Paying the rent with one day's work

While taking last week off to go back to Massachusetts and visit the parents, I resolved to move up in stakes in my Hold'em games while still playing fairly high in Stud. Today, everything clicked and I ended the day with more extra "change" in my pocket than any previous day.


I played a little over four hours of the Mirage 10-20 stud game and left with a win of $456- my biggest every in that 10-20 game.


After coming home for dinner, I thought about just taking the rest of the night off after such a good afternoon. However, I was anxious to give a "big" Hold'em game a try. So, I walked up to the Bellagio and got into a 15-30 Hold'em game. Previously, I had only played as high as 8-16 Hold'em. But, I've always thought the 15-30 games looked good, especially when there are at least three games running (tonight there were four). My results: a $596 win while playing a very straight-forward game for a little over two hours.


The $1,000+ win for the entire day is my biggest ever and easily covers my rent for the month (probably groceries too!). I'm sure all of you who play bigger aren't too impressed with a meager $1,000 day. But, it's feels great when it's your first time.


Hope you guys don't mind the bragging. I promise not to let it go to my head.

From the messages and responses I've read from you, I'm surprised you don't play higher- I'm guessing it's merely a bankroll thing, anyway I hope I don't have to face the likes of you next time I'm playing 10-20 @ the Mirage, those games are usually quite soft, but with people like you playing in it this may not be the case.


Kris

It's obvious how you should move up. First, move. You could come to San Francisco and pay $2000 per month for a one bedroom. Then when you earn a month's rent in one poker session, you'll be doubling your winnings!


Tommy

Dynasty- Congratulations on your first 1k day! Looks like I've got a new competitor at 15-30! I'm sure it won't be long till I see you in the 20-40 game making nice value bets with the Babe! As I moved up, I found that it's still the same game. Only the "units" and players have changed. If you try to look at it this way (instead of thinking about the "money"), it should help you as you start to play higher. See you soon. Babe

Congrats on the nice day.


I'll be watching for your follow up post: "Losing a months rent in one day's work."


It'll happen. No way around it. The key is to remember days like this one when it does.


Keep it up.

"The $1,000+ win for the entire day is my biggest ever"


get used to it. also get used to sometimes dropping a few thousand.

I've been going back and forth as to moving up. Been real successful at 5-10 and 6-12.

Won a little bit at 10-20 the 5 times I've played, but felt a bit nervous.

You helped me make up my mind. I'll let you know how it goes.

My friend DC won $13K in about 8 hours playing blackjack at a riverboat casino. He normally played about $25-$50 a hand, but got on such a roll that he was playing $300 a hand on two maybe three hands at a time. After that, the $500-$1000 win that he used to be content with, wasn't enough for him anymore. He got it in his head that he could do it all the time. He'd get up $1500 and lose it all trying to double it (hell...trying to quadruple it).


I always made the analogy about him that he always swings for the fences...the game could be tied 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth, man on 2nd, no outs...a normal manager would try to get his man to third with a sacrifice and then hope for a Sac fly....not DC...he wants to win the game with a 2 run homer...every time. Compulsive???? Hell yeah

I came into Vegas once upon a time and proceeded to win $8600 at double-deck blackjack over a 5 day period spread over a dozen or so casinos. I thought this was a piece of cake and I had found the keys to the ATM machince. Well, you know what happened after that! Over my next 3 trips I lost a grand total of $18,000 and was told I could no longer play blackjack at 2 casinos.


So don't let a one day event go to your head. As you well know, over the short-term, anything can happen.


Good Luck,


Flipper

The books say that a win rate of 1-2 big bets per hour is what professional players expect to make over the long-haul. Are you concerned that your huge win rate in these 2 sessions might lead you to play differently, i.e., looser?


I moved-up one time and found early success, but it must have come too easily because it didn't last.


Just asking the question, don't let me rain on your parade ... congrats!