Another miss...

Well I didn't win. The table was sooo tight early, like I expected, but I didn't think it would go all the way until the 1st break still 9-handed lol. This was partly because you start with 3000 instead of 1500 at Step 6, but still, blinds were up there. I was lucky not to get 9th when I moved in from MP with KQ after the break cause I had about 5 bbs, and I got called by the big blind with AK... I spiked a Queen and doubled.... I only pushed there because I figure if I get called, I'm probably 40/60 or a flip... I was still dominated but got lucky :). We got 5-handed and I had about 4500... I raised to 1200 at 200/400 with 55, and it folded around to the bb and he pushed for like 2900 more, which would have crippled me if I called and lost. Well I was getting about 2 to 1 to call and thought it was a flip... and this guy was crazy/aggro lately. I wanted to win, so I called and was right about the flip... but lost to his KQ... lol... over the top of me with KQ... great play guy! Anyway I busted 5th for $1,000, but would've had about 9k in chips if I had won the hand. The CL had about 12k, and other 2 about 3k each, so I would've been in great shape to possibly take it down, it just wasn't meant to be. Well the plan now is to play the Step 2s until I have 20 tickets to Step 3, and then go from there... I'll update.

- Brandon

Step 6 here I come...

I was up and down all night... At one point we were 4-handed in Step 5 and I was chip leader, when I made a stupid mistake checking tp/2nd kicker to Big Joe on the turn trying to get him to bet into me, only for him to catch the river and chop me in half... I busted shortly after all in preflop with my AK vs his 99... The board blanked and that was that... I usually don't make mistakes like that, but everyone makes mistakes I guess... Well I got another chance and finally got through, although I did get lucky a couple times... I'll play Step 6 tomorrow. Wish me luck.

- Brandon

Knockin on the door...

I've been playing well in the steps lately.. I've been to Step 5 a total of 3 times now, only advancing to Step 6 the first time. I also played my two Step 4 tickets that I had yesterday, and won both, so now I have two tickets to Step 5. I really really want another shot at Step 6, so hopefully I can make something happen. The strategy in these things are obviously different from regular sngs, but I think I have a good idea how to play Step 5. Alot of the Steps are different in the way they payout, so strategies differ among the different Steps also. And it doesn't help that in 4, 5 and 6 I'm normally playing with people like BigJoe2003, Shannon Shorr, The__D__RY, etc. etc. Obviously some of the best in the world. Hopefully tonight I'll make it back to Step 6.

- Brandon

Blah...

Steps are frustrating... I've only been to Step 5 one time since I went all the way to Step 6. It was tonight and I busted when my 99 went down to 1010 AIPF. I do like the Step 6As that they have now... seem to better fit my game. I do still have a few tickets to Step 3, Step 2 and Step 1, and will spend a maximum of $200 or so more on trying to get a seat. If I get one, great. If not, its back to grinding sngs. My bankroll has been dwindling down to under $1,500 since I've been playing the Steps, and $1,100 is where I cut it off and get back to the regulars. Thats 50 buy-ins to the $20s. I still have a decent chance though.

- Brandon

Oh well...

Well I didn't get my seat. I finished 9th, right in the middle of the pack, when I pushed with 7 bbs with QJ in the cutoff and got called by AK on the button.... I missed.... I'm playing the best sng poker I ever have now though... as I got from step 2 to step 6 in a day... I know I've been just running good too, but I feel good about the way I'm playing. I'm going to keep trying.

- Brandon

Getting ready for Step 6...

On Sunday, I bought in to 6 Step 2s and started trying for the PCA. I've made it to step 6 and its about to start now... GL to me

- Brandon

Slight change in plans... for now

Well I've decided that I'm going to try to qualify for the PCA on stars. I figure if I win the package, that amount can count towards my 15k because I was going to use that money for a trip to vegas and tourney buy-ins anyway. The main reason for me doing this is because of the PCA Steps they started. I absolutely loved the steps on Partypoker, and did well in them. I feel any decent SNG player has a good chance to get through this way with hard work, I mean I'm sure it will take a while and many many shots at it, but I'm going to try. I may play some MTT rebuy sattys also.. If I don't win a seat, I'll just go back to my original plan. We'll see what happens!

- Brandon

The hot streak ends....

