My Personal Party Step Challenge (Low (if any) Content)

[Onaflag]

If you think personal challenges are stupid, then read no further, you won't like this one either. If you think they're mildly interesting, maybe a few words from the wise will either help steer me in a successful direction or convince me I am retarded and give this nonsense up.

Dammit! I want to play 15/30, but have neither A) the kahunas, nor B) the bankroll. If I had the BR, maybe I could find the kahunas. So, semi-plagerizing Party's Step Challenge, I came up with my own (possibly idiotic) version. First, some boring background: I did what most people don't do. I started at 3/6 with $100 and made lots of money. I moved down to 2/4 because these forums convinced me I was only getting lucky. I made a bunch of money there as well. I needed to cash out a good portion of my BR, so I moved down to 1/2 where I am currently (making a bunch of money). I have the BR (by 2+2 standards) to be playing 3/6, but feel I need to move up the ladder slowly.

How can I do that and remain convinced I should even be there? Step up to the challenge! That's how.

Here's how it works. Forget what my BR is currently because it is way more than enough for 1/2 and 2/4. Let's simply call it $0.00 for an easy starting point. My goal is to never go below $0.00. If I drop below that, I go back down to 1/2 with my original BR intact. The most I could be wasting here is time, but I believe the education gained will make up for a net profit of nothing over what could be several months of work.

I figure a 50BB risk is what I need to test the waters at the next higher level. If I gain 50BB, I move up. If I don't, I move back down. Pretty simple. The challenge is to not give up when I make the next level "buy-in".

Step 1: 1/2 BR=$0
Play to $200 profit and step up to 2/4.

Step 2: 2/4 BR=$200
Play up to $300 to move up or step back down.

Step 3: 3/6 BR=$300
Play up to $500 to move up or step back down.

Step 4: 5/10 BR=$500
Play up to $1000 to move up or step back down.

Step 5: 10/20 BR=$1000
Play up to $1500 to move up or step back down.

Step 6: 15/30 BR=$1500
If I make it this far, I've reached my goal. If I lose it all here (or some of it or most of it) I can start again at whatever level I have money left for (assuming a 50BB buy-in). Remember, the 50BB is for a "shot". I wouldn't go against the 300BB rule for any other reason but this dumb challenge.

Now for some more boring afterthoughts: I am not new to poker (online & B&M). I have read, understand, and learned a great deal from 2+2 books. This will all be tracked through a fresh database in PT. My current hand sample size is not too small, although I'd rather keep the actual number to myself. I'm a middle-aged guy with (somewhat) grown kids. I have a good paying job and the financial risk for this challenge is zilch. Don't try this at home. Some assembly required. Only 18 or older admitted. Consult a physician before starting this or any other program. Press 2 for English. Caution: Contents are Hot!

Onaflag..........

[Reef]

your results will LARGELY be based on luck with only a 50bb 'shot'

[cnfuzzd]

many 15-30 players lose the amount you are going to enter that level with in a day. An they are winning players with tens of thousands of hands at the level.

peace

john nickle

[ctv1116]

Your success in this challenge will be more determined by luck than by any improvement in your ability. Sure, improving will help you increase your chance of succeeding, but 50 BB downswings come daily at the higher limits. Whether you tilt away the rest of your roll when you get down 30-35BB is yet another concern.

[Byrn]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a good paying job and the financial risk for this challenge is zilch.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like it. It's not like you don't understand the implications of a 50 bb "roll" for the challenge, and if you do happen to move up a few levels it gives you some experience without risking your current funds that seem more dear to you than "challenge" funds.

I gave myself an similiar "challenge" a while back (personal not posted) when I noticed I had $70 in my paradise account I hadn't played with in a long time. I went to some shorthanded tables and played on a short roll to see if I couldn't build it up - if I lost it all it was no financial or emotional risk. Well, I got the $70 to $700 (after being all in with JJ on the first level and winning), but I stopped moving up with that roll. So I understand where you are saying the challenge is more to keep moving up than to win $xxx per se. I have plenty of bankroll from winnings over the past few years to play 10/20, yet I rarely play that high.

But I digress... This challenge is about you. /images/graemlins/smile.gif Go for it - I might even join you.

How much time do you plan on spending per week on the challenge? Do you plan on only playing full tables?

[Cleveland Guy]

Isn't this pretty much the OIC that the gaming club runs now and then?

That being said - good luck.

I think you know your underfunded, but it seems to be part of the challange for you, so have fun.

Some people around here forget poker should still be fun!

[Onaflag]

Yep. Yep. Completely underfunded. Not to mention I don't have the skill to beat anything above 3/6. Even at 3/6, even though I may or may not have the skill to be a long term winner, the emotional rollercoaster riding the swings is huge for me. That's why I currently live at 1/2. Luck will be huge. 50BB is a way for me to possibly take a stab at higher levels without risking anything from my BR.

Heck, I may never make it, but if I do, simply playing as long as I can at 15/30 with 50BB "is" the challenge. Once I play a few orbits, the challenge is complete and I return to the grind of 1/2. The grind of 1/2, BTW, is exactly why I'm doing this. Boredom. I'm looking for something to divert my attention for a couple months, then return back to my same ole boring self.

I play roughly between 3k and 4k hands a week multitabling, sometimes a bit more. I won't multitable if I ever even hit 5/10. If I can hit it in a month, I'll continue. If not, I may decide to end the challenge. We'll see. But it's full steam ahead for the moment. Even if I fail, who cares, it was a gimmick that diverted my attention for a while. Wish me luck. I'll need it. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Onaflag..........

PS...Donations accepted. /images/graemlins/blush.gif Just stop by 1/2 and look me up. Jump in and play! /images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[fnord_too]

A small note:

Losing periods happen in poker. The way you are setting up, when one happens you will lose your bankroll (well, the take a shot bankroll). If you extended this indefinitely, you would almost surely go broke because you would eventually hit a 50BB downswing.

The point about the 15/30 game is pretty good. I am not a great 15/30 player, but I am winning over 20-30K hands. I have -100BB swings frequently. As you move up, the games get more aggresive, which means they get more volitile, which means your chance of going on a 50BB downswing increases. Also, each level will have a learning curve that increases your chances of losing 50BB.

I'm not saying you can't beat this challenge, but I think you are not giving yourself a good chance for success. Also, consider what you need to win to move up at each step in terms of BB:

Step 1-2: 100BB
Step 2-3: 25BB
Step 3-4: 33BB
Step 4-5: 50BB
Step 5-6: 25BB

That is just not a lot of play at each level. Maybe you will hit a rush and make it and never look back, but this seems like a crap shoot to me. I am all in favor of taking shots, but I think you could devise a better shot taking scheme than this one.

At any rate, good luck with whatever you try.

[semipro]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not saying you can't beat this challenge, but I think you are not giving yourself a good chance for success. Also, consider what you need to win to move up at each step in terms of BB:

Step 1-2: 100BB
Step 2-3: 25BB
Step 3-4: 33BB
Step 4-5: 50BB
Step 5-6: 25BB

That is just not a lot of play at each level. Maybe you will hit a rush and make it and never look back, but this seems like a crap shoot to me. I am all in favor of taking shots, but I think you could devise a better shot taking scheme than this one.

At any rate, good luck with whatever you try.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think that the goal is necessarily to beat the challenge, but the challenge itself. Whether or not he makes it to 15/30 is not the goal, but playing out the challenge is.

And I agree w/the first poster, that in order for you to make it to 15/30, it will be mostly about luck. And any one bad beat can be crippling. Good luck and enjoy the challenge for what it is, not the results.