LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

Irieguy posted This thread about where hwas a year ago and how he's progressed, it's a really interesting read, and i'd like to see what you guys here have to say.

for me:

One year ago

- I was sharing a bankroll with one of my friends, and our combined roll was a couple hundred. And we restocked multiple times.

- I had never cashed in the 25 or so tournamnets i played.

- Thought the $30 Turbo SNG's were a hugeeeeeeeeeeee splurge.

- Huge rush about winning a $20 SNG. Impressed friends telling them how i won A HUNDRED dollars. (Which i would blow then playing a $100 SnG)

- played lots of micro-limit tables, broke even.


Since

- Became a 2bb/100 winner at 2/4-5/10

- On my own w/ my bankroll

- Bought into tournaments w/ a buyin bigger than last years bankroll

- Played like 1200 MTT's.

- Played at EPT Dublin and cashed.

- Started posting on 2+2, made a bunch of friends. met Apathy at EPT dublin.

- That's about it.
--


Mine is pretty boring, but i'm sure someo fyou guys have some interesting ones.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

I'm hoping to have a thread like this on my one year mark after booze where I can see how my game has gone up...

looks good - awesome even.

RB

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One Year Ago

I was proud of grinding it out at $5.50 STT's on PokerStars and turning a small profit

I thought Play Poker Like the Pro's was the know all to end all

If I was feelin a lil crazy I'd play 2 tables at once

I was a losing player online (slowly)

Now..

Turned 18 (whoops)

I won 2 MTT's and cashed over 6k in tournaments.

Bought a 2001FP, and Inspiron 6000 to 8 table.

Became a winning 22 - 8 tabler on PP

Made my first casino visit and profited

Make a bigger effort to improve my game everyday

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One Year Ago:

Built myself a 4 figure bankroll before I was 18.

Played very few multis, mostly a wierd mix of sit and gos and some cash games.

Very disorganized, didn't own pokertracker, or keep any stats for that matter.


Now:

Buy in direct to all big weekend tournaments

Until my massive downswing these last 2 months, had a +100% ROI on tournaments (over 300 tournaments) over the summer.

Moving gradually back into more cash games- but still playing tournaments when I have the time.

Busted out of 2 straight tournaments w/ 72. And no not the misclick one either, I legitamately busted out of a party 150, and a party 100 with 72.

Losing 4 digits in a day no longer bothers me (is this a good thing?)

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One Year Ago.....

I had recently discovered the value of aggressive play and thought MTTs were easy, I couldn't miss and had a 10K month playing only 5-10 MTTs a week.

I was buying family members ridiculous gifts for no reason (Ipod, tread-mill, etc). I paid for a trip to Napa with the G/F, and got myself an ipod and new laptop.

I played 50$ through 200$ max NL, and the occasional SNG. I thought party SNGs were for suckers.

I thought there was a chance I would quit work to play poker at some time in the future.


Now.............

I only play a few MTTs a month, and havent made a final table in months. I spend my poker time playing 1-2 and 2-4 6-max, 3-6 full-ring (thanks to CSC), and 20-50$ SNGs on party.

My G/F is now my fiance, no more lavish gifts, but poker helped pay for the ring, and will help as I support us for her last semester of nursing school.

I have come to realize that poker is hard work in many ways. Other than the occasional MTT-savant, earning a living playing poker is a boring job. I have no longer dream of giving up my job for poker. I treat tournament poker as a fun hobby (hopefully profitable). I treat limit and SNG play as a way to make extra money. Don't get me wrong, I dont dislike it in any way, just not something I would do for free.

oh yeah, and I dont drink when I play any more, which eliminates the possibility of blowing 1000$ playing 100-200$ SNGs when I couldnt read the cards.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One year ago I was running good a Party 2/4 and quit my $7 an hour college job. I had won a $20 multi on pokerroom as well and had a $1500 bankroll.

A year later I have beaten every limit up to 10/20 fixed, 2/4 NL and keep advancing. Tournaments, I have been successful but feel I am a much better cash game player than tournament player. I just don't have the patience/discipline sometimes.

I played in the WSOP main event after playing poker for less than a year, but got my ass handed to me. Thanks Tommy Vu.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

I was thinking of making this same post these last couple of days- so, thanks.

