CraigSG1 Cash Diary and new goals. Starting BR £500. Current: £540

CraigSG1

Hi everyone. Been thinking about this for a long while but I will go public - if anyones interested - and it would be nice for some feedback. 

Ive challanged myself to hit a £1000 by May. 

Back in 2007 I played a poker home game for the first time. I was rubbish. I bluffed off my chips within the first five minutes as I didnt have a clue what I was doing! But somehow I loved it. The challange to learn this game began!

Luckily I discovered Poker Night Live and what I learnt from there was immense. I started playing play money then quickly deposited my first money and started playing 10 seater SnG's every weekend. I didnt have the internet myself at the time and would spend the weeks looking forward to weekend so I could spend the entire saturday at my mothers using her computer and internet! Playing SnG's really honed my MTT skills and thanks to a freeroll MTT (that I had no idea what it was at the time) won me a seat into a main MTT where I went deap and cashed for over $600.

I then used this to enter MTT's and over the next two years I won over £6000 which I used to buy 2 computers, a holiday and household items when I moved in with my girlfriend. I then had to step away from playing bigger buyin MTT's a few years ago and a site I was succesful at closed. I eventually found Sky Poker about three years ago and have had a decent continual small profit from this site with only a £100 max BR. Everything above this I withdrew.

Now with home life settled I find I can dedicate more time and effort and not need to rely on my BR for spending money to try and open up and go for larger goals again. I am very aware that things are a lot tougher now but I always enjoy a challange and we as poker players are forever learning!

So, starting from Friday I have decided to challange myself and by making it public I hope to use this a motivation to keep it up instead of getting to £300+ and withdrawing.

So, here goes.

Friday:

BR £127.92   PP 574

MTT: £2.30 BH for a -£0.61    £2.20 Rebuy for -£2.20  and £500 FR for £0

Cash: 1h 45m session. + £4.08

Saturday:

BR 129.19    PP 605

MTT: £3.30BH (30/88) -£3.30     £2.30 BH (5/161) + £14.93    £2.20 Rebuy (23/107) - £4.40    and £500 FR £0

Cash: 09:10 - 11:00   + £11.81

         13:35 - 14:50    + £5.05

         21:00 - 21:55    + £2.35

Finshing the day;  BR £154.91     PP 676

I feel I played well over those two days. I read hands well and when I know I made a mistake I never compounded it through a hand by trying to go through with an obvious bad play. Since I started playing 6 tables cash i find its enough not to get bored and play bad hands and not too much to get overwhelmed by decisions.

Well, ive done it. I just hope I keep it up. Not to mention be succesful. 

SJspanky1

Good luck with this Craig. Sounds like you have a solid game so this is well achieveable in 6 months. What cash levels are you playing and do you plan on trying to SAT into some of the bigger MTTs as your bankroll grows??

CraigSG1

Thank you. I will be starting at 4nl playing 6 tables but MTT's usually come first in my agenda depending on the amount of time I have.

Ive never tried sats which to be fair is a leak as my game does suit this style. I think I will definatley attempt sats in the future so time will tell how I do in them.

GaryQQQ

Good luck Craig, you've got a good game and a great chance of doing this, I'll be following with interest and cheering you on.

It's nit-picking I know, but the diary should really be titled '£154 to £1000'. It's a bit cheeky giving yourself a running start by including results of games played before you went public.

I've seen several other diary writers do exactly the same in the past. Funnily enough I'm yet to see one say something like this in the OP; 'I started on Friday and I've already lost £xx, my balance has dropped to £xx'.

LARSON7

All the best Craig, i would definatly say play the 7 0 clock freeroll, 10k chips is worth about £3 plus.

If you play the 7:15/ 7:45 deepies, thats your entries paid and any winnings are pure profit!

CraigSG1

Hi Gary, good point. I have a written diary I started on Friday so everything was taken from that. A £1000 is my goal but not written in stone. I just want to see if I can do it, and using your threads as motivation I will keep going even through the down turns.

