Hi there, I have decided to take the plunge and join the crowd of people making threads and the such saying they are going pro. Now, I will explain my plan, where I think that I need help/opinions. I will proceed to ramble on for a little while. I blame it on being thorough. I will implore you to withhold the obligatory TL;DR, as I already know this.

The Basics:
I am from outside of Detroit, not far from Ann Arbor actually. I’m 23 years old and have been playing poker since 2003. At the current time I am a “student.” I have taken this semester, and the one before, off. I have spent most of my time from September to the present, playing poker from Hammond to Atlantic City. I play mostly limit HE, but can play almost any game. At the current time, these are the highest games I will, or have, sat in (in order of preference/win rate):
20/40 LHE
2/5 NL
10/20 2-7 TD
10/20 Mix (only played 7.5/15 but would sit 10/20)
MTT’s up to $350 (I sell action to a personal friend as I cannot sustain playing in those)
1/2 PLO

The Backround:
I used to have a decent sized roll online, about $8000 at its peak, grinding up from about $400. However, when FTP went kaput, I lost about 2/3 of that. At that point I took about 6 weeks off poker and focused on a job that paid quite well. I moved off of playing poker and moved on to thinking about the future. Well, the future bashed me in the nose. I lost my job, and am unable to find anything that is anywhere near what I was making, so I went back to live poker, which I had played a lot of pre BF.

The Reasoning:
I’m not looking to sit here and say that I am taking my shot because I have no other options, as I have a few at this time. I have always thought about making a move and going for it, but with the whole BF thing, that never materialized. I started playing about 60 hours a week in August, and just never needed to look for another job, so I have kept at it. Now, one might ask, why not just do what you are doing, make your monies, and stop typing? My answer is as follows: I am not looking to be a 200 NL pro. I cannot continue to play as many hours as I do, and not progress. I have the time, the mobility, and the drive, why not try to advance. Another reason is that I have wanted to do this for years. I have never been able to do so because there were always options much greater than poker waiting for me. Due to some poor choices and situations out of my control, many of those disappeared. Granted, poker is probably not the best choice as of right now, but within 5 months, or sooner, I will know whether it is a viable option. More on this late, as it is a major component of my plan. I don’t want to degrade the people that sit there at a desk all day and make a solid living, because that is great. However, at this time, I don’t want to do that, at least not yet.

Master Plan:
If I go on and do this, which is pretty much a forgone conclusion, I need to be absolutely sure that I go all out. I can’t say that I am willing to leverage my future on it, but I am leveraging enough that it will hurt me if I fail. More on that later.
I want this to be a 1 (maybe a 1.5x) shot. I want to take the next 5 months proving to myself (and probably others, though they are not my main focus) that I can do this, and I can make a good enough living doing it. If I fail, or realize that I do not want or cannot make a good living at poker, I can move on. Otherwise, I am afraid; I will never be able to let go.
I am not going to sit here and lie to you. I am basically saying, hey, here is my one shot. If I succeed, I need to determine if this is sustainable at a level that I am comfortable with. If I succeed and determine it is not sustainable, then I am okay with that, as I still took my shot, found success, and found out that it isn’t for me. If I fail, I will come to the conclusion that playing poker is not for me, and move on with my life without the regret and anger that comes with it for not trying. At that point, I would have to seriously have to evaluate whether or not I would continue to play poker. I guess what I am stumbling around is as simple as this:
Fail and you’re done.
Succeed, but not enough; there’s leeway to still playing.
Succeed and continue playing.
I am not looking for anything other than those three options. Option two doesn’t even seem to be viable, as all or nothing seems to be where I am at at this point in my life, but that may be able to change in the next 5 months, we will see.
So, now that we have gotten the mental aspect of future life plans out of the way lets move on to the current and near future monetary aspect.
As of time of writing (January 21st, 2012) my bankroll is sitting at $7500. I have about $3000 set aside in a rainy day fund (includes tax return money already). I have about $1000 in a checking account that I use for expenses. I will be taking a spread limit amount out of my poker bankroll to replenish this checking account. Now, here is where I win where others have lost. I have done/accomplished the following things:
I own my car outright (2007 Toyota Corolla S).
I have my car insurance paid on it until July 1.
I have my rent paid in full until June 1.
I am still able to be covered on my parents medical insurance due to some grey area or something. Of that, I am not sure, but I have been assured that I am okay.
I have taken my 3 largest expenses, and paid them off for a substantial amount of time. I did this, to the bewilderment of some people, so that I can not only focus on poker and not whether or not I paid my bills, but to make sure that I don’t sit at the table every day (if I am losing) and think about what I can and cannot pay for if I lose this money (or even worse, how much I have to win in order to pay debts).

