I have found that the DON's have helped me control tilt. You will see the most horrid beats and stupidest plays. I have sen guys with 9000 in chips 6-handed blind vs. blind fold to a guy shoving 1/4 a BB over and him folding. I have also seen these same people folding in the SB when the BB will have 150 left after posting a 400 BB. Oh well. I like the fact that these guys are playing these.
I started out playing the $10.40 DON's a few weeks ago and have put in a decent amount of volume recently. I was 20-tabling again and running half decent (about 58%), until I went on my worst down swing ever. I went 4 for 20 and was questioning the RNG (J/K). Any way I dropped back down to 12 at a time and have been doing well bringing what was a 54% win rate back up to 58%. I think 12 tables is the best for me. If anyone sees me 20-tabling tell me to STOP!!!! Please.
I might try and reach silver this month. Hopefully I will have enough time between Christmas and and family stuff to put in the volume. I am sitting right now with 702 VPP and the month isn't even half way done. I know silver doesn't do anything for you, but I am gonna try to hit it for the hell of it.
I worked out the math and if I were to 12 table $10 DON's my hourly rate would be $18/per hour. I am figuring that each session takes 45 minutes. I don't think that is too shaby.

Posted are my stats for the $10 DON up till now.

<table x:str="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="135"><col width="71"> <col width="64"> <tbody><tr height="17"><td colspan="2" x:str="Totals " height="17" width="135">Totals </td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Played</td><td x:num="" x:fmla="=SUM(B3:B4)" align="right">354</td></tr><tr height="17"><td x:str="Wins " height="17">Wins </td><td x:num="" align="right">204</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Loses</td><td x:num="" align="right">150</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">ITM %</td><td x:num="0.57627118644067798" x:fmla="=B3/B2" align="right">57.63%</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Buy-in</td><td x:num="3540" x:fmla="=SUM(B2*10)" align="right">$3,540.00</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Rake</td><td x:num="141.6" x:fmla="=SUM(B2*0.4)" align="right">$141.60</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Total</td><td x:num="3681.6" x:fmla="=SUM(B6:B7)" align="right">$3,681.60</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Won</td><td x:num="4080" x:fmla="=SUM(B3*20)" align="right">$4,080.00</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Profit</td><td x:num="398.4" x:fmla="=SUM(B9-B8)" align="right">$398.40</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">ROI</td><td x:num="0.10821382007822689" x:fmla="=B10/B8" align="right">10.82%</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Per Game</td><td x:num="1.1254237288135596" x:fmla="=B10/B2" align="right">$1.13</td></tr></tbody></table>

Finally Finished out and reached my goal after only 736 $5.20 DON. I would have
off only 10 tabling the $10 DON to start off. I don't see much of a difference in the play. between the two. Well, here are my final stats as well as my stats after 20 $10.40 DON's.

$5.20
<table x:str="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="133"><col width="69"> <col width="64"> <tbody><tr height="17"><td colspan="2" x:str="Totals " height="17" width="133">Totals </td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Played</td><td x:num="" x:fmla="=SUM(B3:B4)" align="right">736</td></tr><tr height="17"><td x:str="Wins " height="17">Wins </td><td x:num="" align="right">444</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Loses</td><td x:num="" align="right">292</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">ITM %</td><td x:num="0.60326086956521741" x:fmla="=B3/B2" align="right">60.33%</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Buy-in</td><td x:num="3680" x:fmla="=SUM(B2*5)" align="right">$3,680.00</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Rake</td><td x:num="147.2" x:fmla="=SUM(B2*0.2)" align="right">$147.20</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Total</td><td x:num="3827.2" x:fmla="=SUM(B6:B7)" align="right">$3,827.20</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Won</td><td x:num="4440" x:fmla="=SUM(B3*10)" align="right">$4,440.00</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Profit</td><td x:num="612.8" x:fmla="=SUM(B9-B8)" align="right">$612.80</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">ROI</td><td x:num="0.16011705685618735" x:fmla="=B10/B8" align="right">16.01%</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Per Game</td><td x:num="0.83260869565217421" x:fmla="=B10/B2" align="right">$0.83</td></tr></tbody></table>
$10.40 DON