I started playing poker almost exactly a year ago and I was a hellacious donk. I knew nothing of position, pot odds, blind stealing, implied odds, resteals, situations>cards, bubble play, identifying draw heavy boards, putting opponents on ranges, etc. I saw my two cards and that was it. When I first started playing (cash games no less) I thought it was appropriate to call PF with pretty much any 2 because "you never know what could happen on the flop." I thought aces were just another pair and would often just call with them. I thought it best to be be deceptive checking my set or flopped straight to river hoping to spring a big "trap" and didn't understand how I could possibly lose to a bigger set/straight or to a flush/fullhouse (what free cards? [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]). I was "dead money" as one player at a table called me- I was given winning hands as a function of clicking "call" but never manufactured a winning hand. So one day I found TPFAP and then 2+2 on March 5, '05. MLG was kind enough to guide me along in the early days, often taking time to answer what were, no doubt, trivially easy posts (Thank you, MLG, for all your patience, sir!). I had invested just under 3K before finding 2+2. Today in my 3 accounts (UB, Party and Stars) I total just about 9.8K. I play almost entirely SnG's and MTT's and I am very risk averse. I have a wife, a new born son, a full time job, and own an apartment in NYC (oh, how I wish I was 22 again!) so any tourney with a buyin higher than $22 stresses me out a bit. I do plan on stepping it up after the New Year. I still suck at poker, but not with the same voracity as before. I'm still a donk, but sometimes I can find a bigger donk than me at the table. I still loose a lot, but I can go back and usually understand how.

These boards are why I now show a profit for the year and I thank all of you for that.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

1 year ago I was pushing all-in with KJo at the play money SNGs on Party, and playing $3 poker with my friends. Last August when I stumbled upon this site I decided to read HOH and TOP.

About 2 months ago, I deposited $100 on Stars to play various micro ring games, SNGs, and MTTs. When I got to $150 (a HUGE rush), I cashed out my initial $100 and, thinking I was great, proceeded to lose the $50 in 2 days.

I did more reading, and redeposited the $100 to stars 2 weeks ago. I have since doubled my BR playing $6.50 SNGs, and .25/.50 full ring. Thanks to a friend I met on 2+2, I am starting to learn .50/1 6max, while still playing SNGs and a few low buy-in MTTs.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One year ago:

I was playing mostly 10-20 short handed with occassional tournament and sit&go forays and one WPT satellite win to play in Aruba. I had set a goal to play the WSOP main event and didn't have any particularly focused goals beyond that and "making some extra money".

Since: I focused much more heavily on tournaments, winning a WSOP satellite, the Party Super Monday, the Party Super Tuesday, and buying in direct to a WPT event (Aruba again). I sat in a live tourney with my first WSOP ME event champ (Scotty). My ring game play went all to hell, but I have played as high as 100-200, with extended forays into 15-30 and 30-60.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

I didn't even know what texas was until 6 months ago so I prolly shouldn't post here [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] but it is interesting read for sure.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

Exactly one year ago I was in St. Marteen for the IPF tournament series held there. It was at the time my largest buy-in (I think $3k, won via satellite on Party). Nothing does more for advancing your poker skills then a solid week of live play with a bunch of crazy Europeans (particularly the Norwegians). That definitely took my game to another level (plus the confidence that came from my first live final table in one of the smaller events). I also met my first 2+2er - Enon, who doesn't post here as often as he should.

I had already started going deep in Party Supers and felt like I was an above average player.

Unfortunately, things haven't progressed much since then although I can't complain. I keep going deep in the Supers, I've had some nice wins live, but haven't really gone to the next level like Sirio's run a few weeks ago (an amazing and motivating feet).

I really want to make some advancements next year and include going deep in a major live event. I'd also like to make a final table in one of the big Sunday lottery tournies and also figure out how to freakin' beat the Stars tournies like I do the Party ones (and no, I really don't think it's hugely because of the quality of the field. for me it's more of getting into the rhythym of their very fast structure during the middle game - that's where I falter).