Thanks Larson, I always do play that FR if possible. Its a great little tourny and I love that its timed.  The Deepies do sound interesting, I just struggle to stay focused if I go deep as I get tired around 9-9-30 as I'm up early each morning. But i wont get better if I dont try so lets see.

CraigSG1

Day 3

It's fair to say the river was not my friend today. I had one of my worst ever sessions at 4nl, in little under an hour I finished £12.71 down. I lost seven big pots to cruel rivers. One three way pot I flopped good with AKs v QQ v 1010 only to lose to a river Q. Another AK flopping well on a A high board with three clubs (I had K of clubs to boot) only to lose to someone calling down big bets with J2 (2 clubs) to hit runner runner straight.  

The pitfalls of 4nl. Although very frustrating at the time and even now it's also the play that makes me money in the long run. These swings are why it's important to enjoy the victories and good variance when you can. You can't get too confident and big when the going is good so it's just as important to realise you can't get to down when it goes wrong. I didn't feel I played bad poker, it just wasn't to be today. I know full well I will have more bad days but I also know I will have more good days. 

An afternoon session also didn't go my way, finishing £5:45 down. I managed to play the £2500 FR and manged to cash out with £3:48. Could have been better but free money is always good!

BR £140.23. PP.  714

CraigSG1

Day 4

A better day for me today, I felt I played decent poker just like yesterday but without the harse rivers. Saying that, I did lose to a river 10 with KK v 1010 aipf but thankfully I was running good on other tables to absorb this. Thats why its so important to play multitables to spread the variance. The more the better but only ever play what you are comfortable at playing. Its not an ego thing so dont think the more you play the better you are. 

I had two sessions today. 

11:37 - 13:00  +£3.77

18:00 - 19:00  +£8.12

BR £151.66    PP 755

Edit: I played the £500 FR at last minute. Good I did. Managed to gain £4.78 with about 14k chips at the end. 

New BR balance: £156.44

CraigSG1

Day 5

Did not play.

Day 6

Frustrating night tonight. Didnt get anything from the £500 FR and £2.20 Rebuy. Got off to a good start and then lost last hand before rebuy. Didnt fancy spending £6 to get back up so left.

In the 6pm £2.30BH I had a 12/129 place finish. I was card and situation dead for pretty much the first hour before doubling up to just below average with AQ v KQ aipf and took a head to boot. A few hands later I then doubled up again off a serial limper when I raised pre with A9s. With 2nd pr and nut flush draw I bet out and got called. A 9 on the turn was a great card. To my surprise the guy then bet just over half his stack. I shoved over and he flipped over 1010 and from no where I was 3rd. The value of patience and not forcing youself to take bad spots when you dont need to paid off. 

I did get lucky with 17 left (13 paid) when again with serial limping I moved allin from the BB with 77 and was shocked when the UTG limper (with biggest stack) snap called. Knowing I was against AA I was resigned to going out. But a 7 on flop (the case 7 I was told) got me up to 2nd. Its not a move I make a lot but with a lot of limp folding and people holding on for the cash it looked a good spot to add 2000 chips to my stack. From there I got to last two tables in 1st place only to lose 3 out of the next 5 hands to go out. First I raised button with AJ and a short stack moved in. He had AK. Two hands later the guy in SB who had just lost a big pot raise my BB. I had 1010 and raised back. He flipped AJ and hit J on river. Next hand I then get AK. From UTG I min raise, a guy moves allin for 30BB and I call. He flips over A10 and hits 10 on turn.

The ups and downs of tournaments!

I played an hour of cash but finshed £5.21 down. £4 of that in one hand when with AA I lost to a guy callng big bets both pre and post with Q7o. Suffice to say I couldn't get away from a J47 Q board when all money went in (i already had most of my balance in, I was more worried of QJ that Q7!)

A fun if not frustrating night.

BR £155.19   PP 772

Glenelg

Good luck! 

CraigSG1

Thanks Glenelg, nice to know someones reading!

