedule came out for the casino and the promotions have changed....for the worse!

Here is June's schedule:

Saturday (stays the same) - splash the pot and $50 high hand
Sunday (stays the same) - Aces cracked wins $100
Monday (stays the same) - except the flush is now for hearts and only pays $75 now versus $125 (bad news) the one card straight flush ($250) and royal flush ($500) pays the same. High hand also is there and pays the same $50
Tuesday - here is the day that changed the most....no more flushes on Tuesday, now you get $200 if you hit a four of a kind of 2's, 4's, 6's, or 8's. If you are on the table with someone that hits the flush you get $20 (that part is cool). Also, high hand of $50 is there...
Wednesday - same as Monday except high spins the wheel which can win $50,$75,$100, or $250.
Thursday (stays the same) - Aces cracked except they added high hand on this day as well that pays $50
Friday (stays the same) - Kings cracked spins the wheel which can win $50,$75,$100, or $250.

This new schedule changes my projections a little....

I still expect to make about $73 Thursday through Sunday...however, now I also expect to make $73 on Tuesday too. Also, Monday and Wednesday, I expect to make only $134.50 versus the $150 I expected to make in May. This brings my expected weekly pay to be only $634 versus the $745 amount in May.

Besides the decrease in pay, I am still seeing this casino as a gold mine and will frequent very often!

Full Tilt Play - Starting balance $8.81

$2.25 Horse SNG Matrix Fixed Limit

Played in the Horse game and ended up only placing in one of the four games in which I finished 1st. I finished in the other tourneys 6th, 5th, and 4th. However, the one 1st win, put me in 3rd for the overall matrix points tourney. I won $2.24 from the win giving me a net loss of $.01.

$2.25 Omaha SNG Matrix PL

Got back to the game I love, yet actually lost money. I ended up finishing last in one of the four tourneys when I flopped the nut straight with a nut low draw and ended up missing the low and losing the hand to a full house when the board paired on the river. The last 3 tourneys I finished 6th, 3rd, and 3rd which game me back a $1.44 for a net loss of $0.81.

Full Tilt ending balance - $7.99

Bankroll Malfunction

2009-05-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

So after only 3 weeks on this bankroll building project, I have completely malfunctioned! I am so embarrassed I did not even want to write about it!

After playing many hours on Tuesday, I was completely antsy and bored. I ended up pushing most of my hands in the 2-4 game and found myself down about $70 in a hurry. I then walked over to Blackjack (big no no) very frustrated and lost $100 very quickly. I took the 6pm bus home and decided to jump to another casino in a 4-8 Omaha Hi/Low game. After an hour of decent (not good) play, I took a couple of bad beats and lost my head. I blew through almost $500 in a small game which is completely unheard of for me. Losing more than $200 would be considered devastating for me...

I take Wednesday off and and play in a 4-8 Hold'em game at another casino and lose another $100 plus...

Trying to stay composed, I force myself on Friday to go to the Indian Reservation Casino and play for only 2 1/2 hours and win $33. I decided to leave early to rest my mind and watch a movie with a buddy. I go meet my buddy at a local casino where I had to wait about 2 hours for him. I decide to jump in a 2-2 NL Hold'em game and lose $113!

I wasn't kidding when I said I made a bankroll malfunction!

Obviously my problem was making the first bad decision by playing blackjack on Tuesday. I was tired and burnt out and should have only lost the $70 in the 2-4 game and called it a day....after the first bad decision I really went on tilt and broke my rule of playing a bigger game without the proper bankroll and played very bad!! The other losses were all in consequence to that initial bad decision...

These choices may have ruined my project. These bad decisions have dwindled my bankroll down to $200. Without the 4-8 Omaha, Hold'em, No Limit, and blackjack play I would have been on par with my weekly estimations. I ended up making $15 in casino points, $127 in the free slot play, $250 in promotions, and $188 in the 2-4 holdem play. I lost a total of $855 in the bad play and loaned my personal account $550.

I just hope I can get back in focus for the start of my 4th week!

I decided to get on Full Tilt and play a tourney: Starting bankroll $6.26

$2.25 Horse SNG Matrix fixed limit:

I decided to stay with what is working for me on full tilt and played a Horse SNG Matrix Tournament. I ended up getting 1st in two game and 4th in the other two which eventually won me 1st for the matrix points tournament. The total win gave me $4.80.

Ending bankroll - $8.81. Basically right back where I started out initially.