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

I was starting to build my roll from the 10$ I got free on Pacific Poker after countless freerolls I played in every site known to man. Mainly playing 2-5$ Sng's and micro MTT's.

Now, hmm, I have no idea where I am. My A game has become quite good, but I don't show it as often as I want. I still have a very bad steaming problem that I need to control.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

I don't really have a home forum, so I'll post this here...

Oh, the memories….I started playing in November of 2003. So, one year ago I was a grizzled one year veteran of online poker. I just kept pumping money into MTTs, played uber tight and didn't understand why I never got that bail out rush of cards at bubble time. As much as I read the MTT forum, you’d think I’d absorb something, but I suffer from being extremely dumb.

At one point, I was stuck for $1200...got all the way back to even via Stars NL $100 ring games...and lost the $1200 right back thanks in large part to my MTT addiction. One Friday night last Novemeber, I decided to get it all back in one night and sat down at the big game on Stars (NL $1000 at the time). I bought in short on two tables...total of about $1000...and proceeded to lose a $1200 pot when my bottom 2 got outdrawn by an over pair when the board paired...I clicked on my other table to find AK...raise...called by K8...he flopped two pair and I was down $1000 in about 5 minutes...and $2200 overall in my online career. Good time to quit or acquire less expensive habit like cocaine, right?

Instead, I became a grinder...I turned some FPP points into some tourney dollars and found out about bonus whoring. I still donate way to often via MTTs (but did somehow get a 3rd in a Party $20 1400 runner event for $2300), but have become a winning ring game player and thanks to bonuses, I am now up over $10k playing nights, weekends and lunch hours. Poker is a great second job…way better than crack whore.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

Was crushing $25NL and making ridiculous posts about unsustainable winrates.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

I had just made the jump from $5 to $10 SnG's and was occasionally taking a stab a $10 heads up games, though losing $60 in an hour left a terrible taste in my mouth!

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

1 year ago:

I was playing $5 sngs and MTT's and $10NL on a $100 bankroll. I was just beginning to turn a small profit, playing ultra-tight ABC poker, and I left my $7/hour college job on Dec. 15th. By mid-January I had run my bankroll over $1000 and stopped looking for a new job.

I found my LAG-gear in May with the help of Adanthar sweating my constant Empire $5k guarantee final tables. My bankroll topped off in mid-August at just under $7000, fueled by $12k in MTT cashes in about 3 weeks.

Now:

I'm looking for a job once again and keeping a small $300 bankroll online. In August I was a recent college grad living the dream, but I was playing above my head and a sick downswing pretty much wiped out my bankroll before I got my ego in check and moved down in stakes.

I'm still extremely proud of what I accomplished over the last year, but I've learned a hell of a lesson in bankroll management and just how much variance there is in MTT play. Hopefully when I build my bankroll back up I handle it properly. Back to grinding it out.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

Pre-June '05
- Playing for Play Money on stars
- Lurking on 2+2
- Watching Poker on TV
- Playing home games with friends that were really about beer and pizza
- Started looking at some poker books.

Since June '05
- Sold 1.3 million Play $ for 70$ on PayPal (some people are stupid).
- Signed up for Instant Bankroll and built up a BR playing .5/1 LHE and $25 6m NL.
- Used the 60$ on Pay Pal to get HoH 1+2 off ebay.
- Moved to playing tournaments more than cash games, moved half my bankroll over to Stars in early November.
- Watching Poker on TV
- Playing home games with friends that are really about beer and pizza

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One year ago, I was not doing any B&M or online playing. Six months ago I opened my first online account at UB. My total investment to date has been $450.

I've been a steady low$$ MTT winner, with regular wins and final tables. I've also had several money bubbles and FT bubbles. I've been losing money in the 3-6 and 5-10 ring games. Part of that has been admittedly due to early bad play, but play in recent sessions has improved quite a bit and results have been better.

Still too much in the short run (around 5000 hands) to tell if I am a winning ring game player overall. But I feel like I am playing at a winning level after 230+ MTTs, averaging over 100% ROI.

I have experienced large BR fluctuations. My bank has been as low as almost zero and as high as $6K. In particular, back in August I was in the midst of a bad negative swing, about to visit Tap City and quit playing for a while, then I had a great tourney knocking off a 500 runner $14.5K UB MTT for a nice $3200 cash. My current bank is back down to just below $4K.