Day 7

Did not play

Day 8

One of those days many of us have where just a couple of hands here and there could have gone a long way to making this a very good day. As it was I finished a few pounds up from my usual mix of tournaments first and then cash.

In a £2.30 BH I finished 15/136. I had a very good start trippling up over the first half hour but then couldnt find any good spots to move on. Its important not to get too frustrated and stick to the game your comfortable with, it can be annoying watching other players gain big stacks with junk hands but often these players will be found out later on in the tournament. You just have to be there to take advantage. 15th was good for a min cash and with two bounties I managed to leave with profit. 

I played the £2 rebuy but had no luck there. In the newly reduced £300 (down from £500) Freeroll I managed to finish 13 with 20k chips for a £3.96 cash. 

After that I played cash for 1h 20m for the earth shattering sum of + £0.28. But profit is profit!

BR £158.78   PP 808

CraigSG1

Day 9

Well, a good day today in the end. I normally try and play the £3.30BH on a w/e morning but work intervened so I had a little session in the afternoon that lasted 1h 35m. As this is a warts and all diary I have to embarrasingly admit that I did something I'm not proud of and am trying hard to eradicate. I had an horrendous first 45mins getting coolered and outdrawn. I wont bore you but I was about £14 down. I then 'chased my losses' by moving up levels for the next 45mins. I didnt go aggro chasing but just moved up and seen what happened. Luckily this time I turned my session around to finish £5+ up but that is not the point. I really need to stop doing this as its a form of tilt. 

This is obviously part of why I'm doing a diary. Everyone has losing sessions and bad runs I need to just take it on the chin and move on but no-one likes losing and I need to deal with this better. 

A point proven by the fact I had a very, very good evening session. I played the £2.30BH and after a good start, again I just could not get going after. It happens and I'm cool with that. Im not prepared to get Q10 multiway allin or 77 multiway allin so finding spots was difficult and a few outdraws didnt help. I picked up a bounty along the way.

My 1h 15min cash session was my biggest win so far in this challange. I finished up on all 6 tables and despite losing twice with Aces to rivered 2pr's, I ran pretty well. I finished £16.59 up which enphasises the need to stay positive when the results arent and just believe you will have more winning sessions than losing ones.

BR £179.69    PP 893

Jac35

Well done so far.

Don't worry about moving up today. No harm came of it and we've all done that kind of thing every so often.

Good session tonight.

Will keep reading and looking forward to seeing you reach your goal

CraigSG1

Thank you Jac35. Nice to gert some encouragement.

Day 10

The day started with the two £3.30BH. In the 9:45 I enjoyed a solid start and maintained this through to the late stages, never dipping below average. I lost two big pots to be chip leader to one one outer and a rivered trips. Each time for a bounty. I managed to bounce back both times. My demise came just after the bubble burst. I min rasie AKo UTG and got a short stack allin and then the chip leader at the table moved in. Having blockers for AA and KK i took the risk of a race, not worrying about laddering as this pot was worth the chip lead. The shortie had A4s, the big stack JJ. Suffice to say I missed and exited 9/73. A win there and im in a great position to go on for an even deeper run. I left with +£2.79

In the 10:45, again I got off to a quick start flopping a set to bust a limper who made 2 pr but I then lost half my stack two hands later to a loose player shoving allin to my raise with AA and i again had AK. I stayed patient and managed another bounty 20 mins later that got me back above average. My exit came in very unfortunate fasion again. I raise with KK and a healthy stacked player who played most hands calls with A7s. I bet out and with his nut flush draw the villian shoves. I call only to be stung right away by an A and out I go instead of having a 9K stack and amongst the leaders. Even worse was both exits happened within a minute of each other. I left with -£1.04

I played two cash sessions in the afternoon. After 1h 20 mins I left with a £5.07 profit. Could have been so much better for the last few hands when I was playing my last rounds I lost a £9 pot when my flopped set and turned FH lost to a rivered better FH after money went in on the turn. On another table I lost a £4 pot when my turned trips with KQ lost to the turned bottom FH.

