For the record, I cringe everytime I see a challenge thread or blog post. Its not that they are overdone or boring, its that they are unrealistic. "I will deposit $50 on stars and within 1 month I will make $10,000." I love the ambition. Aim high. Vince Lombardi said that p<SPAN class=body>erfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. I guess that is what most players who write these posts are hoping for. If they strive for $10,000 and make $500 it is a success. Now, I dont mean to harsh the mellows of these posters (in fact this is a challenge post and I would be a hypocrite to condemn them in the same blog where I am trying to start a challenge lol) but just try to be more realistic.

With that said, I am going to try a challenge for myself. I have been playing poker seriously/semi professionally for the last 3 years. I have dabbled in all forms of poker (nl holdem, limit holdem, omaha, razz, stud, razz, etc.) and all forms of games. (tourneys, sng's, sng mtt's, cash games). But I have never tried to specialize in any one form.

That my friends is my challenge. I am going to become an omaha specialist. I am not going to play any type of poker that is not omaha. I am going to play omaha and omaha hi lo cash games and tourneys. I am going to run this challenge from February 8th to June 8th (4 months for the math inclined lol). My goal is not to make a certain amount of money (i know the title says $800 to $5,000 but that is not the real point. it is just a way to assign a pass or fail grade). My goal is to get better at a game that I feel is the game of the future and to spark my daily grind. Things have been pretty good but I am losing interest in playing. I dont have that spark to play everyday. I need something new, something exciting. Thats what I hope this challenge will do for me. Spark up my interest in playing poker.

here are the parameters:

40 buyins for plo full ring cash games
60 buyins for plo 6max cash games
500 bets for O8 limt cash games
150 buyins for tourneys
the only non-plo games I can play are for sattys*
I will update this blog every 5 days (as best I can lol)
And cash out regularly based on Jennifears Bankroll Management Guidelines

*I put this in so that I can satty into the biggest PLO tournies on stars and tilt. Since there are not many sattys for these events I need to use the sunday major tourney sattys as my means of entry. Of course this means if I win a seat I will play.

I have dabbled in omaha before. Small volume to say the least. I am going to watch training videos and read as much info as possible on omaha. From the outside, I agree its a tall order. I say this is a 50/50 proposition. Its just as likely that I will fail. Either way, Im trying something fun and new. In fact, fun and amusement was this reason I got into this game.

I am really and truly interested in this endeavor. I hope this can inspire some of you to try a new game out and open up you poker skills. I know this will be beneficial in the long run for my poker game, I just hope I dont go busto lol. Well, heres to good luck and prosperity!!

Good luck and see you on the felt.

Starting Bankroll: $886</SPAN>

This was a very tough up and down kind of week. The first 6 or 7 days were down right brutal. I couldnt make a deep run in any tourney or SNGMTT. I couldnt win a satty. PLO cash was brutal. Then the last three days, I made a complete turn around. I won a $215 satty. I made two final tables in tourneys. I won a SNGMTT. I won a few buyins of PLO. Crazy friggn game we play huh? lol The up and downs do take their toll and shake my confidence from time to time but Im confident in my play and know that in the long run I will do just fine. In any regard, lets look at how I did this week with my goals...

January 11 - January 20.
Play 80 SNGMTT's Yep (81)
Win 3 SNG MTT's No (1)
Play 50 tournaments Yep (57)
Make 1 final table Yep (2)
Make $200 No (+$116)
Play in 2 live tournaments No (but i did go to AC and play cash)
Play 2 hours of live cash Yes (4 hours!)

So in all, it was pretty good 10 days. Not great but good. It felt great to play live again. I missed it. I won a paltry $42 but it felt good to go to AC and leave with profit (blackjack was raping me lol). I will be heading back at least one more time in this 10 day period. If I happen to bink a $300+ score in cash games or a small tourney I will play an event at the Borgata Open. I would love to play in the BPO but my bankroll isnt big enough yet. Im really trying to do the whole bankroll management for live play. Online I have always done strict bankroll management. Live, however, I have taken too many shots and have watched it trickle down to almost nothingness. However, if I hit the run goods I will take a shot at a big event. Here are my goals for the upcoming period...

