June 27, 2010
Here is my entry into the world of poker blogging. I'm hoping documenting my progress will help to keep me on track. This is going to be pretty informal. For now, my entries consist of whatever happens to come out of my head in whatever order it happens to come out.
A little bit about me: I'm 26. I've not many hobbies. I'm quite a loner, more so recently than usual, but possibly because of personal problems.
A not so little bit about my poker: I was introduced to texas hold'em in 2004 playing SNG tournaments with acquaintances at the bowling alley; we switched to cash eventually. I started playing 2/4 limit that year when my local casino first opened a poker room. I logged over 100 hours in my first week. Soon after, I discovered Party Poker, internet poker in general, 2P2, etc. My game of choice started as .25/.50 full ring limit hold'em. I experimented with a number of other games and sites, but as limit began declining in popularity I switched to NL25 6m. I logged several hundreds of thousands of hands four-tabling that game with a winrate of 12bb+, but I was never able to successfully move up to 50nl. I was playing a pretty nitty weak-tight style (17/14) that worked pretty effectively at NL25, but I often deviated wildly from my usual style while clearing bonuses to take advantage of the rocks that proliferate the bonus-clearing player pools. Pre-UIEGA, I cleared tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses. Eventually I got frustrated with my lack of progress (late 2008) and lack of bonuses after UIEGA. I didn't play a single hand for many months, but then I became ill in 2009 and couldn't really do anything, so guess what I did? I don't really remember why, maybe just from watching the original Pr1nnyraiding, or maybe I thought it would help me with my 6m play, but I decided to play heads up. I started with cash, then played some 600 or so $2-$6 sngs, then back to cash. Currently, I'm a HU NL50 regular with around 130k hands of experience at that level. I'm relatively break-even; marginal winner with rakeback or fpps, marginal loser without.
I've just retained the coaching services of Phoinix. Hopefully he can help me do what my laundry list of nosebleed level previous coaches have thus far been unable to help me do: turn myself into a winning player at NL50. Sadly, I'm now in a situation where just being able to make $10-15/hr playing poker would be rather life-changing, and getting a job isn't really a viable option, so motivation definitely will not be an issue.
I'm setting some goals for myself right away:
Actively rewatch some videos and take notes. I'm going to start with the basics: Haj School (first viewing), Mathematics of NL Hold'em, Dogisheadsup, Pr1nnyraiding 1+2. When I am in the mood for something a little different, I will check out the Thin Red Line, Hand Readers, SSNL Disease, or finally catch that last episode of The Eightfold Path. For some reason, whenever I really like a series I never finish it. There is probably some kind of psychological reason for this
My short-term goal is to be able to make $10-15/hr or so playing HU NL50 like I was playing NL25 when it was softer. If I get to this point I will be putting in ridiculous volume again. My long-term goal is to get out of all forms of debt... permanently. I don't even want "good debt" for a while. I will manage my bankroll towards that end.
Well that was easier than I thought. I didn't expect to write this much, but I just keep typing. So, hello world, and I hope you enjoy watching my quest to go from busto to, uh ... less busto.
