MEbenhoe
11-04-2004, 02:52 AM
Something I want to address in this journal that I feel is overlooked by far too many new online poker players is the idea of “bonus whoring”. I know I totally missed this idea the first time I started playing online (which is good for me because it means I can use all the bonuses to build up my bankroll now). In my opinion there is no easier way to guarantee your bankroll grows than bonus whoring. New players to online poker should go through and get the bonus from every single party skin, not just for the original bonus, but because they’ll also offer you reload bonuses in the future. Also, I feel the party skins bonuses are the easiest to clear, as you only need to play 5 raked hands for every $1 of your bonus. So even if you only play break even poker you’ll still be able to expand your bankroll at a fast rate.
Nov 1st
I squeezed in a monstrous 100 hands today. I was +$17.50 on this quick little morning session. I kinda like the idea of having some days like this in my schedule to break it up. Honestly you guys out there who play something like 2000 or more hands a day, I don’t know how you do it. It seems like this would lead to a quick rate of burnout. Personally I enjoyed my insane 17.5 BB/100 rate on the day. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif
The highlight of my day was definitely having track practice in the pouring rain. I don’t if you’ve really truly lived until you’ve run stadiums completely soaked and with rain spraying in your face on a beautiful 40 degree autumn day. I love Wisconsin weather.
Bankroll Update: +$17.50 for a total of $567.59
Nov 2nd
Well I started out today by playing 300 hands of $0.50/$1.00 and dropped $14.50, so not a great start to the day. Then I decided I was gonna clear the reload bonus offer I had gotten from Party Poker for $100. I found this reload bonus somewhat odd seeing how they offered it to an account I’d never even deposited money with before. That’s alright, not gonna complain. So 693 hands of $1/2 later I had played the 500 “raked hands” required to clear the bonus. Sadly I lost $13.00 doing this, so the bonus ended up leaving me up only $87.00. Funny enough while I lost $27.50 playing today, I still ended the day up $72.50 for my bankroll. I have to admit I know for sure that adjusting to the Party $1/$2 tables when I switch over to only playing on Party Skins will take a little bit, but I should be fine.
On to more important issues, I have to say how proud I am of our country as a whole for reelecting George Bush. It is my opinion that he was the far better choice to lead our country, and his policies and views fall much more in line with my own personal views than any of Kerry’s do. The College Democrats on my campus have been quite obnoxious, and several of them knowing I’m a Republican were quite rude to me as well today. The joy I will get in rubbing this victory in their faces will be amazing. I have to say I am not the type to gloat over a victory like this and actually I have and will be quite respectful to your average democrat, but the College Democrats on my campus require special consideration, and they will be hearing from me. Slightly vindictive? Yes, but I’m ok with that. After my gloating is done I will quicly move on. I think now the most important thing is to begin uniting what is guaranteed to be a sharply divided country.
Bankroll Update: + $72.50 for a total of $640.09
Nov 3rd
I woke up this morning to the sweet news that John Kerry had officially conceded. As much as I don’t like a lot of his political views I have to say he carried himself in a very respectable manner over the past two days, and he should be commended for that.
I managed to squeeze 300 hands in today in a busy schedule compacted by me sleeping in this morning. I played reasonably good for this stretch today, although I’m still identifying a few situations where I’m making a call or two that I shouldn’t. For the session I was up $21.50, for a BB/100 of 7.17.
Tonight after practice, food, and a little bit of studying I went to watch a couple friends of mine play a little show. My friends Tyler and Andy along with a couple other musicians here and there, whatever they need to fill in for the song, have a nice little band going. You can check them out at www.tylerandandy.tk (http://www.tylerandandy.tk) and you can download their music off of www.soundclick.com (http://www.soundclick.com) I may be a little biased, but I have to say these guys are very talented. They’ve been building a steady and quite loyal fan base from playing a lot of college shows and from a show on Wisconsin Public Radio. The consistent review on them is that they play very well and are great songwriters, but could use a little work on their vocals and I would have to agree with this assessment overall. Their music is comparable to Semisonic and Ben Folds and I really encourage you guys to check it out. They’re still a little bit rough, but they have a few good songs. I personally recommend “Wings” and “Limosine”. (Shameless Plug Over) After that little show I went back to the dorm to work at the desk for two hours and that was about it for the day.