It has been an interesting, enjoyable and at times frustrating experience. It is sort of like two steps forward, one step back experience. Like Albert Einstein used to say "The more I learn, the less I know." So too for me, just when I think I'm playing better and doing some things better than I used to, I make a stupid play and realize that it's time for some humble pie and reassessment of my play.

Still not ready to take the next step to playing larger, more expensive tournaments and ring games. But hopefully that time will come with more time and effort.

I've lurked 2+2 on and off for a couple of years, but only started actively posting when I started playing regularly. I've exchanged some PM's with several 2+2'ers. Good guys all and I'm grateful for their time and input.

Good thread, enjoyed everyone else's posts.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

[ QUOTE ]

- Sold 1.3 million Play $ for 70$ on PayPal (some people are stupid).

[/ QUOTE ]

Someone seriously did that? When I was trying to build a bankroll a while back, I thought about trying to do that, but then realized that no one would be so retarded as to buy play money chips.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One year ago today I...

- Didn't know if a flush beat a straight
- Thought Chris Moneymaker was the best player of all time
- Was getting straight A's in college
- Was addicted to Halo 2

Since then I...

- Went home for xmas break and found my older brother playing a $5 SNG
- Played one myself and somehow luckboxed my way to a victory
- Thought I was the sh1t and deposited into party again and again, found myself stuck for $350
-Read Stassa2's article in SI, went to 2+2, started lurking like mad (turning point.)
- Have won several tournaments, FT'ed a stars 500k, FT'ed two supers, have more money than I ever could have imagined. (thanx 2+2!)
- Am doing not so well at college
- Hope I can balance poker and school

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

1 year ago I:
Had a roll of about 200 playing .5/1 and the 5+1 SnG's at party. I was proballly a massive fish, i probally ran good.

Now I:
Beat the $22s on Party
Have cashed for over 1k twice in MTTs
Can beat 2/4 for a 2/bb winrate
Consider myself to have a rather good grasp of tournament poker.
Have a roll of 2k and change

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

~1 year ago:
-Played in home games where no one (myself included) knew anything about poker beyond what the WSOP told us.
-Had never played online poker before.
-Never thought about poker seriously.

Now:
-I turned a $25 initial deposit at UB ~2-2.5 months ago into $170 so far with a lot of wasted money too.
-Read 2+2 constantly.
-Have read TOP, SSHE and the Super Systems.
-Play LHE and O/8 ring games when I'm not doing school work (which seems to be less and less now) for pretty good winrates.
-Am on my way to trying to build myself a legitimate bankroll. How long will it take?



It'll be interesting to see this and do it again next year...

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One Year Ago
I had just started posting on 2+2 and had been lurking for about four months before. I had started playing poker online about 5 months earlier just to make enough money to pay for my NFL Sunday Ticket. By November I was at about $2000 from $100 playing $10 & $20 SNGs.

I won my first $10 MTT in November with only about 300 runners on Pokerroom. Then won a $20 MTT in December for a $700 score.

I set a goal for 2005 to turn my $2500 bankroll into a $12500 bankroll.

Started playing stud online in January and moved up from 1/2 to 4/8 in about a month and was killing a soft game for 3BB/hr.

I had won a couple of $10 MTTs in February and was playing well.

The last week of March I got really hot. I cashed in four straight 50 MTTs on UB winning two of them. My stud game also disapeared. But that's alright, I was already over my goal for the year.

I finished in the money in a few 30 MTTs in June. However, at this point I was only playing MTTs.

Put my wife through a couple of masters classes. That was $5000 gone.

New brakes and four new tires on the car. A really cool chainsaw on a 15' stick. Re-wired the house. Should have been an electrician they make good money.

By August I'm running really cold, tilting on some short handed 100NL not helping and not dropping stakes, really not helping. Down to $360 I decide to go back to $30 SNGs. Do pretty well for about a month and then go cold and blow my self down to about $30.

Play 6 $5 MTTs on Pokerroom. Finish second for 180 bucks on my last 5 dollars. Take that to a 25NL cash game and kill it until the end of September when I find out I owe about a grand in back taxes two days after I get back from a trip to Penn State.