<table x:str="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="135"><col width="71"> <col width="64"> <tbody><tr height="17"><td colspan="2" x:str="Totals " height="17" width="135">Totals </td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Played</td><td x:num="" x:fmla="=SUM(B3:B4)" align="right">20</td></tr><tr height="17"><td x:str="Wins " height="17">Wins </td><td x:num="" align="right">13</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Loses</td><td x:num="" align="right">7</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">ITM %</td><td x:num="00.65" x:fmla="=B3/B2" align="right">65.00%</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Buy-in</td><td x:num="200" x:fmla="=SUM(B2*10)" align="right">$200.00</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Rake</td><td x:num="8" x:fmla="=SUM(B2*0.4)" align="right">$8.00</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Total</td><td x:num="208" x:fmla="=SUM(B6:B7)" align="right">$208.00</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Won</td><td x:num="260" x:fmla="=SUM(B3*20)" align="right">$260.00</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Profit</td><td x:num="52" x:fmla="=SUM(B9-B8)" align="right">$52.00</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">ROI</td><td x:num="0.25" x:fmla="=B10/B8" align="right">25.00%</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Per Game</td><td x:num="2.6" x:fmla="=B10/B2" align="right">$2.60</td></tr></tbody></table>

As posted in earlier blogs, I have a goal of playing 1000 $5 DON's. I am in a predicament as to whether to play out my last 350ish or move up sooner. I really want to finish my goal, but I also feel I am leaving a bunch of money out there by not moving up to the $10.40 DON's.

So I am going to follow Fox's Basic Bankroll Management as a guide. http://www.pocketfives.com/poker-art...gement-2425952
I don't believe the variance in the DON's are the same as in regular 9-man SNG's. After about 650 DON's the most I have been stuck is about 7 buy-ins.

As of right now I am sitting with $385.00 in my stars account (should be about $130 more if I could stop donating to donkaments). With keeping in line with his article I am going to wait till I get to 45 buy-ins for a protected bankroll, or $468.00. If I drop down to 35 Buy-ins I will move back down to the $5.20 DON's.

I believe goals are a necessity in poker. So my new goals .

1- Play the $5.20 DON until I reach $468.00, then move up to the $10.40 DON

2- Play at least 500 $10.40 or until I reach $936.00 to play the $20.80 DON

3-Stop donating to MTT's

Here is my stats up until right now
<table x:str="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="128"><col span="2" width="64"> <tbody><tr height="17"><td height="17" width="64">Played</td><td x:num="" x:fmla="=SUM(B2:B3)" align="right" width="64">666</td></tr><tr height="17"><td x:str="Wins " height="17">Wins </td><td x:num="" align="right">400</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Loses</td><td x:num="" align="right">266</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">ITM %</td><td x:num="0.60060060060060061" x:fmla="=B2/B1" align="right">60.06%</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Buy-in</td><td x:num="3330" x:fmla="=SUM(B1*5)" align="right">$3,330.00</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Rake</td><td x:num="133.2" x:fmla="=SUM(B1*0.2)" align="right">$133.20</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Total</td><td x:num="3463.2" x:fmla="=SUM(B5:B6)" align="right">$3,463.20</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Won</td><td x:num="4000" x:fmla="=SUM(B2*10)" align="right">$4,000.00</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">Profit</td><td x:num="536.8" x:fmla="=SUM(B8-B7)" align="right">$536.80</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">ROI</td><td x:num="0.15500115500115505" x:fmla="=B9/B7" align="right">15.50%</td></tr><tr height="17"><td height="17">per game</td><td x:num="0.80600600600600625" x:fmla="=B9/B1" align="right">$0.81</td></tr></tbody></table>