Bankroll Update: +$21.50 for a total of $661.59
Well I promised I’d throw some hands in eventually so here they are:
Hand #1
This hand is just evil
Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (6 max, 5 handed)
Preflop: Hero is Button with Jd Jc
UTG folds, CO Raises, Hero 3bets, SB calls, BB folds, CO calls
Flop: (10 SB) Js Kh 4h (3 players)
SB checks, CO checks, Hero bets, SB raises, CO calls, Hero calls
Turn: (8 BB) Kc (3 players)
SB bets, CO raises, Hero 3bets, SB calls, CO caps, Hero calls, SB calls
River: (20 BB) Ad (3 players)
SB bets, CO raises, Hero calls, SB 3bets, CO caps, Hero calls, SB calls
Final Pot: 32 BB
Hand #2
Too cautious?
PokerStars 0.50/1.00 Hold'em (5 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)
Preflop: Hero is MP with Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button calls, SB calls, BB calls, UTG calls.
Flop: (10 SB) 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Button calls, SB calls, BB calls, UTG folds.
Turn: (7 BB) 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, BB folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button calls, <font color="CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, Hero calls, Button calls.
River: (16 BB) 2/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, Hero calls, Button calls.
Final Pot: 19 BB
Hand #3
I think my line is off
PokerStars 0.50/1.00 Hold'em (6 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)
Preflop: Hero is UTG with T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
Hero calls, MP folds, <font color="CC3333">CO raises</font>, Button folds, SB calls, BB calls, Hero calls.
Flop: (8 SB) 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/club.gif, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, BB folds, Hero calls, <font color="CC3333">CO raises</font>, SB calls $0.25 (All-In), Hero calls.
Turn: (6.75 BB) T/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players, 1 all-in)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">CO bets</font>, Hero calls.
River: (8.75 BB) T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players, 1 all-in)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO calls.
Final Pot: 10.75 BB
Nov 1st
I squeezed in a monstrous 100 hands today. I was +$17.50 on this quick little morning session. I kinda like the idea of having some days like this in my schedule to break it up. Honestly you guys out there who play something like 2000 or more hands a day, I don’t know how you do it. It seems like this would lead to a quick rate of burnout. Personally I enjoyed my insane 17.5 BB/100 rate on the day. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif
The highlight of my day was definitely having track practice in the pouring rain. I don’t if you’ve really truly lived until you’ve run stadiums completely soaked and with rain spraying in your face on a beautiful 40 degree autumn day. I love Wisconsin weather.
Bankroll Update: +$17.50 for a total of $567.59
Nov 2nd
Well I started out today by playing 300 hands of $0.50/$1.00 and dropped $14.50, so not a great start to the day. Then I decided I was gonna clear the reload bonus offer I had gotten from Party Poker for $100. I found this reload bonus somewhat odd seeing how they offered it to an account I’d never even deposited money with before. That’s alright, not gonna complain. So 693 hands of $1/2 later I had played the 500 “raked hands” required to clear the bonus. Sadly I lost $13.00 doing this, so the bonus ended up leaving me up only $87.00. Funny enough while I lost $27.50 playing today, I still ended the day up $72.50 for my bankroll. I have to admit I know for sure that adjusting to the Party $1/$2 tables when I switch over to only playing on Party Skins will take a little bit, but I should be fine.
On to more important issues, I have to say how proud I am of our country as a whole for reelecting George Bush. It is my opinion that he was the far better choice to lead our country, and his policies and views fall much more in line with my own personal views than any of Kerry’s do. The College Democrats on my campus have been quite obnoxious, and several of them knowing I’m a Republican were quite rude to me as well today. The joy I will get in rubbing this victory in their faces will be amazing. I have to say I am not the type to gloat over a victory like this and actually I have and will be quite respectful to your average democrat, but the College Democrats on my campus require special consideration, and they will be hearing from me. Slightly vindictive? Yes, but I’m ok with that. After my gloating is done I will quicly move on. I think now the most important thing is to begin uniting what is guaranteed to be a sharply divided country.