I returned after a short break for a further 45mins to again leave witha  profit, this time £4.32

BR £190.83    PP 959

After a week and half progress is going well. I think I am playing good, solid poker and making good decisions. Obviously Ive made mistakes, we all do, but ive managed to know when Im playing a hand badly and not compound it more by continuing. 

On the tournament side ive made a few deep runs but need to make more of the middle to late periods. I dont like calling off with marginal hands, even to the l/a players, and would rather be putting others to a decision than having one myself. For example, I would rather be pushing with KJ, A7, 55 etc than calling off with them.

CraigSG1

Day 11

Only enough time for a quick half hour cash play today. Happened to be a profitable one too, although I have thanks to the river for once (been my tormentor lately) for a Q to outdraw KK once all money had gone in by the turn on a low flop. That was for a £7 pot. 

I finished £6.27 up to take my totals too;

BR £197.10   PP 972

CraigSG1

Day 12

Well, I dont know how to feel exactly after today. Both dissapointed and happy. I played two cash sessions today, both for over an hour. In the afternoon I finished £1.76 down although at one point I must have been £8/£9 down after suffering some terrible run. Im not moaning, its how it goes. Most of the time I got the money in good only not able to fade draws or caught two pairs. Its frustrating but important to realise I got it in good and I will see the benefits eventually! I hope!

My evening session went much the same, couldn't catch draws or have strong enough hands to cope with a lot of very aggressive play tonight. I did manage to win a couple of big pots but lost a couple too. Again I felt I played ok but finished 30p down.

So, the day could have been a lot worse and to finish only a couple of pound down feels a little like a win! Poker can be wierd, you can have a deep run in an MTT and finish a few pound up but still feel like you've lost!

Poker, eh!

BR £195.04   PP 1019

CraigSG1

Day 13

Not the best day. Very dissapointed and a bit down at the moment. Started off in the £2.30BH and pretty much ran dry. Won a few pots, lost a few. Couldn't get going and eventually down to 11BB I jammed K3s from button only to run into KK. A flush draw gave me hope but to no avail.  I did cash in the first £300FR for £1.72 (my GF played her first FR on Sky and cashed for a little more than me!) and in the second I busted first hand when my KK lost to a rivered A v A10s aipf.

My cash session lasted 2h 45m and I should have known after in the first few minutes i lost a buyin when I was set over setted on the flop. A combination of terrible luck, some bad calls and my made hands not getting paid meant I finished £11 down.

My first real down swing and the first of many I'm sure. Tomorrow is another day as they say. Onwards I go.

BR £183.39    PP 1070

chicknMelt

Hi Graig - all the best in your challenge!

2 losing days isn't even close to a downswing tho

if you post a hand or 2 here, you'd get a bit more interaction, and a bit of help with some of the more tricky spots.

Ive been impressed with your BR discipline btw

CraigSG1

In Response to Re: HOLIDAY CHALLENGE £127 TO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BY MAY (£1000 THE DREAM):

Hi Graig - all the best in your challenge! 2 losing days isn't even close to a downswing tho if you post a hand or 2 here, you'd get a bit more interaction, and a bit of help with some of the more tricky spots. Ive been impressed with your BR discipline btw
Posted by chicknMelt

Hi. Thanks for your feedback. I'm not viewing it as a downswing (yet!) but it's never nice to lose! I would love to post some hand histories but I've been unable to access them on the new software. I use Safari on my Mac so if anyone could help I would be grateful. 

Thanks, credit to GaryQQQ though as his example is what I intend to follow. I've used good BR management before to good success so will do again. I may bend it every now and then on a weekend but I will be very careful. 

chicknMelt

one trick is to past them into a word processor (word?), then copy and paste to the forum-  you lose suits tho, but can type/explain them.

I think it only works properly from IE unfortunately.

Glenelg

Still enjoying the read.  BTW  Gary always updated the title of his thread to reflect the change.  Just saying.... NOT criticising.  Good Luck!