Have $6 online by the end of October. Off to 1.75 two table turbos on Stars a couple of days a week. But I'm all the way up to $35 [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]. Just biding my time until January when my fantasy football winnings come in and I can replenish my bankroll. I just hope my three first place teams stay there and give me a couple of grand to play with.

The moral of this story is you can lose a good bankroll from other ways then just running bad. Man this felt like a bad beat post to me.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One year ago today I had no bankroll after playing for a living and busting after 7 months.

Now I have a better understanding of poker and bankroll management. Quit my job again in February started playing for a living again w/$1k after a family emergancy forced me out of my job and after 10 months I have a 5 figure br and no worries(thanks to a 1st and 3rd in Stars $5 rebuys in consecutive days [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]).

Now I play $100NL and $25-$100PLO and $30+3's and lower + $10+r and lower. The most important thing I have learned though is books are way overrated and experience is way underrated, esp. in MTTs.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

1 Year ago:

Started playing poker for money, using $10 at royal vegas.
played some sit and go's, vastly overforcasting my win rate every time I won a sng.

played every suited hand in ring games (cause you knew you were going to win if you have the flush)

sometimes just limped every hand...

Read a book on 7 card on started playing pot limit stud.

Now:

Have made around 7 FT. Realized how much tilt costs me as a player. Learned a little more emotional control after tilting. Not taking shots at higher limits after tilting anymore. Lifetime loser at ring game holdem, however because of tournaments and 7 card stud still have made a net profit. Stopped playing ring games after the donaters left the stud game, didn't realize the variance possible in tournaments, went on a losing streak, and didn't have the bankroll at all. So I'm currently rebuilding w/ $2/4 stud and party $25.

Still trying to stop calling in tournaments when I know I should fold. I realized that I have to watch my play carefully for microtilt after playing for a while, currently trying to work on this.


- Joseph

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

- Sold 1.3 million Play $ for 70$ on PayPal (some people are stupid).

[/ QUOTE ]

Someone seriously did that? When I was trying to build a bankroll a while back, I thought about trying to do that, but then realized that no one would be so retarded as to buy play money chips.

[/ QUOTE ]

Amazingly, yes.

I checked ebay and saw some people selling play money for some pretty surprising amounts, but for whatever reason ebay doesn't allow this and would cancel the auction before it was finished. So the next time I saw one, I PM'ed the highest bidder through ebay and said if the auction gets canned, MSN me and I'll sell you the Play Money. It did, and he did.

He even sent the full amount first. And no, I didn't try to to screw him by not sending the Play Money, though I do pretty much feel like I screwed him anyway.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

1 year ago I:

- Had just turned 19. Was living at home and going to a local JC.

- Came off a 10-day stretch in which I won 30K in MTT's

- In the process, convinced my parents that this pro poker thing was probably going to work out

- Had beaten the Party 15/30 game for 20K+ over the summer

Now:

- Lived in Paris for three months this summer. Met strassa, yahtzem, ZJ, and Terrence Chan during the WPT (which I came excruciatingly close to q'ing for.)

- Currently live on my own with no financial assistance from my parents

- Have have made about half as much money as I did last year

- Have improved both my limit hold'em game and my MTT game by leaps and bounds, despite not having nearly as good a year.

- Play far too much Civ IV.

Will

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

Last year: Turned $100 into almost a full comma (just under $1k) and back down to $200. Right about this time I stopped playing poor poker and started figuring this game out.

One year later:

I have won seats to two $10K tournaments, the 2005 WSOP Main event and a seat of my choosing, likely to be the Borgata Winter Poker Open (which has an unbelievably creamy good structure.

I have become a consistent winner in MTTs, STTs and cash games.

I have endured an extremely fierce cold run. This is actually a positive, as I learned how to analyze my play during this run. I also learned how to recognize symptoms of me slipping into poor habits, and then how to correct them. Once I corrected poor habits that had developed due to the cold run, it was only a matter of time before the cold run ended.


Over the next year I hope to:

Get a better grasp of PLO and O8. I am no better than decent at either game, and while I don't like O8, I know I'll have to at least move from decent to good.

