One year ago today, I...

[SlackerMcFly]

Dec. 1 2004........
Loaded PP up and started play money career.

1 month later, had 2MM or so chips and thought... What we all think. God's gift.

Had way too much to do in real life and was skeert of money games, so resisted the idea of playing "for real".

In January, a successful player got drunk and put real money in my account ($50 + $25 load-up bonus). Now I'm really skeert!

Played ring games. If I won enough for an $11, then I'd play one. Finish OTM? I was done for the day. That worked for a while until I won a few and realized that It was true....... Damn I'm good!

So I played the $55's. Damn I suck! Lost it all in 2 days.

Re-loaded for $200 in February and decided to read 2+2 all of the time and actually try to become a decent player.

Then to now:
Devised a practice system to improve play, discussed hands and read this forum (lurked) every day.

Started winning on a consistent basis, enough to help pay bills.

Became a regular poster here in May or some-such. Y'all are the best!

Met a bajillion 2p2ers in Vegas and made money playing poker, mechanical horses and slots.

Made the final table in 3 tourneys of over 1000 players.

Met a bajillion more great people over Labor Day at the HUC1 in Vegas. Made money playing poker, Let it Ride and Black Jack. Oh, there was that one Keno thing as well.

In short: Financed a car for wifey, paid for trips to Vegas twice and Reno once, pull enough out of BR each month to buy appliances that break, new shoes for kid, whatever is needed.

But I'm not a good player yet. 200x better than one year ago thanks to you guys and your posts, advice and friendship this year. Someday I hope to multi-table more than just once in a while.

I could name names (like Sixes, Skipper, Irie, Yugo, Zen, Cleinen, Raptor, Greke, Lacky, Beefie, Usher, Apathy, Unarmed and so many others) but I won't.

Say it like Hellmuth: "I cannot, just cannot wait until President's Day........" Shalacka

[zac777]

One year ago today, I...

1. Had made around $4k playing online and was very happy about it

2. Had played 6 SNGs above the 30s, less than 200 total SNGs, and never heard of ROI as a measure of success

3. Never made a final table

4. Had never met or talked to any 2+2ers

5. Folded from EP in level 1 with 55

6. Played on a single monitor with hideous overlap

7. Knew I needed to read more and post more if I wanted to be any good.

Since then, I have...

1. Made more money playing poker than I have from writing software, in 1/3 of the hours.

2. Played 3000+ 109s with a double digit ROI

3. Finished 2nd and 3rd in the 30+3 rebuy and 2nd in a 150, all with around 400 players.

4. Talked to my first 2+2er at the tables in April. Some guy by the name of bebop86.. Not sure if he's still around (holla). I've briefly talked to a few others when we've been HU, but I'm still probably a little too anti-social. Haven't met anyone.

5. Limped and gladly called a raise to 60 from EP with 55 in level 1 more times than I can remember

6. Bought the obligatory 2 2001 FPs and love them

7. Read a ton of 2+2, but not posted or thought enough to become a very good player

Next year, I plan to...

1 & 2. Figure out which level of SNG is the most profitable for me and play a ton of them. Improve my limit game enough to 8+ table 15/30

3. Win a MTT with a buyin of at least $100

4. Discuss more hands/concepts with players who are better than me

5. Keep flopping sets and letting the bad players throw away their money, but be open to the possibility that there will be some games where folding is better.

6. Buy another monitor so IM stops popping up over my tables

7. Post more often

[boedeker]

One year ago...
1. Won 15 mtts in a month including a Super Thursday and a trip to Aussie millions.

Now..
1. Have won and lost my bankroll 3 times. Once to party blackjack. Bought 3 Dell 2001fps, had one stolen with all my other electronics, had my bike stolen from right in front of me. I have less then 1k in the bank until january and 500. online.

[cha59]

One year ago I:

- was trying to fix my game after I read a TJ Cloutier book on tournament poker. (that thing had me f***ed up for a long time)

- was pissing away money I had won (very luckily) in several online MTT's

- was pissing more of the MTT winnings away trying to play 2/4 and 3/6 limit online at UB

- had recently registered as a user at 2 + 2 (found the site from the back of some books)

- had never bought into a tourney for more than $109

- figured out that I suck at limit

- knew no 2 + 2ers personally

One year later I:

- fixed my game (partially) so that I dont suck so bad after having read TJ's book.

