Once again I find myself here starting it all over again. After a long deliberation, I finally made the decision to leave my backer and play on my own again. It was a very difficult choice, but something I really feel I need to do in order to take the next step in my poker career. I have nothing but gratitude towards my former backer, but I believe ultimately some people are just not meant to play backed. I never really felt comfortable with the situation, and quite honestly I just did not make enough money this year to be giving up 50% of what I made. Essentially all it had become was safety net, albeit a very expensive one. I'm not gonna lie, it can be really scary without that net, but it is also exciting and motivating. Its time for me to find out what I'm really made of, and that certainly sparks some life inside of me that I know has been missing over the last few months....

Last night was the first night playing on my own, so I decided to just play really small. The highest buy in I played was a $26 on full tilt, and I mostly played $8 and $11 tournies on stars. My bankroll is big enough that I can afford to play a bit higher, but I really just wanted to get my feet wet and get that first night out of the way. Naturally I airballed everything, but my game feels solid and it is only a matter of time until I break through....

I woke up this morning with the feeling like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders, but also with butterflies in my stomach. I am nervous and excited for the future, 2011 is really going to be a defining year for me. After two years of studying and grinding, I have made a slow and steady progression that has led me to this moment, and now it is time to take this moment and run....