Back on Full Tilt

2009-05-26T03:21:00.000-07:00

Since playing live takes so much of my time and is so much profitable for me, I have neglected the Full Tilt project a bit. Anyhow, I found time to play a couple of tourneys tonight and this is how I did:

With a little rake back my full tilt balance started at $4.09

Holdem NL Matrix Tourney buy-in $2.25

While I really wanted to play the Omaha Hi/Lo Matrix tourney, no games were available. So I played the NL Holdem game instead and ended up only placing in one of the four tourney in which I got 1st place and $1.80 returned to me.

Horse Fixed Limit Matrix Tourney buy-in $2.25

I found a Horse Matrix tourney and decided that it may be a good fit for me. Sure enough I placed in all four tourneys taking 3rd in one, 2nd in two games, and 1st in another game. The wins also gave me 3rd in the overall matrix prize pool. I ended up winning $4.80.

Full Tilt Ending balance: $6.19

The Busdriver is a jerk!

2009-05-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

So as a refresher, I take a 45 minute charter bus from my city to the Indian reservation casino every day. I take this bus to save money on gas and get the free perks like a free buffet and $10 in free slot play. There are three bustops that the bus picks up and drops off every day at different times.

Well I get on the first stop when we get picked up and the last stop when we get dropped off. Today, for some reason, going home the bus driver decides that since I am the only one that was going to get dropped off at the last stop, he was not going to take me there. He told me to get off and did not care that my car was at the other stop. I pleaded with the guy, and he basically told me he did not care. Lucky for me, an older gentlemen who I have befriended, saw my argument and waited for me to get off the bus and take me home! However, I don't know how to handle the situation with the bus driver...I know he his well known for trying to extract tips from his passengers...

Anyhow, I started today's long 10 hour day by hitting two Ace high spade flushes that paid $125/each. I then won $89 from my free slot play! My biggest slot play win yet! I ended up however, losing in the game $47 in which I am pretty disappointed.

Proper Bankroll Limits

2009-05-24T20:56:00.000-07:00

So my friend Clarence came into town on Saturday and I took him up to the Casino to show him the ropes. Boy was he impressed...too bad he lives over 4 hours away. However, after he hit two promotions and walked out a $235 winner, he maybe moving nearby soon! As for me, I earned $26 from my free slot play and made $74 on the 2-4 table for a total profit of $100.

On Sunday, I started the day real slow losing $75 by lunch time. After eating my free buffet, I got on a little rush winning a big pot with seven's full. I ended up finishing the day up $121 from poker and making $9.50 with my free slot play. So far everything is right on schedule!

As my poker bankroll builds, I started wondering what would be next... When do I move up in limits and when should I move down... So I made a little chart for myself based on these three general bankroll principles: 1) My bankroll in limit games should be 300 to 500 BB (Big Bets) 2) For N0-Limit game my bankroll should support 25 to 40 buy-ins 3) For tournaments, my bankroll should support 30 to 50 buy-ins.

This is what I got:

Limit Hold'em

$0 - $1799 play 2-4 Hold'em
$1800 - $3000 play 3-6 Hold'em and move back down to 2-4 when BR goes to $1200
$2400 - $4000 play 4-8 Hold'em and move back down to 3-6 when BR goes to $1800
$3600 - $6000 play 6-12 Hold'em and move back down to 4-8 when BR goes to $2400
$6000 - $10000 play 10-20 Hold'em and move back down to 6-12 when BR goes to $3600
$9000 - $15000 play 15-30 Holdem and move back down to 10-20 when BR goes to $6000
$12000-$20000 play 20-40 Hold'em and move back down to 15-30 when BR goes to $9000
$18000 - $30000 play 30-60 Hold'em and move back down to 20-40 when BR goes to $12000
$24000-$40000 play 40-80 Hold'em and move back down to 30-60 when BR goes $18000
$36000-$60000 play 60-120 Hold'em and move back down to 40-40 when BR goes to $24000
$6000-$100000 play 100-200 Hold'em and move back down to 60-120 when BR goes to $36K

No Limit Hold'em

$2500-$4000 play 1-2 or 2-2 NL Hold'em and stop when BR moves down to $1800
$5000-$8000 play 1-3 NL Holdem and move down when BR is $2500
$7500-$12000 play 2-5 NL Holdem and move down when BR is $5000
$12500-$25000 play 5-10 NL Holdem and move down when BR is $7500

