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Kev

Only now at the $1/$2 limit tables. Yesterday was a profit of only about $10, but a profit is a profit. I also did not get anywhere near the 800 hands in, but that’s ok. Wife and I went out for the day.

Let me try to respond to some comments that have been left. Thank you for all the advice everyone has offered.

First off the Cryptologic sites are not an option for me as I refuse to play there. Half of them don’t allow American players it seems and the rest of them seem nervous about the impending legislation which according to an article in the LA times is “stalled” in the Senate. Also I will not deal with a site or group of sites that will not give me my money until they snail mail me a pin and I don’t have access to my money for 3 weeks????? Uhhh no, that is so not gonna happen.

I am too honest or to paranoid to create multiple accounts to take advantage of something offered. This seems wroing to me and lets not forget what happened to those high limit players that got caught doing this awhile back. All money confiscated. No way I would take that kind of chance.

World Poker Exchange is a possibility, but my address has changed as has my email address since I first signed up with them so long ago. Also the following is from their TOS:

NETeller

Availability: You will receive 1 FREE withdrawal every 10 days (additional withdrawals incur a $15 charge).
http://www.worldpx.com/funding.asp#with

NETeller instaCASH

The minimum initial deposit is $100; the minimum deposit thereafter is $50.
The maximum daily withdrawal amount is $5000.
You will receive 1 FREE withdrawal every 10 days.
Any additional withdrawals incur a $15 charge.
Note
Customers who deposit funds through NETeller will receive withdrawals only through NETeller, up to the total amount of their previous NETeller deposits.
Customers who withdraw funds through NETeller without wagering will be charged for all transaction fees incurred by WSEX.

My main attack strategy is as follows.

Stick with the following sites my “main places”

Poker Stars
PokerRoom
Absolute
Ultimate Bet (God Help Me)
Hollywood
Party

Working on a $250 bonus at PokerRoom right now. 1500 points to go and should easily be done within two weeks if not sooner. Hollywood offers large bonuses and Absolute seems to offer one reload or another every week it seems. UB I have over $200 in bonus waiting for me to claim and Party usually has ay least 1 a month although their last was account specific. The rare one on Poker Stars is also a decent one to grab.

Today so far has been a profit all of $4.50

Bankroll $1161.94

Well, that is over quick. I am back at the limit tables. Lost $65 playing NL cash games and while that in itself would not make me abandon the NL games I found the more important thing was I was very uncomfortable with the whole thing. Never seeming to be sure, “Should I call this bet?” “Is he raising a draw?” Unfortunately to find the answers to these questions can cost more than I like. I am in my element in limit games. I understand them fully. I know when it is proper to call and to raise and quite honestly I like the safety that limit games do provide. You may lose an extra big bet or even 2 making a questionable call, but not half or 3/4 of your stack. Bottom line, I felt on edge playing and was not in my zone.

Losing $65 I headed to the $1/$2 limit tables and 3 tabled them. Played between 300-350 hands and pulled down a profit of nearly $70 so the take for the day was up a couple of dollars. Also in the process of all this I cleared my $60 bonus I had there and am now working towards the $250 bonus this latest deposit earned me. If I can earn 100 points a day at PokerRoom which sounds reasonable I should have the bonus cleared in about 3 weeks, well under the expiration date. After that, it will be to UB where I have bonus sitting there. That’s the one that wories me. I have always done so poorly at UB I am apprehensive about playing there.

Bankroll $1147.89

This morning I found an email that said I had money in Neteller. Figured it was a scam email. Was so paranoid I did not click any links. Went to Neteller the old fashioned way and low and behold $1000 is sitting in my Neteller account. Saw the email as to who it was from. Someone I don’t know, that as far as I am aware of have never chatted with, but reads my blog from time to time, sent me $1000 to help me boost the bankroll. I will not reveal their name as I feel if they wished their identity known to my readers he would simply leave a comment revealing this. This generosity had me flooored to say the least. My benefactor had but 2 stipulations.

1. Chase after bonuses to help pad the bankroll. They feel that this is vital and as such, although i have been hesitant to do this previously, I will do as they wish.

2. When the bankroll passes $10k I must seek out a struggling poker player and do the same for them.

The generosity of this person astounds me and I can’t even begin to thank them enough. Now what to do with this bankroll?

I immediately deposited $500 at PokerRoom as they are having a 50% reload right now, $250 max. I will 3 table the .25 NL games as 4 tabling at that site gets quite laggy. I found I still have $60 in bonus there to clear and that will be cleared relatively soon.

I have made the switch to NL, 6 max. Trying to figure what kind of bankroll plan to use ie how many buy-ins per level. I am thinking of using 50/40 buy-in plan. I have posted the question in a couple of forums but anyone who has any advice on this shout it out, please. With $1083 I have enough to play .05/.10 NL giving me over 100 buy-ins for that level. I played a few hundred hands of 4 tabling .05/.10 NL yesterday and did fairly well. Made a couple of mistakes here and there, but learned from them.

I will be playing the .25 NL tables to clear the bonus at PokerRoom as that is the smallest tables they have. For this level I have over 40 buy-ins so all should go well.

4000 hands/wk is the current schedule. Should be easily done.

I am still speechless about the whole thing. Talk about a morning shock. Not exactly what you expect when you check the ole email in the morning. I’ll make this person who did this glad he made the decision to do this for me. Many thanks to this person. He knows who he is.

Bankroll $1083

I may have decided to make the move to NL. 6 max of all things. Bottom line I just couldn’t take the crap at the .10/.20 tables. Over 3000 hands this week for a loss and I have played solid A game poker. Decided to 4 table the .05/.10 6 max NL games. Just a little diversion or so I thought. It amazed me how much difference a pot size bet can make. I mean these players were playing solid poker even for nickels and dimes. Before all this I did 4 table .50/$1 but lost about $17 so I got out of there.

So bankroll is about $83 as this week was a loss but I did pull down an $8 profit at the NL tables. I think the bad beats will be real hard when I get them, but for the most part I may enjoy this. I am going to play 6 max for 2 reasons. The first is I think with less players bad beats may be less. And 2nd I can get in more hands per hour played. But where to start?

My bankroll would say .01/.02 but they don’t have 6 max at that level for .01/.02, but they do have it for .02/.05 so I will take the chance and start there. On the 16th I should be able to add $75 to the bankroll so if i can just avoid going broke before then, I’ll be ok. To say I am unsure of myself in NL is an understatement, so any advice any of you NL players have send them my way.

I am going to do a goal chart at work tonight. Not sure what an average earn rate is at NL. I have seen 7ptbb/100 mentioned on forums. Is this average?

I made 12 today bit only played a couple hundred hands.

Got to fly for work. Tomorrow is Saturday and I take the weekends off from poker, but I might play anyway. Not sure yet.