This one's going to be a bit of a big statement, but I mean it... Instead of being excited when I win a satellite to a big tournament, over the next year I hope to EXPECT to win satellites to big tournaments.

Oh, and winning a big tournament wouldn't suck, either.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One Year Ago

I was 8-10 tabling 3-6, 5-10 full, not playing too many multis, pretty much just Sunday Empire 50K

Got back to back final tables in the Empire 50k in November and figured to play more of those, but never really did.

Today

Last month, I played 40k hands of 3/6 6 max trying to refine my limit skills, I also played 10k hands mixed between 15-30-50/100, and I'm playing a multi or 2 every night sunday-wed

I have built up a huge roll thanks a lot to the wonders of rakeback and am actually funded for 100/200 though I doubt I can beat it. Plan to play 50k hands of 5/10 6 max this month and hopefully beat it for as much as 3/6 6 max and then decide where to go from there. Made my national TV debut last month and got the joy of listening to Clonie Gowen(Vastly overrated) talk about how weak I was playing headsup when she saw 7 of the 60 or so hands played.(even though I raised all in 3x with draws in those 7 or 8 hands)
Currently in the process of finalizing plans to build me a brand new house, I'm going all out, can't wait til its done in June/July.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One year ago

In november last year I had my first winning month playing poker. I final tabled several $5 tourneys on pokerroom and won a 30$ one I had no business playing in. Before that I was a purely recreational player and was content in losing a couple of hundred a month playing either online or in a B&M. I had very little clue as to what I was doing and I was learning by experimenting. I had never even thought of reading a book on poker. But nov04 to feb-05 I was on a rush.

Since

I had good success for awhile and so I started playing way above my roll (what else are you supposed to do?!). I was overconfident. I was playing games I had no business playing. I had started lurking here and it was actually screwing up my game. I was misaplying what I was reading and losing badly. I quickly blew 1/3 of my roll and decided to re-examine things. In the mean time I would stick to the low buyin MTTs where I had success.

After alot of recent studying I'm back to feeling comfortable with my game and have had a great oct-nov. I've won or FT several times and I'm making the jump to higher buyins again, only this time I aim to take a smarter approach to managing my money and time.

The biggest change for me this past year has been my approach to the game. I'm much more serious about this now than I was a year ago.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One year ago

Found online poker at a onlinebookie I used, It was their new feature.

Thought I knew a thing or two about poker, playing 5 draw with friends and winning a tournament with about 90 entrants when 17, finishing second in another one.
Newer seen Tx hold em before, learned the rules and entered a no lim table at way to high a limit, ran my bankroll up to 5K lost it all in one pot( entered the table with full BR)

Got some books 2+2, found forum.Realized I knew nothing, still dont. [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] Started out again at 0,5/1 fix. lim. 6 months later or so played 3/6 4 tabling with appr.4,5 bb/100 over a modest sample. Won a promo that covered tripp/accomodation/buy in (220)to AMCOP.
Started playing MTTS on stars for practise. 4 ft since august about 15K cashed.Made entries to 3 events at WCOOP-played horrible-was horrible.Have a decent amount of W$ trying to win an entry to a major event, but just not my side of the flipps and flopps yet. Made alot of stupid posts here( I hope they have improved).Feel I have made some new friend I hope to meet in person. Busted from the AMCOP as 3 chipleader with 30 to go on me:BB with KK vs SB with 99. Me BB with QQ vs mp with JT. Havent played a single fix.lim hand since-need to work on that. Loved live play( played a small one too with 250 buy in and came third).

Working on my game and hope to improve.Offcourse it is only bad beats that keep me from winning more [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One year ago

- I thought playing online at home with my "PokerStars" hat on was +EV
- Would make thoughtful and useful notes on other players
- Considered "donk" a reductionistic and demeaning word, that I would never dream of using
- Thought of myself as a mediocre player with a chance of improving to a decent tournement-hobbyist.

Since

- Hey, it's really nobody's business what I wear when I play, is it? And who knows ... that stupid hat might work after all!
- Mainly makes notes on other players with contents like "Clown", "Moron" and "Fool"
- OK, I know I'm the donk
- Dreaming of graduating to the coveted "mediocre" level.