Tournaments

$1200-$2000 play $40 Tourneys and stop when BR is $1000
$1500-$2500 play $50 Tourney and move down when BR is $1200
$2250-$3750 play $75 Tourneys and move down when BR is $1500
$3000-$5000 play $100 Tourneys and move down when BR is $2250
$4500-$7500 play $150 Tourneys and move down when BR is $3000
$6000-$1000 play $200 Tourneys and move down when BR is $4500
$9000-$15000 play $300 Tourneys and move down when BR is $6000
$15000-$25000 play $500 Tourneys and move down when BR is $9000
$30000-$50000 play $1000 Tourneys and move down when BR is $15000
$60000-$100000 play $2000 Tourneys and move down when BR is $30000
$150000-$250000 play $5000 Tourneys and move down when BR is $60000
$300000-$500000 play $10000 Tourneys and move down when BR is $150000

A lot to shoot for, but with patience, discipline, skill, and some luck, we may just get there!

End of Week 2!

2009-05-22T16:12:00.001-07:00

I knew today would be another short day (which I need) since my car was in the shop and needed to be picked up about 3pm. So I went to the casino, played the free slots (made $9) and started playing my favorite 2-4 game. Today's promotion is Kings cracked gets to spin the wheel and can win either $50, $75, $100, or $250. My 6th hand of the day was pocket kings and I was thinking the promotion gods love me this week. Unfortunately for me, the Kings held up and I dragged a small pot. That also was the last pot that I would drag for the day. I ended up playing 2 hours total and lost $63 on the day for a total loss of $53 for the day.

Week 2 was a great week as I won a total of $1,178 in 38 hours of play! Not bad for a 2-4 game. I made $58 from the free slot play, $675 in promotions (wow!), $451 in poker play, and $19 in the casino points. Again my goal every week is $746.50.

I have used the extra money to increase my bankroll to $1,050. The average bankroll most will recommend for a 2-4 game is $1,200 (300 big bets), so it looks like my bankroll is still a little light but I am doing great in building away!

I will take the extra rest today and relax...then get on the saddle tomorrow to start another great week!

Hit and Run!

2009-05-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Tired of playing long hours, I had planned to take off early if I can get ahead any type of decent amount in the game on Thursday. Lucky for me, the cards ran all over me. On the fourth hand of the day, I get my aces cracked and win $100. I then get pocket fives and flop trips and a big pot! Within the first hour I end up being ahead $220 and decide to pack it in and leave! I make another $12 in the free slot play and add money to a great week!

Big Day!

2009-05-21T01:03:00.000-07:00

Coming into the middle of the week, I hit a tough loss on Tuesday. I started the day on fire and was up $150. After about 6 and half hours of play I go into a slump and start getting a few bad beats. Tired from playing back to back long sessions, the bad beats somehow eat me up and I overplay the next few hands taking my winnings down to only $40. I decide to take a dinner break to refresh my mind. When I come back, I get trips, two pair, and a flopped flush all beat in the matter of 15 minutes. I play a bit longer with no change and decided to call it a night losing a total of $43 for the day.

It was tough from being a decent winner to a loser. Although, some of the bad beats could not be prevented, my tilt factor could have. By not resting enough or taking breaks, bad beats were getting to me and my unstable (tired) emotions were set-off. The lesson for me here is to make sure I take as many breaks as I need to play good poker with very little tilt in me.

The next day, I start on fire again! I end up hitting three Ace high spade flushes which pay a bonus of $125/each. I also end up winning $220 in the game and never looking back for a total of $600 winner for the day including the free slot play promotion. Again, the important lesson here is to understand that as long as I can eliminate the tilt, I will eventully will win and make up for my losses.

So far I am up $998 for the week which is way above schedule ($750) with two days still remaining this week!

Internet is back!

2009-05-19T02:58:00.000-07:00

I made a temporary move this past week and in consequence, was without Internet connection! After, a few days of darkness, the Internet is back as well as my poker bankroll!

To give an update, since I have not had any Internet connection I have not played on Full Tilt at all. However, I have been sticking solid to my Indian Reservation plan!

For the week of May 9th-May 15th I played a total of 60 hours of 2-4 hold'em. I made $30.50 from the casino point system where they pay you 50 cents an hour. I made $62.35 from the free slot machine play. I made $525 from the casino poker promotions and only made $33 from actually playing. I made a total of $650 for the week! Which was $95 off the target. This was mainly due to not winning much from the live play.