Bankroll Update: + $72.50 for a total of $640.09
Nov 3rd
I woke up this morning to the sweet news that John Kerry had officially conceded. As much as I don’t like a lot of his political views I have to say he carried himself in a very respectable manner over the past two days, and he should be commended for that.
I managed to squeeze 300 hands in today in a busy schedule compacted by me sleeping in this morning. I played reasonably good for this stretch today, although I’m still identifying a few situations where I’m making a call or two that I shouldn’t. For the session I was up $21.50, for a BB/100 of 7.17.
Tonight after practice, food, and a little bit of studying I went to watch a couple friends of mine play a little show. My friends Tyler and Andy along with a couple other musicians here and there, whatever they need to fill in for the song, have a nice little band going. You can check them out at www.tylerandandy.tk (http://www.tylerandandy.tk) and you can download their music off of www.soundclick.com (http://www.soundclick.com) I may be a little biased, but I have to say these guys are very talented. They’ve been building a steady and quite loyal fan base from playing a lot of college shows and from a show on Wisconsin Public Radio. The consistent review on them is that they play very well and are great songwriters, but could use a little work on their vocals and I would have to agree with this assessment overall. Their music is comparable to Semisonic and Ben Folds and I really encourage you guys to check it out. They’re still a little bit rough, but they have a few good songs. I personally recommend “Wings” and “Limosine”. (Shameless Plug Over) After that little show I went back to the dorm to work at the desk for two hours and that was about it for the day.
Bankroll Update: +$21.50 for a total of $661.59
Well I promised I’d throw some hands in eventually so here they are:
Hand #1
This hand is just evil
Party Poker 1/2 Hold'em (6 max, 5 handed)
Preflop: Hero is Button with Jd Jc
UTG folds, CO Raises, Hero 3bets, SB calls, BB folds, CO calls
Flop: (10 SB) Js Kh 4h (3 players)
SB checks, CO checks, Hero bets, SB raises, CO calls, Hero calls
Turn: (8 BB) Kc (3 players)
SB bets, CO raises, Hero 3bets, SB calls, CO caps, Hero calls, SB calls
River: (20 BB) Ad (3 players)
SB bets, CO raises, Hero calls, SB 3bets, CO caps, Hero calls, SB calls
Final Pot: 32 BB
Hand #2
Too cautious?
PokerStars 0.50/1.00 Hold'em (5 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)
Preflop: Hero is MP with Q/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/club.gif.
UTG calls, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button calls, SB calls, BB calls, UTG calls.
Flop: (10 SB) 6/images/graemlins/heart.gif, A/images/graemlins/spade.gif, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(5 players)</font>
SB checks, BB checks, UTG checks, <font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, Button calls, SB calls, BB calls, UTG folds.
Turn: (7 BB) 6/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, BB folds, <font color="CC3333">Hero raises</font>, Button calls, <font color="CC3333">SB 3-bets</font>, Hero calls, Button calls.
River: (16 BB) 2/images/graemlins/club.gif <font color="blue">(3 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, Hero calls, Button calls.
Final Pot: 19 BB
Hand #3
I think my line is off
PokerStars 0.50/1.00 Hold'em (6 handed) converter (http://www.selachian.com/tools/bisonconverter/hhconverter.cgi)
Preflop: Hero is UTG with T/images/graemlins/spade.gif, J/images/graemlins/spade.gif.
Hero calls, MP folds, <font color="CC3333">CO raises</font>, Button folds, SB calls, BB calls, Hero calls.
Flop: (8 SB) 9/images/graemlins/diamond.gif, 2/images/graemlins/club.gif, 9/images/graemlins/spade.gif <font color="blue">(4 players)</font>
<font color="CC3333">SB bets</font>, BB folds, Hero calls, <font color="CC3333">CO raises</font>, SB calls $0.25 (All-In), Hero calls.
Turn: (6.75 BB) T/images/graemlins/heart.gif <font color="blue">(3 players, 1 all-in)</font>
Hero checks, <font color="CC3333">CO bets</font>, Hero calls.
River: (8.75 BB) T/images/graemlins/diamond.gif <font color="blue">(3 players, 1 all-in)</font>
<font color="CC3333">Hero bets</font>, CO calls.
Final Pot: 10.75 BB