- learned a lot from reading and posting at 2 + 2

- won a $110 buyin live MTT at Binion's

- lost 20 buyins at the party 22 sng's

- switched mostly to stars 5.50's and 6.50's

- won a mini step 5 at party after buying in for $22 at step 2 (won 2, 3, 4 and 5 consecutively)

- started playing stars 27's & 33's successfully

- tried the 55's and 60's briefly (unsuccessfully)

- pwned the 27's

- played for 4 hours with Phil Gordon in a live game

- am trying the 60's again (successfully so far-trying not to be too weak tight this time)

- still suck at limit

- am getting to know a quite a few 2 + 2ers via AIM, email and PM and look forward to meeting them in person some day

[TStoneMBD]

sucked dick for coke

[Ogre]

last year

1. thought sngs were fun
2. thought blackjack was for donks like raptor
3. didnt know what chipotle was
4. quit sngs because i went OOTM 13 straight at the 20s

one year later

1. hate sngs
2. love blackjack
3. went from eating there at least once or twice a day to hating it
4. 50 buyin downswing at 100s and quit sngs again later for a different reason

[raptor517]

[ QUOTE ]
last year

1. thought sngs were fun
2. thought blackjack was for donks like raptor
3. didnt know what chipotle was

one year later

1. hate sngs
2. love blackjack
3. went from eating there at least once or twice a day to hating it

[/ QUOTE ]

ship it holla

[Degen]

How ironic that it is irie's post I am putting this in (or perhaps not so at all).

A year ago I was a few months out of college and broke as hell, starting a company with a school friend and we were experiencing some growing pains. It was around this time that I become a clear winner at poker. Two years ago I was a clear loser...it was a slow transition.

I read Aleo's guide and a bunch of other stuff here. I began to ravage the 33's. I saw a post by Irie about some of his backing endeavors and fired off a fateful PM. Within a couple days I was backed and the biggest downswing I had experienced (to that point) ensued. I lost my backing and within another two days GauchoFish was probably the most hated nick in the history of the STT forum.

I changed my name, kept posting...and improving. I took a slow approach to moving up and stayed at the 33's probably longer than I should have. Got some amazing advice about the 55's and higher from posters here...and finally made the jump. Somewhere in there I decided to try and mend some fences and also play more MTT's.

In early July I moved from Los Angeles to Davis and on my first day at my new office in Davis I placed 2nd in the Super Monday on Party, bagging 15.8k. I did like any self-respecting gambler would do...I packed my bags and I headed to the WSOP.

There I made a load more in NL cash games and STT's at the WSOP. So I headed to NYC and Atlantic City, in that order. Atlantic City was not kind to me (I have a craps leak...) and I headed back home, intending to start up my business with my juicy roll.

A couple of days of thought and contemplation led me to decide to go pro, and I did so in July of this year. I moved to the 109's and have now been back and forth between them and the 55's for a few months. I have also packed it up and decided to travel the world and do my job. I am writing this from an internet cafe on the Thai island of Koh Phi Phi. In short, I am in heaven.

I setup a blog to chronicle the journey if anybody wants to follow along...link in my profile.


Bill

-who is proud to be a member of the 2+2 STT forum community

[golfcchs]

One year ago I...

1. Thought I was amazing because I beat my home game (No one had read a poker book exept me).

2. Had only played online for play money

3. Thought my home game was somewhat close to the level of pros

3. Had to do real work for a summer job.

4. Though Super System was all their was to poker strategy

5. Was amazed by how much variance their is in poker (did not know what it was, but still experenced it).

Since then:

1. Found 2+2.

2. have become at least good enought to beat the 22's.

3. Make enoght money to have to work while in school.

4. Am still amazed by what variance can do.

5. Trying to find where to go, now that I know the basics.

[Newt_Buggs]

Mine is short:

One year ago I was single tabling the $11s

Now I'm 8 tabling the $215s

It has been a good year.