The lesson learned was that I was playing way too aggressive for the game. This resulted in me burning chips at a faster rate then winning them back. I have noted this and will make adjustments from now on.

So far into the 2nd week from Saturday to Monday I have made a total of $441 which is about $140 above pace for the targeted $745 a week pay.

I will hopefully be able to give you more frequent updates as I am now connected to the Internet again!

Too Many Hands!

2009-05-11T02:56:00.000-07:00

So on Saturday, May 9th, I went up on the bus to the Indian Reservation casino to try and put my plan in motion!

I get to the casino and put my name on for the 2-4 holdem list. While waiting, I play my free $10 slot play. I end up playing a 2 cent machine at 80 cents a spin. I calculate that I have 12 spins and 1 spin at 40 cents. I go through my 12 spins and wind up with $5.60 left in the account. I cash out and already am up for the day!

I get in the 2-4 game and play for 3 hours with my stack moving up and down around the even mark. The promotion for the day is a $50 high hand every hour and splash pot. The splash pot works by the floor man randomly selecting a table, spinning a wheel that determines how much they will give away (either $50, $75, $100 or $250), and the money being placed in the pot of the next hand for the table that was chosen. During my first three hours of play my table was selected all 3 times. The first two times it was chosen I ended up not being able to see past the flop. The third time, however, I wake up with A-K. In 3rd position, I raise the pot. The player on my left ( who is a very aggressive player) re raises the pot. I loved the raise, because I believe that he is raising just to limit the field. The raise was unsuccessful because everyone still called. The flop comes K-Q-7 in different suites. The action gets checked to me and I bet. The player to my left raises and the button calls. I re raise and the player to my left caps the bets with the button calling. The turn is a King! I again bet, and the player to my left raises. I am thinking that the raiser must have a king with a lower kicker. The button calls and I re raise with the raiser capping the bet again and the button still calling. The river hits an Ace. Bingo! Full house! However, I didn't think I needed it. I bet the raiser raises, the button calls, I re raise, and everyone else just calls. Turns out the raiser had pocket sevens and the button had A-Q. I take down the pot and am suddenly up $200! About 15 minutes later my Kings full of Aces win the high hand and I am rewarded the $50.

In a 2-4 game the game really is no fold'em hold'em. After a few hours of random bad beats, I really started to notice that I was playing many more hands and playing them very aggressively. However, the 2-4 hold'em crowd did not respect any of my raises and I ended up losing most of my winnings.

I ended up cashing out $45 winner for the day. That's right, I lost $200 back in a 2-4 game!! With the slot money and player hours reward (50 cents an hour), I ended up making $54 for the day. About $19 than I estimated which is not that bad. What was bad was that I was playing too many hands and really fell into the trap playing like my competition.

On the way home during the bus ride, I promised myself that the next day I will make some adjustments!

Total win for the day = $54

The Matrix

2009-05-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

After a long session the other day and ending up on a low note, it took me some time to get back on the horse and play on full tilt again.

Anyhow, with only $3.21 left, I decided to wait and play the one game that I have been profitable every time at--the Omaha Hi/Lo PL SNG Matrix with a $2.25 buy in.

The matrix is basically for one buy in you play 4 games simultaneously with the same 8 other players. There is a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prize for every game you play and then a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize for the best overall players in the tourney. The one exception is if a player get 1st in all 4 games they take the whole prize pool.

This type of tourney seems to fit me best when playing with a low bankroll since having 4 games should reduce my risk of "bad luck".

Full Tilt starting bankroll - $3.21

Omaha Hi/Lo PL Sng Matrix - $2.25 buy in

After waiting almost an hour for a game gets started I am finally in action. In all 4 games I pretty much am card dead....I finally double up in one game but end of finishing 5th in 3 of the 4 games. The last game I end up going on a rush and get 1st pretty easy. I also finish 2nd in the overall section making this my 3rd straight profitable Omaha Hi/Low PL SNG Matrix tourney!

Full tilt end balance - $3.84

The Indian Reservation Plan

2009-05-08T01:46:00.000-07:00

I envisioned this bankroll to get started by only playing online...however after visiting a near-by Indian Reservation casino I have changed my view....

A couple of days ago I received an unexpected check from one of my earlier endeavors for a little over $200 and decided that I would use that to be the starting point for my offline poker bankroll...but where do I play?