Best,

McMelchior (Johan)

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One year ago

Had won about two grand playing B&M 3/6 and 6/12. Started playing June '04, dropping a few hundred at first, then slowly getting better and running hot.

Had lost about a grand playing online 3/6.

Thought a grand was a ton of money to win or lose.

Had never played NL cash.

Had played a handful of $5 SNG's, barely any multis.

Had read a bunch of good poker books (all the standard 2+2 books), but at best I played formulaically, except I couldn't always remember the formula. I remember spending several hours trying to memorize which group hands were in and what positions I was supposed to play which groups in. I hope my game is more dynamic now.

Since

In January I resolved to keep better records, play according to a plan, with a real bankroll. I did, won a couple grand in January, lost it back and a little more in several overconfident/too aggressive/tilty B&M limit sessions, including a $750 6-12 loss that nearly made me quit. Lost some online too.

Started playing NL; live 1/2 against horrible players. Thought I was the [censored]. Started playing online NL over my bankroll. Won some, lost some. Started playing multis and bigger SNG's. Won a $50 MTT on pokerroom for 2K, had a few other mildly big cashes.

After a winning March and April, had a weekend in early May where I tilted a over a grand of profits in $50 SNG's and NL cash, playing all night Saturday. All that I had in the account. Said eff-it, deposited $108 dollars to play the Pokerroom Grand Prix Sunday evening, said I'll play my best, no tilt, and see what happens. Early in tournament won twice allin and dominated, built a stack, played the best middle and endgame I'd played up to that point. Went on to finish second for $5500.

I've since finished 2nd again in the GP, won the pokerroom 20K, won a couple 30+3's and 2 or 3 50+4's and a few smaller buyins. Made a bunch of final tables. Started playing PLO and PL08 and done ok, especially in tourneys. Play live NL cash and 10/20 limit when I get the chance. Find online ring games of all forms to be my Achilles Heel overall, but it's getting better. I've experimented with different styles and ways of playing hands and situations and I think I have learned something from it all, but too often zig when I should zag. Started reading andposting on 2+2 a few months ago and have enjoyed it a lot. Have learned alot and hope I have contributed something.

I could have a solid five-figure bankroll but I've invested basically all of my winnings, starting from scratch a few times, mostly because I don't think I'm good enough yet.

I've recently had a frustrating break even spell (and only break even because of a couple cash game wins) since winning one of the Pokerroom Dailies a few weeks ago and find myself tilting too often and playing too much. I just cashed everything out again and am going to take a break until 2006 when i'll start with a clear head, a PC to play at all the non-pokernetwork sites, pokertracker, and a plan in place to get to the next level.

Congrats to everyone on their accomplishments in 2005 and good luck in 2006.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One Year Ago
In October of last year a friend told me about a game on the internet where I might be able to make money and I might enjoy. I'm culturally illiterate and didn't know what hold'em was, as I hate television and just largly avoid fads.

I started with a $50 bankroll, added $200 to it and pretended that I was still on the $50 (denial). Read SSHE, TOP, and started a poker library, figured out that bonus whoring would help compensate for my bad early play.

I started to turn EV+ around March in SNGs and low stakes limit. My NL game was atrocious, and I really wanted to get into MTTs but I didn't have the knowledge.

I started lurking here in April and got HOH and HOH vol 2 when they came out. Made game adjustments, started crushing our home games and started to build the bankroll.

Took a break from July to November to teach English abroad. The school sucked and I was their bitch so I quit to play poker.

NOW

In the last month I've cashed 4 FTs, won an EPT seat at the Monaco final event and still don't play big pocket pairs right.

I look forward to learning more from my fellow 2+2ers to find out how I can get even more EV+ and find the holes in my game.

You all are the greatest, have an excellent year [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One Year Ago

I was in highschool and played poker almost every day afterschool.


I was grinding 20$ and 50$ sngs while taking stabs at MTTs and some cash games.


I lurked on 2+2

I thought I was much better than I really was.


Now

I have played as high as 1k sngs, 1k MTT, and 50/100 NL

I am backed and am able to play pretty much any game I desire.