Well I knew I wouldn't keep putting up great numbers everytime.... Yesterday I went 0 3 0 6 for a loss of $90 and tonight I played 6 of the $60 turbos (which I should have never played, because I KNOW I'm not as good in those as the regulars, and I'm not comfortable playing them). Well, lesson learned... 0 0 2 4 for a loss of $162. So I'm down $252 on the week, which isn't terrible, but its definitely not good. It is a small sample though, only 15 sngs, so I'm not too worried about it. I'm sure now that I'll play alot more this week in hopes to catch up and put a profitable week in the books. I'm too tired to add up all my results and list my ROI and all that junk tonight, but I will in the next couple days, at least by Sunday. Well I'm off to bed now...

- Brandon

Another good day...

Well I only played 24 sngs this week. I only 6-tabled today because, well, I didn't feel like playing 9. I'm moving in with a couple friends and I've been moving my stuff today too, so poker was kept at a minimum. I'm sure I would've played 50 to 70 sngs this week, maybe more, if I didn't have such a good week. I know I shouldn't play less just because I'm running good, but thats just the way I do. If I'd been having a down week, I probably would have easily gotten 100 in to try to grind back up. I've done it before. Oh well enough of that... I ran great again today, going 2 1 0 3. I got lucky quite a few times today, and I'm aware of that, but I think I played well too. So here is the update so far...

Starting Roll = $1,321.94

$30 + $3 Pokerstars (87 played)
Week 1 (9/19 - 9/23) 10 4 6 31 +$315
Week 2 (9/24 - 9/30) 6 5 4 12 +$540
Week 3 (10/1) 1 1 2 5 +$27


$50 + $5 Pokerstars (15 played)
Week 3 cont. (10/2 - 10/7) 4 4 1 6 +$705


Total 21 14 13 54 +$1,587.00 ROI = 43%

Current Roll = $2,908.94



- Brandon

1st day at $55s = good

I played my first session of $55s yesterday and ran rediculously well for the most part.... 2 3 1 3 for a +$450 profit. I remember on one table I pushed for about 8bb with 33 and got called by KK. 3 on flop, 3 on turn, K on river just to add insult lol... I went on to cash in that one. Of course I had beats put on me too, but none that ugly lol. And just to clarify, the $15k mark is what I am trying to reach, but when I get there I'm not taking ALL of it to the WSOP obviously. I'd like to take $10k to $12k with me, and leave enough to play $55s or maybe even $109s in my account. Now the $109s I'm not sure of, because I've heard they are waaaay tougher than the $55s, but I'll worry about that when the time comes. So my roll is over $2600 now. Hopefully I keep running good.

- Brandon

Expanding the Goal...... Bankroll from $1,321.94 to $15,000 by WSOP 2008

I wanted to do this from the beginning, so I may as well go with it. Playing mostly sngs and following proper bankroll management, I will attempt to build my bankroll up to $15k by next year's WSOP. I want to play in some preliminary events out there. As I've written in my last blog, I'm up to $2,203.94 from when I began last month. Everything stays the same.. I'll play only sngs until I get to $3k then decide from there if I want to play MTTs or not. But there will be absolutely no cash games. I know I'm running good now, but if I start running bad, I'm still going to grind this thing out. Wish me luck.

- Brandon

I'm such a slacker...

Well the title says it all.... I only played 27 sngs last week but did very well at 6 5 4 12 for a profit of $540 and a 61% ROI. I feel its not right to even list that ROI because of how small the sample size is of 27 sngs, but I like the way it looks :).... I just played my first 9 of this week, going 1 1 2 5 for a small profit of $27. Now although $27 is a very small win, its huge for me, because it pushes my roll just over $2,200 and into $55 sng range. 40 buyins is what I said I'll use, so I'll stick to it. I'm going to play $55s now. If after my first session of 9 sngs I drop below, I'll adjust accordingly back to the $33s. I'm confident that I can beat the $55s, and I'm going to keep playing just like I play the $33s for the most part. I'll find out after time how much tougher, if any, the competition is at that level. My goal was originally to get to $3k by a month, and I began on 9/19. I'm going to stick to that and hopefully I can play more often and keep running good, and maybe I'll get there even sooner.

Stats:

Starting Roll = $1,321.94

$30 + $3 Pokerstars
Week 1 (9/19 - 9/23) 10 4 6 31 +$315
Week 2 (9/24 - 9/30) 6 5 4 12 +$540
Week 3 (today - ) 1 1 2 5 +$27

Total 17 10 12 48 +$882 ROI = 31%

Current Roll = $2,203.94

I wish these numbers could stay this good all the time :)


- Brandon