I've been thinking about doing one of these for quite some time now, but I think I've finally arrived at the point where I'm comfortable enough with my game, and with myself playing the game, to give myself a shot at some higher stakes. I don't expect it to be easy, but I think I'm as good as anyone who plays the low-stakes cash games online, and I'm sure with a desire to learn and to improve, I too can break into the higher-limit games.
A little background about me. I started playing low-stakes LHE back in late 2005, and slowly grinded up my bankroll after stints playing SNGs and cash games. I've had pretty good success at all of the games that I've tried, and I increased my bankroll from an initial $100, to about $5k. Last year I started graduate school in Berkeley, CA, which has taken up a lot of my time. My research in chemistry is cutting-edge and it's my main interest nowadays. But, the poker bug is still alive and well within me, and I really want to get back into playing more seriously. With a lot of constraints on my time now, I really want to manage my poker-playing time more professionally, and make any time I spend on it meaningful. This doesn't just mean to play my best and focus on all of my tables, but to manage my bankroll, continue to learn and accept mistakes if I ever make them, and most of all, look for favorable opportunities to increase my bankroll.
I guess I'll start by coming up with a plan for bankroll management. I envisage that it will involve mostly cash games with some tournament and SNG play on the side.
Will write again soon...