Well it turns out that there is this Indian Reservation Casino that provides buses to my city and will pick us up, drive the 45 minutes to the Casino, and later that night drop us back off...great! However, would it be worth going up there??

Yes! And here is why:

1) They mostly only play 2-4 Limit Hold'em that works well with my bankroll
2) The players in these game are mostly very bad players (which I have found out)
3) The casino pays you 50 cents an hour on your players card
4) Free buffet for all bus riders (after you play an half an hours of poker for that day)
5) Free $10 in slot play for the next day you play ( after you play 2 hours of poker)
6) Great promotions: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday they give out $125 for every ace high spade flush, and $50 high hand every hour...with an average of 2-4 tables in the room this works well...they also pay $250 for a one card straight spade flush, and $500 for a one card spade Royal flush on these days...Thursday and Sunday are aces cracked wins a $100....Friday is Kings cracked gets to spin a wheel....the wheel consist of 24 spots...7 are $50...8 are $75...8 are $100...and the final spot is $250.....and Saturdays is high hand pays $50 every hour and every hour they will chose a table and add $50 to the pot of the next hand....other regular promotions every day is Royal flush (any suit) pays $250 and a bad beat jackpot (four of a kind beat) starts at $10,000 and grows $200/day.
7) If you play 50 hours in a month you get a free entry into an end of the month tournament that has a prize pool of $5,000 and usually averages 4-5 tables!

So after taking all this information...I analyzed the potential and decided to make a schedule for myself if I was come up here regularly....

First lets break down the profit potential:

A 2-4 game should bring a decent player about $6/hour according to most poker experts...I figure this number to be a bit conservative due to the level of the players at the casino, but I will roll with this number...

We are already getting paid $.50 cents an hour

We get $10 in slot play....with say a 90% payback on slots (might be a bit aggressive) we should net $9 ($10 X 90%) back on our slot play...this is considering that we play the free money and once the free money is expired.....whatever is left we cash out....no exceptions!

On estimating the worth of the promotions....we would say that considering the high hands and aces cracked promotions we should hit one every 2 days (playing 6 hours or more a day) which we will estimate to be worth a low $25/day

On estimating the worth of the spades promotions....we will make an initial estimate that we will hit a ace high spade flush once every 2 days of play as well (based on 10 hours a day of play) which would be worth $62.50/day

Now to the schedule: the bus picks up every morning at 9:15am and leaves the casino at 1:15, 6:00, or 11:00...since 2 and 1/2 hours is not enough play in a day we would usually come back on the 6 o'clock bus which would translate to about 6 hours of poker play with considering waiting list time and break time for lunch...however since the Monday through Wednesday promotions are so good we will at least at the start stay all the way to the 11 o'clock bus which would translate to about 10 hours of poker play with considering wait list time and break time for lunch and dinner...

With all this information this is what the schedule and profitability should look like:

Sunday: 6 hours of poker play to make $73
Monday: 10 hours of poker play to make $151.50
Tuesday: 10 hours of poker play to make $151.50
Wednesday: 10 hours of poker play to make $151.50
Thursday: 6 hours of poker play to make $73
Friday: 6 hours of poker play to make $73
Saturday: 6 hours of poker play to make $73

For a weekly earnings of $746.50 with 20% of weekly earning being used to build bankroll

Will need to get things situated on the home front but will put the plan in motion starting Sunday!

Take care!

The online Roller Coaster

2009-05-03T04:41:00.000-07:00

So I wake up early in the morning and decide to play a couple of games. I decide that I want to go back to playing my Omaha hi/low Sit N Go's since I did pretty well yesterday and I wanted to throw in a cash NL game.

First I had to decide what size of a NL game I want to get into. I either could do 1 to 2 cent blinds, 2 to 5 cent blinds, or 5 to 10 cent blinds to fit my limit of a $2.50 bankroll. I decided for now to go with the 5 to 10 cent blind games.

Second, I realized that according to Ferguson's 3rd rule, I would have to cash out when the money on the table is over 10% of my bankroll. Since my initial buy-in will be over 10% of my bankroll, I realized, I needed another exception to the rule. So I decided that once I double my money, or get over the $5 mark in a game, I will have to cash out when the blinds get to me.