So, now that we have gotten the mental aspect of future life plans out of the way and the current and near future monetary aspect, why not move on to the poker venue aspect.
I have a mild crush on the Borgata. I have been to Atlantic City twice (September and November) and have loved both trips. I lost the first one, but absolutely crushed the second. I would love to be able to play here more often, but I live 11+ hours away, so 3-7 day trips are all I can really do for the time being. So, in order to play something other than 200 or 500 NL, I have to travel. Surely, I could sit here in Detroit and play 2/5 at Motor City every day; that is not a problem. I enjoy, and win more, at LHE than NL. In Detroit, there is no purely LHE game about 3/6. There is a 15/30 and 20/40 mix game though. However, it is Omaha High and LHE. Every time I play in the game, I cringe when I see 4-7 way capped pots. It plays like bingo to me and irks me half to death, so I choose not to play, though the LHE portion of the game is juicy. So, in order to play the limits I want to play, I must travel. Thankfully, there are many casinos not far from me. Here are the casinos that I have, or want to play at, and what games I will, or have (in bold) played in.
Soaring Eagle Casino, Mt. Pleasant, MI (2.25 Hours, NNW): $1/$2 $400 max NLHE, $2/$5 NLHE $1000 max
Firekeepers, Battle Creek, MI (1.5 Hours, W): $1/$3 NLHE, $1/$2 PLO
Horseshoe Hammond, Hammond, IN (4 Hours, WSW): $1/$3 NLHE, $20/$40 LHE, $1/$2 PLO
Rivers Casino, Pittsburgh, PA (5.5 Hours, ESE): $5/10 LO8
Parx, Bensalem, PA (10 Hours, ESE): $6/$12 OE, $15/$30 LHE
Atlantic City Casinos (11+ Hours, ESE):
Ballys: $1/$1 NLHE, $2/$5 NLHE (wouldn’t play here again)
Borgata: $10/$20 LHE, $1/$2 PLO, $20/$40 LHE, $1/$2 NLHE, $2/$5 NLHE
Harrahs: $7.5/$15 OE, $1/$2 NLHE, $2/$5 NLHE

So, over the next 5 months, here are my travel plans as they stand now:
February 21/22-February 24/25: Horseshoe Hammond (Magnusson on Camulet). Beginning of CPC. I plan on playing Event 1A. I wanted to play Event 4, but I have comped rooms in AC and it would be more for fun than anything else. If I thought I was 0 EV, I would probably play it, but I am sure that I am –EV, so why waste the $555.

February 26-March 2/3: Philadelphia/Atlantic City (Mostly comped at Caesars) PARX WPT Regional/Caesars AC WSOP. I am probably not going to play the PARX series as they are all re-entry with relatively poor structures. I am, however, more than happy to go there for cash games. If I come back early, and am up for it, I might try to hitch a ride (or just drive myself) down to Hammond to play Event 9 of the CPC ($350 6 Max) and Event 10 ($240 NLHE). I would probably play the turbo as well, as I bubbled the **** out of that tournament last year.