January 21 - January 31.
Play 100 SNGMTT's
Win 3 SNG MTT's
Play 60 tournaments
Make 1 final table
Make $200
Play in 2 live tournaments
Play 3 hours of live cash

As I mentioned above, I won another $215 satty. According to my shot calculator, I will be taking a shot at a $215 tourney. Im thinking the weekly razz, mixed holdem, or plo. I am going to hold off on this shot for right now. I might not take it this period or even next but I am keeping the tdollars aside and will let you know when and how it goes. Also, I am playing in the WBCOOP. Im excited about this as well. I have three chances to make a deep run in one of these things and get into the SCOOP. I will update the blog if I happen to run good in one of these things. I still feel like something big is going to happen for me. I can taste it.

In any regard, best of luck on the tables and see you on the felt!!

January Goals
Achieve Silver Star on Pokerstars
Achieve Bronze Level on Full Tilt
Cashout $600 from poker play

2010 Goals
No Table Games at a Casino
Join a Training Site
Three 4 figure scores
One 5 figure score
Win a WSOP Main Event Seat

Career Goals:(Still going)
Win a WSOP bracelet
Win a WPT tourney
Win a WSOP Circuit Tourney
Win a USPC tourney
Play in a Main Event (any $10,000 buyin)

<div style="height:125px;width:100%;">< a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/blog_tournament/" mce_href="http://www.pokerstars.com/blog_tourn...ot;><img src="http://www.pokerstars.com/images/wbc...x125.gif" mce_src="http://www.pokerstars.com/images/wbc...x125.gif" alt="Online Poker" align="left" style="margin-right:10px;" border="0"></a><p>I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker! The WBCOOP is a free online <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/" mce_href="http://www.pokerstars.com/">Poker</a> tournament open to all Bloggers, so register on <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/blog_tournament/" mce_href="http://www.pokerstars.com/blog_tourn...COOP</a> to play.</p><p>Registration code: <SCRIPT type=text/javascript>document.write(paramCode)</SCRIPT> 898966 </p></div>

There's something refreshing about starting a new year. Its like a clean slate. You forget about all the times things didnt work out and focus on what might be this coming year. I have some big plans for 2010 (poker and life related). But a long journey starts with a single step. So without further stalling, here are my 10 day goals.

January 11 - January 20.
Play 80 SNGMTT's
Win 3 SNG MTT's
Play 50 tournaments
Make 1 final table
Make $200
Play in 2 live tournaments
Play 2 hours of live cash

As you can see, no cash game requirements. I decided to put them on the back burner for a little. I joined cardrunners and got 3 or 4 books for Christmas. I decided I wont play a high volume of cash games until I finish my studies. I may play an hour or two a week but thats it. I am looking forward to getting back into tournament poker. Had some success there in the past and I hope it continues. Micro stakes are tough but it will be a fun challenge. During my down time (I took almost a month off from poker) I won a seat in the Sunday Million. Based on my shot calculator (lol) I will be playing in the $20 1r 1a this week. I will give an update on how this goes. Hopefully a cash, a final table, and a win. Hey its the new year! It is the time of the year to be optimistic lol.

In any regard, best of luck on the tables and see you on the felt!!

January Goals
Achieve Silver Star on Pokerstars
Achieve Bronze Level on Full Tilt
Cashout $600 from poker play

2010 Goals
No Table Games at a Casino
Join a Training Site
Three 4 figure scores
One 5 figure score
Win a WSOP Main Event Seat

Career Goals:(Still going)
Win a WSOP bracelet
Win a WPT tourney
Win a WSOP Circuit Tourney
Win a USPC tourney
Play in a Main Event (any $10,000 buyin)

<div style="height:125px;width:100%;">< a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/blog_tourn...ot;><img src="http://www.pokerstars.com/images/wbc...x125.gif" alt="Online Poker" align="left" style="margin-right:10px;" border="0"></a><p>I have registered to play in the PokerStars World Blogger Championship of Online Poker! The WBCOOP is a free online <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/">Poker</a> tournament open to all Bloggers, so register on <a href="http://www.pokerstars.com/blog_tourn...COOP</a> to play.</p><p>Registration code: <SCRIPT type=text/javascript>document.write(paramCode)</SCRIPT> 898966 </p></div>