So my pokering has not gone well. Almost two weeks in, and I am down some big money. Omaha hi lo has not gone so well. I feel like I have a major leak in my game. I have not been able to consistently make some money at the game so I have decided to put it on the back burner for now. I am not giving up. I am compiling all the reading material and tutorial videos on omaha that I can. It is only a matter of time until I figure out what the hell I am doing wrong. Be afraid O8 players. Im coming for you soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol
Despite this setback, I had a really good tourney day on Sunday. This was my first real day back at tourney grinding. I took a shot at the $215 Mixed Holdem major (10k guaranteed) and finished 9th. I really played well. I made an ill advised bluff during a limit level but other than that I played well. It was a baby cash and a final table bubble (6 handed) but it was my first cash in a major so I am slightly pleased. I also cashed in the Sunday quarter million and the daily thirty grand. Throw in my final table bubble of the $11 HA on full tilt and it was an ok day. Win a couple more flips and run a little better and it would have been an awesome day.
My WSOP hunt has been blahish. I am trying to accummulate a ton of tdollars and step tickets. So far nothing to big. I think I am going to try to win a ton of 1k qualifier seats. Easier said than done but I feel that the 1k qualifiers have the best value. Tonight, Tuesday, and Wednesday I will be playing alot of sattys so hopefully I can win a 1k seat. Im probably gonna pocket the first one I win on each site to pad my broll a bit. Any seat after that is for the WSOP package. I keep having a dream that a win a package so thats gotta be a good sign right lol? Well, we shall see in the next couple days. See ya on the felt!!

The first four days are in the books. Not really the start I envisioned but I had a really fun day. And you know what, I think I really have missed out on the fun in poker. Today, I played in the $215 Razz (which I satty'd into). I did not sniff the cash but it was alot of fun. I enjoy Razz and I have had success with it but have never played a meanigful big tourney. It was alot of fun playing this tourney. 5k for first, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! 80 runners, weeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! Playing higher non no limit tourneys are awesome!!!! I feel like I can (and will) do some damage in this tourney and the other major non no limit holdem tourneys sometime soon.
As for the cash games. They have been eh. Im doing pretty good on stars and pretty bad on full tilt. I have come up with a new approach to success at cash games. My goal is to make 1bb per hour per table. I use to play a given time and quit once I reach that time limit. For me, this doesnt seem to work. I start off strong and dwindle to even or worse eventually. Its probably a big leak in my game. I guess I take too many risks, try too many bluffs, and play too many hands. Well to counteract this (until I plug my leak) I decided to play smart and peace out once I make 10bb's on a given table(i six table). I then have the option to load a different table and start again but most times I do not. Given my 1bb per hour per table wish rate(lol) it would take 10 hours to accomplish my goal. Thats a long time playing for me. I like to do other things with my time besides poker. Most sessions, I accomplish this goal on most of my tables within 3 hours. I like that. Play three hours and get paid for 10. Sounds good to me. I understand I could be leaving alot of money on the table but for my poker goals, it sounds pretty sweet. Since taking this approach, I have done pretty well. Its a small sample so I will stick with it to see if it yields significant results.
Im not really sure how Im gonna handle my tdollars in the future. I would like to split them between majors and Main Event packages but I am unsure about the percentage. I guess I will just go on feel. I do feel like something good is gonna happen. Like I told my friend today, its about volume. The more shots I take the more likely I am to score (Flyers reference). I feel like I am gonna score a big one soon and this blog will be the first to know it lol.

Goals:
Win 2 WSOP ME Seats 0 so far
Cash and Final Table in a Sunday Major 0 for 1
Win a $75 token tourney on Full Tilt 0 for 0
Cash in the nightly 100k on stars and the nightly 75k 0 for 0
Grow my bankroll from $3,400 to $10,000 by the end of August while still cashing out every two weeks. in progress
Play in the Borgata Summer Open Main Event not happening so far
Play in a WSOP Prelim not happening so far

Well, my time as a professional poker player is coming to an end. I use the word professional very loosely lol. It has been my only source of income for the last two years and it has provided me with everything I have needed over the last two years. I should point out that I am in between careers and knew that poker as a career was a short term solution. It is at this time that I realized that I did pretty well, but I could have done so much more.

Short (very lol) list of career highlights:
Cashed in two WSOP prelims the last two years
Best finish in WSOP: 13th
Won the 2k Guaranteed Razz on FTP
Finished 5th in the nightly $3 rebuy for my largest online cash
Only one deposit on PS and FT*

*this might be my best accomplishment

With the good comes the bad...

Career low lights:
5 live bubbles
Blew the chip lead in the WSOP prelim when 13 handed, finished 13th
Never cashed in a major tourney
Never played in a live Main Event
Never really moved up in cash game limits

Maybe I am a little critical of myself, but I believe you have to be in order to progress. Anyway the point of all this, is to announce my impending retirement from professional poker. I will still play but it will be more of a hobby as I will start my new career as a teacher in the upcoming fall. I am super excited for this new opportunity but at the same time very sad that I will have to let this part of my life behind. That being said I have a new 4 month plan for poker. I have a couple goals that i hope to reach and I am going to use this blog as a motivator and as a vehicle to express my thoughts. The following are my goals and my plans.

Goals:
Win 2 WSOP ME Seats (optimistic huh?)
Cash and Final Table in a Sunday Major
Very Very Very lofty goal but I consider any $215 Sunday tourney a major. Specifically, I wanna play well in the $215 Razz, FLHE, and/or Mixed holdem on stars and/or the $215 HORSE tourneys on stars and tilt.
Win a $75 token tourney on Full Tilt
Cash in the nightly 100k on stars and the nightly 75k
Grow my bankroll from $3,400 to $10,000 by the end of August while still cashing out every two weeks.
Play in the Borgata Summer Open Main Event
Play in a WSOP Prelim*

As of right now, Im not going to vegas this summer. If things go well in the next month I will go.

Plan:
6 table 2-4 and 3-6 limit O8 on stars and tilt.
Play sattys to the nightly 100k and 75k as well as the sunday majors
Play the steps on stars and tilt
Use fpps to play in some sunday majors.
Dedicate 40 mins a day to improving my game.

I know what most of you are thinking. These goals are too lofty and unreachable. You are probably right but I aiming high. I have nothing to lose by trying. Come September the dream is over. I have done alot in poker (for a small stakes grinder) but I wanna see how much I can really do. I look forward to the journey and welcome the challenge. Regardless of how it pans out, I will be a much better player come August than I am right now in April. See ya on the felt.

Pokerstars Balance: $1613.30
Tdollars: $0
Fpps: 1920

Full Tilt Balance: $1,797.30
Tdollars: $0
FTPs: 18,503