I am still just beginning to understand the game and learn more every day

I make a lot of half assed posts on 2+2

I am planning to take time off from college to play poker.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

The day after thanksgiving '04 was the first poker tournament I ever played, and I won. Yes, only 500 but it was still amazing. From there, I took up online poker, playing mostly MTT's and SNG's... at a marginal ROI. Took a while, to build the roll, then found HOH vol 1 & 2... and became a student. Stumbled into 2+2 and learned to pushbot SNG's, eventually playing $109's STT's and always the 30-50 buyin MTT's.

Finally broke through in September winning a Super Weekday and the Guarenteed 40K in the same week! Took out a big wad of cash, then donked off another 5K playing STT's. Right now I am running so bad, and just trying to find my game [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

Nov 2005: Made my 4th deposit of $600 on Empire Poker, and swore that I wouldn't put another penny into that account. When that was gone, I swore I would be done with online poker forever.

Played mostly 10+1 SNGs, 3/6 Limit, and a few MTTs a week, although mostly low limit satellites into the weekly 10K, 25K's etc.

Had a consistent history of grinding out small wins, only to move up prematurely and piss it all away.

Couldn't get away from King-Jack offsuit. Ever.

Nov 2006: Never had to make another deposit online.

Got Poker Tracker and logged approximately 200,000 hands in ring games and a ton of MTTs and STTs.

Still play some limit, mostly 10/20 or 15/30 6-max for +5BB/100. But it still makes me want to murder myself.

Learned and played a ton of PLO, mostly 400 (but 2000 when I'm mentally up for it) for +22BB/100.

Won my first big MTT. Did it again 3 months later. 6 figures combined ... awww yyyyea.

Moved up to mostly 109s SNGs, sometimes wander into the 215s. Am still amazed at the mediocre play and lack of creativity. 42% ITM/34% ROI.

Played in the Main Event at the WSOP, bought in directly. I didn't win it. Some Australian guy did.

Opened up an account on PokerStars (to play small MTTs) so I an still get my fix when I'm drunk or not focused.

Re: LC: One year ago (Stolen from STT Forum)
 

One year ago

I had exactly one large MTT win ever (as well as one FT ever), and that was almost two years ago - it was a $5 tourney with a field of 489 on 7sultans - I thought I was good, but basically I got lucky - it was also my 1st FT ever. I was playing $5 and $10 SnGs on UB almost exclusively, and was barely eeking out a profit. I didn't use any stats programs. I kept a very small bankroll online. I didn't multi-table. I frequently played above my bankroll. I donked off a giant stack in the Foxwoods WPT $565 after satelliting in.

Since

I started lurking in MTT and read HoH. Basically, I smartened up. This past year, I have won 4 online MTTs with 12 or so FTs (I still don't use a stats program - blasphemy, I know). The biggest win was a $33 on UB. My best FT was in the weekly UB $215, which I satellited into. I have no idea what my ROI is, but I know how much profit I've made - it was about 15% of my total income this year. I also made my first 3 B+M FTs, with a 10th, a 3rd, and my first win (a field of 189 in a $60 Foxwoods tourney). I still play a lot of $5 and $10 SnGs, but usually the 2, 3, or 5-table tourneys on PS. I still keep a relatively small bankroll online, and withdraw my profits to my savings account. I also frequently blow poker profits on stupid stuff. I still play MTTs above my bankroll sometimes. I never play more than 2 tables at once. I blew $465 trying to satellite into the WPT $10k event. I satellited into the Foxwoods WPT $565 again, but took a couple bad beats and finished in the middle of the pack. I am presently in the midst of a 3-month downswing/dry spell - I haven't made a FT in 3 months, and my cashes have all been pretty weak.

Really, poker is still a game to me - but a game I understand how to win. Still, I don't see myself ever taking it more seriously than I do right now. I play to have fun, and I like winning, so that's why I work on my game. There is no doubt I still play badly sometimes, but now I can recognize when this is happening. I've found that I have to be in the right frame of mind, so instead of forcing myself to concentrate, I just stop playing and go find something else to do. I do not "need" the extra money I make from playing, and I have no intentions of ever attempting to go pro.