March 7/8-March 11/12: Atlantic City (No room plans as of yet) WSOPC at Caesars AC. If I can get there in time, I will be playing Event 6 of the WSOPC ( $345 6 max). If not, I will be playing Event 8, the LO8. If I can sell 50-75% of my action, I will try to play the ME, but would not be against playing Event 9 ($1k). Depending on how things are going, I might change my mind. I’ll update the plans, of course.
May 29?-June 12?: Las Vegas, Nevada (Rio, mostly comped) I guess one could equate this to being the final boss in a video game. Surely, my mind could have been made up before this trip as to me taking the next step of being a poker pro (moving most likely, though that’s big), but I think not. Granted, the same could be true in the opposite fashion. I may have lost my $7500 and not be playing anymore, or have significantly less that and not be able to afford to come to Vegas (at which point I would announce my retirement).
I am sure that there will be other trips planned, as much of my money will most likely be made in a state other than Michigan. I really don’t mind playing $200 NL while I am here, as long as I am regularly playing LHE elsewhere.

I will be attending the BPO in the Spring Open, whenever that is in April or so.

The Goals:
Probably the most important of all!
So, first, some ground rules. I am going to hamper myself a little bit and say that I will not play higher than $20/$40 LHE, $10/$20 Mix, $500 NL (mostly $200 NL $300 max), and $200 PLO until at least June. It isn’t that I am not interested in moving up in stakes, as I am very interested in that, but, that is not the point. I am more looking to be sustainable, and if the game is sustainable at that level. I am sure that I can’t win Benba Bucks, but at least something that will let me lead a comfortable life along with the opportunity to move up. I like playing heavily rolled for the game of choice (sans $500 NL). I made mention of playing some $500’s or $1k’s, but the most of my money I am risking is probably $300/tournament. It is still a large percentage of the roll, relative to tournaments, but I don’t care, I am not going to be playing too many of them for it to hugely impact me. When I go 0/10, watch for a ninja edit.

Here are most of the goals that I want to achieve:
Find out if poker can sustain the lifestyle I have become accustomed to without revolutionizing everything I have worked hard to build in terms of mental, physical, and financial health.
Travel to different places. Now, this one is hard for me. When I have gone to AC, I have played more than I have slept. Same thing holds true for my two trips to Hammond. This means that I need to gtfo of the casino every once in a while. For AC, I’ll wait until beach season, but I’m sure you understand. As for Hammond, I’ve seen it all, as my family is from Gary (30 years ago when Broadway wasn’t burnt out). However, how much fun could a day trip to Chicago yield? One of the reasons I am looking to do this is the freedom it gives me. That leads me to my next point.
Be spontaneous. I have found that I like to take random 2 day golf trips up north on about 2-24 hours notice. They are always fun. Who says I have to be spontaneous in Michigan alone?
Enjoy thyself. Now, this is still work, so there has to be a certain mentality behind going to play poker. However, I would hate to have poker turn into something like a desk job that I drag myself to every day because my goldfish loves gold plated flakes instead of the platinum ones.
Profit. Well, that’s easy. Here’s the formula: Wins-Losses-Expenses= Positive Number!

The Leeway:
I have given myself one out here. I have stated, repeatedly, that if I do not win (minimal losses, of course), or am unsure about its sustainability, and feel more research is needed; I will schedule another Vegas trip for right around the Main Event. Granted, if I succeed in my plan, then I am probably going to go back anyway (or never come home).

Updates:
I will update this on a regular basis as to where I am at or how I am doing and feeling, as well as answering any questions that one might have. I have made a twitter. Here is the link:
Twitter

Things I Want/Need:
I would love to say that I don’t need anything, but that would be a lie. I would love encouragement, your own thoughts, and perceptions on my thoughts, feelings, and statements. Basically anything you want to say, please do, as I am pretty thick skinned. Unless you call me 4 eyes, I think that we are going to be okay. Also, if you happen not be using a weekend comp in AC while I am there, wink wink nudge nudge. I am more than willing, in fact, happy to meet people from 2+2. I would have no problem meeting for drinks or playing together or whatever. I am a pretty social person so just ask or mention something. O yes, things I want: Hole in the wall local places to eat in AC.

