Microlimits Progress Quest: Post plans/updates/setbacks here.

[TommyTutone]

Follow up to mine. I started on the day before Easter with $45 at Party, playing like a freaked out solid rock, getting the money up very slowly, but always up. I had read no books at this point, so the fact that I ended up ahead was a lot of good luck.

Stayed with .50/1 for a long time, scared of higher levels (not knowing about the 300BB rule) and eventually read ToP, HEFAP, and Lee Jones' book. The money started to climb higher faster, and once I had the bankroll for $1/$2, I discovered the joy of casino whoring. I put most of my bankroll into those, cleaning up most of the time, and getting me near to about the $3000 mark.

I got screwed when cashing out of BJ Ballroom though as they sent me a check (in pounds even) instead of putting it back into my Neteller. This, combined with a cashout that happened right before that to buy a video camera, knocked my $3000 bankroll down to $300ish (this was about 6 weeks ago).

Since then, I have again been grinding the .50/1 tables to get back to the right level and between that and discovering some people REALLLY don't know how to play stud, I've turned that $300 back up to $800, putting me at about $3500 between casinos and poker.

[HentaiGaijin]

I'm working to duplicate this kind of challenge. I'm currently up 207 BB at .5/1.

[sprmario]

I had a big setback this weekend. I started off great on Friday night. I put in for a 20% bonus on Paradise of $100 on $500 and logged out w/ $705 w/ $40 of the bonus cleared. I also was up in my 1 table at empire. Sat and sunday were brutal. I had a $100 bonus on empire from using igmpay and I basically burned through my 2 bonuses. Finished up $30 for the weekend w/ $200 worth of bonus so basically was down $170 from poker (85BB)... that sucked. BR is at $686 now.

Part of it was bad luck on a few hands and part of it was me playing like crap. 2 huge hands would have made a big difference. Losing my nut flush (w/ no pairs) to a low straight flush hurt a lot and then losing Jacks full of Queens to Queens full of Jacks was a killer as well.

[prayformojo]

I haven't posted here yet, but so far I am fairly pleased with my results, especially considering that I suck at poker.

I started out at PP .5/1 when they gave me $75.00 in bonuses. I know, I know, the bankroll was too low, but I got lucky and played much weaker than I do now. I worked my way up to a proper bankroll, learning as I went, and put in 13k hands, giving me a 300BB b/r for 1/2 and enough left over along the way to purchase pokertracker several books, and a couple of nights out with my wife to make up for hours spent ignoring her in front of the monitor.

At 1/2, I have been far more successful in 6-max games than full ring, but I forced myself to drudge through the full ring games until I felt I had a grip on the style of game. At 9k hands of full ring, I finally think I can consistently beat, but not crush, the game. With $1200 in my b/r, though, I am moving up to 2/4 as I write, playing two tables at 1/2 and two at 2/4. I recognize that it's only a 150BB jump to a b/r for 3/6, but I expect to sit at 2/4 for a while, at least 10k hands, to see how I do. If nothing else, it might be nice to make a regular withdrawal for a change instead of seeing each winning session as a step toward the next level.

[josh1122]

Update on my progress, too, since everyone else is. I've put in many hours this last month, hence many hands for a very short period of time. Since depositing 50 in mid-July, I've moved from .50/1 to 1/2 and as of Friday 2/4. I built my bankroll up to 600BB in X amount of hands (about 4 weeks of constant play) at .50/1, then I bought PT before starting 1/2, and my stats are as follows. I'm not sure if I'm moving too fast or just running great but I've had the necessary bankroll at every move up and roughly 10k hands also. Maybe its just the actual time period that throws me off. (.50/1 to 2/4 in about a month). And my opponents' play has not seemed to have gotten any better. 2/4 plays the same as .50/1, only with a little more aggression. But I digress. Here are my stats:

Party 1/2

Hands: 9,162
VP$IP: 19.43
Earnings: 422BB
Rate: 4.11BB/100

Party 2/4

Hands: 3,250
VP$IP: 16.95
Earnings: 132BB
Rate: 4.61BB/100

This site and the many books I've gotten my hands on, specifically SSH, have greatly aided me in my rapid climb on the limit ladder. Thanks again, everyone.

[detruncate]

It's been a month of ups and downs. Of fragile confidence. Of achieving milestones. Of shifting expectations, hard lessons, baby steps.