Full Tilt beginning balance: $14.48

NL 5-10 cents cash game -
I buy in the game and go through the blinds once not playing a hand. On the cut-off I get 3-4 hearts and decide to play the hand when no one opens. I raise the pot to 40 cents. The button and big blind call. The flop is 7-5-4 with one hearts. The blind checks and I bet 90 cents. The button folds and the big blind calls. The turn is a 10 of hearts. The blind checks I bet my last $1.15 and after some thought the blind folds.
A few hands later with $4.10 in front of me I get A-2 of hearts in the big blind. Three players and the small blind call. The flop is Q-10-9 all hearts. Yippee! Everyone checks the flop. The turn is a 3 of clubs and I bet 20 cents to get something in the pot. One player to my left calls and the small blinds calls. The river is a 7 of hearts. I think oh no any action that I had is probably gone now. So I bet 50 cents. The player to my left folds but the small blind re-reaises to $1.70. I think that the best play is to go all-in for over a $1 more and the small blind calls. He turns over K-J of hearts. Oh no! A straight flush...really?? I exit the game thinking no wonder people think this site is rigged...only half kidding.

Omaha Hi PL Sit N Go $2.25 buy-in:
That's right it is a high only game and not Hi/lo and I played the game by accident without knowing this. After many hands of waiting I pick of A-3-9-10 with the Ace and 3 suited in clubs under the gun. The blinds are 20-40 and we get 6 callers with the button raising it to 120 and everyone calling. The flop come 10-5-4 with two clubs. The small blind makes it 80 big blind calls and I go over the top and raise the pot. Everyone but the big blind folds. The turn is a 6 and the blind checks. I bet the pot which put me all in and the blind calls. the river is a K of spades. The blind turns over is hand and has 2-2-3-10 and I think I get half the pot with low, but am shocked when the blind scoops the pot....oh well I may have played the hand even if I knew it was Omaha high only. I finish 7th.

Omaha Hi/Lo PL SNG $2.25 buy-in:
I get right back on the saddle and play the "right" Omaha PL tourney. Only to play a early hand very aggressive (and poorly). I have a nut low draw with a pair and bet heads up the pot on every station putting myself all-in on the turn only to miss everything and lose the hand to finish 9th. Oh no this is not very good.

Omaha Hi/Lo PL SNG $2.25 buy in:
Long story short, I get a decent cruise to 4th place. With a whole bunch of A-2 cards that I play aggressively go nowhere. I finish 4th....money is dwindling away!

Omaha Hi/Lo PL SNG Matrix $2.25 buy in:
So I just noticed that full tilt as a new thing called a matrix SNG...I will explain more on tomorrow's post, but basically it takes one buy in and lets you play 4 SNG with the same people at the same time. It rewards each game 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes and rewards a matrix bonus for the best overall performer in all three....if you win all 4 games you scoop the whole prize pool...sounds like my cup of tea!

So out of my first two games I finish last in one and 6th in another and Im thinking this will be another failure. I then take the lead in the other two games and end up finishing 1st and 2nd. I end up getting 3rd in the matrix bonus to get a small profit from the whole thing!

I go through my day and decide to come back and play after dinner. My 3 1/2 year old son is getting put to sleep by my wife so I figure I get to sneak in a tourney or two.

Omaha Hi/Lo PL SNG $2.25 -
I play decent early to get a small lead but then go card dead and finish 6th....I am really starting to run out of money!

NL Holdem SNG Matrix $2.25 buy in -
I decide since it was so fun before I will play the matrix game again...however this time no Omaha game was available so I settle for a NL holdem game. Just as I start playing my son wakes up and starts begging for attention as I am playing all 4 games...if I for a second chose poker over my son my wife would strangle me...so I play fast and end up only getting one second place for a $1.08 return...oh no I only have a little over $3 left!

I play with the son for a bit and once he knocks out I get back to playing...

NL Holdem 600 FTP SNG:
I decide since I am running bad to give my point a try. I put 600 of my 2300 FTP to play in a single table winner take all tourney...winner gets a $26 tourney token. I pretty much blind off most of the game taking a chance with an all-in AQ and go busted 5th.

Omaha Hi/Lo PL Matrix buy-in $2.25
With a little money left I decide to wait about 30 minutes until an Omaha HI/Lo game (matrix) got started. And it finally did! I end up doing very well taking 1st in 3 of the 4 games (I finished last in the other one) and get 1st for the all around points! Not a bad comeback!

Omaha Hi/Lo PL Cash game .05-.10 $2.50 buy in:
The very first hand I get puts me on a nut low open ended straight draw....with 4 players and short stacked I am all-in on the flop...I miss the draws and go broke instantly...
I decided to give it one more time and buy in another $2.50....after about 20 minutes of play...I go broke with a full house which gets beat by a higher full house...comeback gets wiped away and so does my confidence

Full Tilt ending balance $3.21

Good night!