I will add in a small bit later about what future outlooks/options I have past the WSOP if this does come to fruition.

So, I have made a twitter. Here is the link:
Twitter

If I am able to, I may be able to link a calendar of where I am going, and where that is going, as I am just using Windows Calendar to keep track of the events I am interested, as well as travel plans.

Thank you to those that actually read all of this, it went 4+ pages in Word.

tldr;

Gl. You seem like a smart and mature player. Don't be afraid to set your goals a little higher, though. Also, why do you prefer LHE?

I want to move higher, as I would probably jump off a parking garage if I was stuck playing 10/20 or 20/40 for forever, but I also don't want to end up broke again like I was when I was 19. Eating ramen every day sucks. Therefore I just want to play securely at one or two stakes and move up later. The games aren't going anywhere as far as I know.
I don't know why I prefer LHE. I guess it was the first game I learned and I always thought of it as something that was more fun than NL. Granted, I play 60-75% and the rest of it as NL, but I can only really play NL for about 4-10 hours in a row. I regularly (when I travel) play 10+ hours of LHE. In NL, I have never been able to simplify my thought process in order to cut down on spewage/boredom. In LHE and HU NL, I have been very successful at it, regularly putting in 12+ hour sessions day after day.

You seem very well prepared and you seem like you have thought this out very clearly. I think paying the major bills out until July 1 is HUGE. You will be able to play without worrying where your'e gonna sleep if you go on a bad run. I think you're going to do very well for yourself.

One bit of advice: Don't spend too much money on travel and rooms. Keep those costs as low as possible.

Do you have any buddies that are floor players? I have one that plays slots, roulette, blackjack, and such. He gets so many comps it's insane. When I go out of FL to play I try to travel with him or on his comps. I know it may sound like I take advantage of him but he offers these comps to me about 3 times for every 1 that I use. He gets so many he can't use them all.

Try to become friends with someone like that if you're not already to room up with you on your AC trips or room up with other poker players to keep those expenses down. Those types of expenses are like the rake ya know. The silent killer of your BR.

GL Sir!

I have comps at Harrahs properties. Not all of them are free, but most Mondays-Thursdays are free or under $50/night. I almost always travel with someone.
I am looking forward to getting the Borgata Black Card, as I am told that I can get cheaper weekends there than anywhere else. I have a hard time paying for a room over $150/night on the weekend in AC... It just seems like theft to me.

Nice! As I mentioned before you seem to be pretty well prepared.

One thing you noted in your OP is how you have trouble getting away from the table at times. If you're in the "zone" that's great. Ride it out. Just remember to reflect and study at times and you'll be fine.

Not a very good start...
Lost $100 playing chinese and another $50 playing HUPLO.
Looks like like i need to run better.
BR: $7350
Playing a friend HU online, then maybe some time downtown later, but most likely just getting ready for a meeting tomorrow.

Yeah chinese isn't always best for a stable br.

We were only playing 50c/pt... I just ran really bad or drank too much and couldnt see my cards right. I dont know which is true.

Started early at MGM this morning. 2 Tables going around 9a. Got stuck 200 pretty quick, nothing out of the ordinary. Cashed out +250 when I got set over set and flush over set in on the turn for stacks.
BR $7600
Looking at going to Joliet for some time off/free Harrahs rooms. Might stop in Hammond on the way there/back.

Hey good luck with everything! im 15 min north of Detroit where in the hell are you playing Chinese??? THe only live game I have seen was at the Rio during wsop but was $50 a point...just a smidge out of my BR lol

GL sir

I play chinese with a friend of mine that is about 30 minutes from me in AA. We dont get to see each other often, so when we do hang out, we pay whatever pt we are at, and reset it, play a little live, and then go out drinking.
You can play online at action poker. Its kind of cool in the sense that the game is so much faster and you dont miss much. Only problem is we play some weird bonuses and naturals, so we have to keep score ourselves.