Took a shot at 1/2, but decided it would be better to play .5/1 a while longer. I was a bit disappointed, but time caught up with me a little sooner than I expected. Sneaky one, time.

I learned a hell of a lot in the past few weeks, and can only hope to keep the momentum going. I'm feeling reasonably optimistic. Enjoying the fresh start feeling of a new month to look forward to.

Achieved one of the goals I outlined in my first post. Earned $1000 in a 1 month period... just didn't expect it to be at .5/1. I'll take it anyway I can get it.

It's been great watching so many people travel further down the path toward their own goals... even if it means that a good number of you are far enough ahead to be almost out of sight. It's comforting to follow in the footsteps of more adventurous souls.

[Malificent]

I've been lurking for a while, but seems like a good place to post a bit.

I actually started playing last Nov and lost a chunk of money. Then restarted playing in January and was very successful at $1/$2 and $2/$4 through February. Then March/April hit and it was bad. Bad luck, plus a strong case of macro-tilt and I was done.

Flashback to a month ago. A friend referred me to Pacific Poker. I deposited $20, got a $5 deposit bonus plus the $25 referral bonus and promptly turned it into $200 in a week or so at the .50/1 tables. Emboldened by my success and having read about bonus whoring, I took $100 and deposited at Interpoker and haven't looked back since. My bankroll is up to $1100 (after cashing back my deposits + $100). I'm still chasing initial deposit bonuses at various places (Empire is next) and I'm hoping to grow my roll to a level where I can comfortably play $2/$4.

I also, due to financial reasons, probably need to cash some out every so often, so I'm going to try for a "every $200 earned, $100 goes to the roll, $100 gets cashed out" sort of deal. That way, I can grow my roll but still try and clear out some of this nasty credit card debt. $1200 is probably enough for $2/$4, but since that is where I bombed out last time, I'll probably shoot for $1600 to give myself more cushion.

Its good reading people's stories - encourages me to keep plugging away.

[detruncate]

This month has been about developing the right mental approach. Luckily enough, I think I'm finally starting to take some steps in the right direction. I say 'luckily' because things could easily have taken an unfortunate turn.

The psychological aspects of the game are much more difficult to get a handle on than the technical bits... and I haven't exactly been ripping it up in that area either. It's easy to post a hand and ask people if you should have done something differently, but it doesn't work quite so well when the mistakes are more esoteric. Experience seems to be the only remedy.

The long run is longer than you think. How often have you heard this said? Well, hearing and believing are very different things. I've now played in excess of 75,000 hands, and each time I think I'm coming to terms with the numbers involved something dramatically unexpected happens. At some point, you have to let go of the short term and settle into the glacial pace of the low limit grind. I'm more or less where I need to be, and more importantly, exactly where I should be. Now it's simply a matter of playing the hand I've been dealt.

Spent a little time at 2/4, and was fairly comfortable. Plan to play a lot more this month.

Also made my first cashout. I'm now officially playing with other people's money.

The trees were just growing leaves when I started this project, and those leaves are now dropping off. Crazy.

I often wonder where I'll be when they come back again.

Lots of new faces in the micro forum. It's good to see, even if it sometimes makes me feel like a lifer. Best wishes to all as you pursue your own microquests.

[detruncate]

Time passes. My hand count grows. I'm finally starting to develop a feel for the game. I don't mean the technical aspects... I'm certainly making baby steps in that direction, but most of my progress has to do with coming to terms with what it means to be a poker player. The details too often lost in the onward and upward.

T'was the month of bonus whoring. Putting up reasonable numbers despite playing too few hands. Building a slightly softer cushion into my roll. And the pieces are finally in place for a move to 2/4. Whether I'm able to make it work before I have to move back down or make a withdrawal is a question for another day.

Until then, it's eyes straight ahead and one foot in front of the other.

[JoshuaD]

I've been playing for a month at .5 / 1. Before last night I was up 100BB (We'll get to that in a second). The biggest step I've made in this month is learning aggressive limit play, and not caring about bad beats. I've currently got 5000 hands logged, and I feel I'm making good progress.

Setbacks: the 35BB crash I made last night while drunk. I NEVER let myself play poker drunk, but last night for some reason I did. It cost me 35BBs. Gonna work today until I've played 1700 hands to make it up.

My plans are to move up ASAP. Waiting till I get to 650$, so I can move up to 1/2. The extra fifty because I'm close to 600 now, and I feel there's still alot for me to learn playing .5/1.