The First Day!

2009-05-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

So it starts! On May 2nd, 2009 I will try to abide by Chris Ferguson's rules and try to build my bankroll from $8.93 to $10,000!

Started Full Tilt account with: $8.93

To start my first day I wanted to start with single game tourneys. I wanted to play one NL game and one Omaha Hi/low game. Abiding by the rules I am always allowed to play a Sit N Go tourney up to $2.50 anytime.

Since I have always felt stronger about my Omaha Hi/Lo game I decided to play a $2.25 Sit N Go in Omaha and a $1.25 NL Holdem Sit N Go.

$1.25 Holdem Sit N Go - I started the first two rounds with no action. Then about three hands in a row with a small pocket pair and Ace high I raised 3-4 times the big blind when no one opened. I stole all pots. The very next hand I get Ace-King and I raise it 3 times the big blind to 120. The button at the time who has 1,500 in chips raises to 300 and everyone else folds. With about 1800 in chips left, I decide that the button seeing my recent raises is deciding to put a stop to me. So, with Ace King, I decided to push all in. He calls with little delay and turns over pocket Jacks. After missing the flop, I get a wonderful Ace on the turn and even add a cherry on top with a King on the river.

I pretty much cruise the rest of the way until I pick up Queens with the blinds at 50-100. It is 6 handed and I open for 400 out of my 2900 in chips. The player to my left with 3200 in chips make it 900 and the button calls the 900 with 3000 in chips. Skeptical, I decide to see if I can take the pot right here and go all-in. The player to my left pushes all-in with pocket Aces and the button follows with A-K. The board provides no help and I finish 6th and out of the money...:-(

Not a great start...

$2.25 Omaha Hi/lo Pot limit Sit N Go

This Omaha Hi/Lo game came pretty easy where I hit a few big hand easily and build a nice comfortable lead. With 4 hands remaining, and everyone calling the 120 blinds the board is 2-2-Q. I look in my hand and I have a 2 and a queen. With about 5000 in chips I play fast and bet the pot on the button. The blinds with both about 1500 in chips fold and the player to my right with about 4200 calls. The turn is a 5 and I again bet the pot and the player calls. The river is a king and again I bet the pot (although nervous) and after a while of thinking the player calls which puts him all in. Turns out he only had 3-3-4-Q and for some reason decided to go all the way with it. After winning this pot, I have a commanding lead and easily knock out one of the players due to my raising almost every pot. With one player remaining and only 560 in chips left I thought for sure I would cruise to victory. Turns out, the player hits a few quads on me and actually at one point gets his/her chips up to 5500 with me having about 7500. After about another 10 minutes of heads up play I finally get to him and take 1st place! Yippee!

Good to finish on a winning day!

End of day balance - $14.48

The Bankroll Builder Starts!

2009-05-02T19:55:00.000-07:00

On September 2007, professional poker player Chris Ferguson, turned $0 into $10,000. It took him just under 2 years to accomplish this, but he made it! In fact this is not even the first time he has done something like this! He once, turned $1 to $20,000!

He did this by sticking to 3 basic rules:

1) He never buys into a cash game or a Sit & Go with more than 5 percent of my total bankroll (there is an exception for the lowest limits: he is allowed to buy into any game with a buy-in of $2.50 or less).

2) He won't buy into a multi-table tournament for more than 2 percent of his total bankroll and he is allowed to buy into any multi-table tournament that costs $1.

3) If at any time during a No-Limit or Pot-Limit cash-game session the money on the table represents more than 10 percent of his total bankroll, he must leave the game when the blinds reach him.

The website that Chris Ferguson accomplished this feat was on Full Tilt Poker.

So, I looked on my Full Tilt Poker account, and to my amazement I still had money in there. I had not played on the account for over a year and was pleasantly supprised to find that I still have $8.93 and about 2,200 FTP (Full Tilt Points). You can use these FTP to get prizes or enter into tournaments.

Anyhow, I always have been intrigued by what Chris Ferguson has done and I want to try it. In fact, I will document all my results, strategies, and play here on this blog. So, if anyone is just passing by, please comment on what you think I am doing right or wrong.

I will have a bit of a boost with $8.93 in my account, but I think I may need it!

So wish me good luck in building my bankroll!