And ty for the GLs.

Played about 12 hours today between downtown and the Downs.
Up $850.
Won $250 in a pot with 99 when i filled up and the flush got there.
Won another $300 when my AA got in against QQ aipf.
Lost $140 when my AK got in against KK on a K high flop (flopped top pr and flush draw).
BR: $8450.

Got hit a little bit. Had about 5 hours between meetings, so I played. Lost about $300.
Lost $150: Got my top 2 in against a set and straight draw, obviously losing. If I would have flat called the turn, and not raised, I would have been able to get away from re-raise that came from late position, knowing that 2 pair wasn't good.
Lost $100: I went spazzy and tried and ostentatious bluff. It was a good spot, but wrong person.
I kept missing with my suited connectors and the such. Nothing out of the ordinary, but it seems to cost me more money than usual today. I don't think I played poorly, I just didn't play well, and made a few mistakes.

If anyone, not that anyone has replied in a little while, would like a full on TR, let me know. I was going to wait until after/during my next trip to introduce my Leo Docesque writing skills.

BR: $8150

Going to be downtown tomorrow playing 2/5 if this last minute trip to Petosky (and Odawa Casino) falls through.

Change in travel plans.
Headed to Hammond Feb 20/21. Coming back to AA, then off to AC Feb 23-Mar 4.
Looking for hotel options on the weekends. I dont really care about paying $100 or $150, but finding something like that is stupidly hard. Maybe I'm not looking hard enough.

A few things happened this weekend.

1. Bought QC3 Bose headphones. They are in the mail... Super stoked about it.

2. Re-did travel plans. Have to be in AA on Feb 23 or 24. Looking at the Saturday 185 at Soaring Eagle or Event #2 $350 and Event #3 $560 7 game at the CPC.

3. Got really drunk Friday and Saturday.

4. Played $1/$2 ($300 max) today. Got stuck $750 but got unstuck within 2 hours. Grinded out a meager profit.

5. Also, found a place in AC to stay during the weekend, which is an uber plus. Booked a room at Ballys from Feb 27 to March 1 for $105 all inclusive. I left the other hotel til we get closer to the date.

6. Talked to someone about playing the $1080 WSOPC in AC. Would rather play the ME, but I may not be in town.

7. Anyone play $2/$5 or $5/$5 PLO live? I would like to ask some (possibly stupid) questions.

8. Thinking about buying a tablet for use at the table. I know that I should be paying more attention at the table... Any suggestions?

9. If anyone is in AC during the WSOPC, I am looking for a fun sweat. Swapping 5% of my action on Event 6 $345 6 Max.

10. Lost my phone over the weekend, and I am thinking that this might be a good thing. Looking at the Droid Razr tomorrow. Also, can anyone help me load pictures onto Twitter from my mobile?

BR: $8001

gl

gl sir

Looks like I am making a Firekeepers trip tomorrow morning. I don't know the specifics yet, but it looks like some 1/2 and maybe a little bit of craps.

Update?

.
.

It has been a while… I’ve been really busy between playing and some personal issues.
I’ve been doing lots of travel. I was in Battle Creek from February 1-3. I played a little bit of poker at Firekeepers. There is not too much to talk about in terms of hands, but I lost $200 in the end. With expenses for those 3 days was about $200, which was crazy, but hey, bar booze isn’t cheap, now is it. Thankfully, I run good at Ultimate Texas Hold ‘em and I got $150 of it back.

I left Battle Creek on the morning of the 3rd and stopped in New Buffalo at one of my newly favorite casinos, Four Winds New Buffalo. I wish I had pictures but I left my camera in the bag that I carry around. So, the casino; it is really small, maybe 20 table games and a lot of slots. It had some PokerTek tables as well as some live ones. However, there was only one game going, and I was only looking to make a stop, and play a few hands on the PokerTek tables. No go on that, but I did happen to lose $100 on Baccarat and make it back on craps about 3 minutes later.
I drove from New Buffalo to Joliet mid-day. I arrived in Joliet about 430ish. I had my travelling partner check into the hotel while I checked out the action. Now, for those that do not know, Harrahs Joliet isn’t all that nice of a place. That’s not a knock on the staff, but it just seems run down and un-CET like.

So, I sat in a shorthanded ½ PLO game. I didn’t really want to play super deep, at least at start, since it seemed the big stacks were all to my left. I folded for a little bit and then opened JJ86 double suited (club/hearts) from the button in a straddled pot. I got 3 callers for $15. I made a ¾ pot bet on a flop of 723cc. I got one caller, making the pot about $150 with $40 or so behind. Turn is a blank (10?). Goes check, check. Club hits on the river, and he bets pot. I call, thinking that I am probably beat, but okay to reload, especially after seeing the table for an orbit and a half. I win v the 10 high flush, something like 9984cc or something. I was just relived that I didn’t have to reload 6 hands in what I wanted to be a long session.

I only played one relatively big hand for the remainder of the time.
I have 6542cchh (cant remember which was which but its not important). Not the best hand, but compared to what I have seen people stack off with, I am comfortable potting from LP and firing most flops. Probably not a good play in terms of long term profitability, but nonetheless, that was what I was thinking. We see a flop 3 handed. Flop is 47k with a club and a heart. Checked to me and I bet $40 with about $200 behind, being the shortest stack. I get both players to call, which I kind of hate, obviously. Pot is about $170. Turn is a 9c. Checks to me, I bet 100, thinking that I get 2 pair to fold. Players have seemed super passive, so I am thinking that a bet here might get through, if not, I have a wrap and a tiny flush draw. I get one caller, pot is $370. River is a 3. He bets his last $60 and I call. We chop when he shows 65ak no clubs. I don’t understand his call, but nonetheless, I didn’t lose but whatever. I have a stack of about $285 and I am basically content with wrapping up a W here and moving on to the 10/20 LHE game that is starting shortly.

I lost $45 by 3 bet folding QQJ8 sssx. Straddle is on (per usual) with a raise to $15 and my 3 bet to $45. I get a call and then a 4 bet from the original raiser to $140. I elect to fold since I presume the spazzy player to my left (cold caller) is most likely going to reraise to get the rest of the $100 in pre (his go-to play). Seeing as how I’m winning, and not willing to risk my stack with that hand, I just fold.
OR/4bettor shows AAJK or something like that, it was AA with 2 face. Spazzy player opens 5678 and wins with a straight on the turn. I laugh, play another 2 orbits, and fold a lot. Raise pre a few times and fold to flop bets, nothing out of the ordinary here.
So, I book a $120 win and move on to the 10/20 game, the reason I am in Joliet instead of Hammond (20/40 is the lowest LHE game spread, well 3/6 but whatever). I sit down about 6:30p to a 5 handed table, which we start up. It was nice to see that no one sat down with under $400. It was a good game. I was a little spewy to start, losing about $120 without really know why. I didn’t really have any good hands in terms of starting hands (and position).

A few hands are as follows: I’m down about $250 at the moment, kind of spewing, but I definitely tightened up over the last 40 minutes. I clamped down and played super tight to the point that I was bored, which is never a good thing.

We are 8 handed, and I look down at JJ in LP. I raise, obviously. Button folds while the SB and BB call. This seems to be the MO for the table, the SB and BB calling 2 bets with pretty much ATC. Knowing this, I liked the flop of J42dd. I bet with two calls on the flop, turn is 10x. I bet with one call. River is 3d. I call, wanting to raise, but this wasn’t a game that people were cold betting the river with anything but the nuts. So, I call, since I can’t really raise in this spot. I lose to 95dd and I just chuckle. I get up around 11:30 PM, down about $400.
Illinois doesn’t allow for people to wear headphones at the tables, which is wickedly stupid, but whatever. I sat at some 1/3 NL, but I wasn’t really into the game. I lost about $40 and got up to go back to the hotel.

With expenses and everything else, I lost about $500 in Joliet between PLO, LHE, NLHE, the Red Roof Inn, and a really good late night dinner/drinks. Not really happy about it, but what are you going to do, these things happen.

So, for the trip, I am down about $550, and this makes me sad. So, I get some sleep, wake up, and drive to Hammond. I set my friend up with some study space in the lobby of the Magnusson on Camulet. I go to the Horseshoe and find some NLHE. I win about $350. I flop a flush and turn a boat on two different hands, getting stacks in while holding the virtual nuts. I lost like $100 calling preflop raises. I can’t really remember much else about the Hammond. I was really tired and kind of tilted about the 10/20 game the night before.
I head home, about a $200 loser. I am a little upset that I lost when there was so much dead money floating around Joliet (the PLO game was super soft).
I take the rest of the day off (Saturday) and get some things done around the apartment. On Sunday I wake up at like 11am and go to Northville Downs. I sit down about noon and lose $100 on my 3rd hand. I quit super fast, which is unusual for me, as I usually just sit and grind for hours on end. I think the whole Joliet trip and some things that I have had go one personally really affected my playing ability. Maybe if I hadn’t lost the first pot I played, things would have been different, but I did feel when I sat down a little weary of playing. Usually I just fight through it and play, but not today. I go home and get some work done.

I don’t play again until Thursday. I head down to MGM on Thursday mid-afternoon. I would love to go into further detail about all of the hands, but I failed to write anything down, as well as the fact that it is like 5am and I am very tired. I won about $150 and was content with that, as I failed to play well. I have made some weird adjustments in the last few sessions that I have played. I seem to have tightened up in the last week or so, which is very unlike me. I don’t think that I am playing with scared money, as I know that I am rolled for the games and comfortable playing just about any game offered in Detroit. I don’t know, maybe it is some reflection and sub-conscious adjustments I have made after studying my game. I don’t know what it is, but the conscious and what I will call perceived sub-conscious adjustments I have made recently has really helped in terms of profitability.

As for the play, I went from Motor City to MGM on Saturday. I quickly win about $300 when I turn the nut straight against a spewtard with top two and a shorty with top. I had a friend that was going to MGM to play craps, so I said I would meet him there and grab a bite to eat at Pallete. I meet up with him, and win about $60 playing craps, buying in for the $25 in MGM chips I had.
After dinner I head upstairs to play some poker. I run good and win about $225. Don’t really have any hands to note. I know that I flopped trips and busted a shorty for about $100. Other than that, I did a lot of raise pre, C-Bet the flop, and took it down.

I went down to Motor City on Sunday and I lost $300 playing like a fool. I ended up spewing off $125
with AK when I 3-bet pre and had to call an all in.

I took Monday off, and got back to the grind on Tuesday.

I broke even on Tuesday, though was stuck $500 at one point. I played really well in all aspects. I think that I could have folded one of the hands that I went broke on. I had top pair with a flush draw, but was pretty confident that I was facing a better than 2 pair hand. There was a 3 to a straight on board, but I went with my read and was wrong. I was happy with my play overall, as I got to dig myself out of my whole. Moreso, I was just pleased with the fact that I was able to play just as well stuck $500 as I was even. I just know that I am pleased with my play.
As for the numbers, I have been really stagnant in terms of growth. I am stuck right around $8000. I think the accurate number is just below it, but nonetheless, close enough.

I am looking for a little bit of staking for the CPC coming up in a few weeks. I just want to play the following events:
Event 1a: $240 Re-entry NLHE
Event 1b: $240 Re-entry, though I don’t think I would re-enter, so I would probably play day 1b.
Event 2: $350 NLHE
Event 4: $560 7 Game. This is the one that I really want to play in.
Event 5: $240 NLHE
I would be okay as long as I play one of them. I will most likely play in one of the events nonetheless, but I don’t know which events. I was thinking Event 2 and/or 4, depending on how the cash games go. I just want to be able to cut the expenses as much as possible.

I know that this isn’t the staking forum or marketplace, but if someone is interested, please PM me.

Anyway, looking at staying in Hammond for at least several days anyway, no matter whether or not I play any tournaments.

So, on to future plans:
I have had to cancel my WSOPC AC trip for the time being. I wanted to be able to head out there, but I have family coming in to town as well as some potential Northern MI time, as long as there is still snow on the ground.
Looking at heading up to Lansing in a day or two, but not sure what my plans are as of yet.

Heres part one of another stupendously long post:
HH/TR coming later...
I'm on 4 pages in word as we speak, so Ill post in two parts.

Spent the night in EL... Didn't really sleep... seems to be a recurring theme. Trying to figure out where to play this weekend. I have a rather large wad of cash on me as we speak, thinking about taking ANOTHER IL/IN trip... It would be my 3rd in like 3 weeks. I am thinking that I am going to drive from East Lansing to Firekeepers and then decide from there. If I feel like I'm breaking down mentally or physically, it is only 85 exits east to get home. If I feel good, I'll head to Hammond with a pit stop at my favorite small casino, Four Winds New Buffalo. I just want to try the PokerTek tables 1x, so I think that every time that I drive through NB, I am going to stop.
I am thinking that I might make an appearance at PLO more than LHE or NLHE this weekend. At this point, low limit live PLO seems to just be super juicy. Wish I would have manned up earlier than 2 months ago.
As for strategy, I think that I am going to stick with a $100-$150 buy in at a $100-$300 table. I think that the $100 is a little too short to be effective as it is more appropriate/easier to get all the $ in the middle when I can play a little more snug with a little bit more money and get much more value (lol PLO value) out of my made and strong drawing hands. I hope that makes sense, because that is the premise that I am operating under at the current time. Obviously most monetary decisions will be game. flow, and mental dependent. However, I am going in with the mindset that I can bring $200-$250 to the table (top up or rebuy).

A lot of the games LLPLO live games I have played have included a straddle, obviously leading to bigger pots. I think that $150 will be appropriate with a willingness to top up to $250 if the situation deems prudent.

As for NL, I have maintained that buying in full is the best way to go for me. I feel much more comfortable firing 2+ barrels if need be with a 150BB starting stack (well, at 150BB at any time). So, for the weekend, if I play some NL, it will be a full buy. I might try and get sneaky and play on a 2/5 table. At that point, 100BBs is fine for me. It is not as if I have never played 2/5, but I am trying to not get too deep into 2/5 as 1/2 is big enough for me at the current time. TBH, I wish that I could get into more 2/5 games. I really like the way I play in terms of adapting to the players, situation, and monetary increase (risk and reward). Obviously, if you have played any 2/5 in your life, the game is not that much different from 1/2, just double the stakes. I don't want to say that I play more tepid in a 2/5 game, but I do notice a shift in terms of my gameplay. I'm starting to move these adjustments from 2/5 to 1/2. I think its making a difference not only in the pocketbook, but also in terms of how I feel during and after playing. I spoke a little but about it in my last mammoth post (and it seems this will be another) and have made a few observations.

I understand the way I have approached poker at this time is as a job. I'm at the casino to make money. That should be the end of it, right? Well, maybe I overvalue the mental aspect of the game. Since the last post, I haven't really cared about the money in terms of monetary wins and losses (won quite a bit in the last 48h). I've more cared about whether or not I have thought that I have played well. I don't want to say money doesn't matter, because, as we all know, money makes the world go round. I also don't want to say that I am predispositioned that I am going to win every time, but it feels that way every time I walk up to the table in a good mindset. It kind of sounds silly, eliminating the monetary aspect from poker, but it really is a lot of fun not fretting over bankroll numbers, lost equity, or suckouts. I am not dismissing the significance of any of those things, but being able to brush those aside and just play good poker makes this experience very much well worth it. Sorry for the ramble, but I just don't think I am explaining anything well enough, ever, hence the long posts.