Hi,

My name is Darrell, and I am a 26 year old Canadian PhD student in Electrical Engineering. I deposited 50 bucks on UB (eek) on two separate occasions quickly going busto both times. The 2nd time I managed to go from $50 to $0.17 back up to $30 before bustoing my roll. After watching HSP and seeing the comments in the TV forum here, I started reading through the anthology and reading the various threads. So after finishing my masters at the end of Decemeber, I put $50 bucks on FT, which quickly grew to $1k then over $4k in a month and a half when I came third in a big $24 dollar tourney.

However, I wasn't working that term (had some money saved away, the poker was an unexpected bonus). So, instead of using the money I had saved, I was withdrawing from my now "big" roll on FT to pay the bills. I also experienced two phenomena at this point, variance and playing above my roll. I started trying to get into FTOPS and a few other event, didn't cash in any of them, and then started to run bad\tilt, which when combined with my lack of other income led to more tilt. And while I wasn't losing, I wasn't winning, really just treading water.

So, by the end of April I had to reduced my roll to $100 via withdrawals or so on FT and decided to grind $4/180s on Stars to rebuild it (I started my PhD at this time which provides enough money to get by). I got my Stars roll back up over $1k, withdrew my initial deposit amount (to guarantee making money!), and then got doomswitched for my next 75 or so tourneys. But all is good again and I'm just shy of $1k again. Once I get to $1.5k or so I am planning on switching to the $12/180 turbos, but I have now become a huge bankroll NIT so I want to ensure I can withstand a nice downswing before even breaking the 100 buyin rule. I tilt much worse the lower my roll relative to the buyin, so that is my defense.

Hi everyone,

I'm a 20 year old European. I've played poker since January 2007. I started playing because I heard that someone had won like $2k online. I was going to high school at the time and I was too lazy to get a job. I remember that on my first day I played 10 man freerolls where the winner got 10c, second place 6c and third 2c. I played these until I had 50c and sat down at a 2NL table. I ran it up to $10 that day and I thought that this a the easiest way to make money. Obviously I lost it all the next day.

I started to read a lot about the game and improved my game. In the mean time I got a job which I still have. I deposited $45 and ran that up to $400 playing tourneys and withdrew almost all of it. I took the remaining $ and ran that up to $600 and then decided to deposit that to my PokerStars account. I ended up depositing only $160 (spent the rest) and ran that up to $390 playing mostly S&Gs. I then started to playing 6max cash and lost some money because I wasn't good at it. I went on tilt and lost basically my whole roll. Now I have <$1 on my account.

Now I plan to take a break from playing for the summer. I'm gonna study a lot, and put aside $400 and start over, playing with a proper BR (I plan to play the 180 man S&Gs exclusively, starting from the $4.40s). I'll be turning 21 in October so I can start playing at the local casino.

BrandiFan-

GL at the wsop!

Hi,

I'm Dave from the UK, 37 and have been playing badly for 3 years.

I started on UB and Stan's Poker, SNGs and micro cash never getting anywhere. Then I moved to Party with similar results. I managed some MTT success on Stan's winning a trip to Gibraltar all expenses paid. But the lure of big bucks drew me to FT and Stars.

I have never concentrated on one area moving around alot and spewing money in the process. My post flop skills are poor but I am trying to put people on hands more and fight for the chips if I think they are weak. More work in that area.

So far the only thing I can win at is SNG, although on stars since BOP started I have had a shocking run. My sharkscope on tilt is good: 13% ROI but its only 38 games. It looks to good to one whose success seems absent. I know the sample is small but 'little victories' are good for the soul.

So the future is concentrating on SNGs and trying to grind up. I have tried stabs at big stakes and been savagely dealt with. Now finally I have learnt bankroll management. My biggest pot to date a: 12/180 win on stars.

This site has been an invaluable resource and has improved my game no end. Good luck to you all unless you're getting that ace on the river against me.

Hello everyone,

My name is Jakob, I'm 23 and studying geography and political science in Cologne, Germany. About 10 years back I had my first experiences with getting coolered for big pots of change in 5-Card-Draw (We never heard of Holdem before). So I hated poker.

In 2006 I found myself playing freerolls and play money stts extensively on Europoker, later on Stars. During this time one of my best friends, sence25, got really stuck in poker too. Probs to him, over the course of the last 12 months he gave me the HoHs and the Moshman book. He staked me ($5 lol) as well, and after busting in the first 3 $1s I cashed in the "last" one and been a winning player ever since, actually running hot to a 120% ROI over a small sample size.

When I started I've been following a 30- or 40-buy-in rule at times (50 now). I always cashed out lots of my winnings until I got a side job that provides more leeway for building a bankroll. At one point I started a session of 2 4/180s, one 3/45 and some others at 12pm on a saturday night. By 4am I had boosted my lifetime winnings by quite a bit, taking down my first 180 man while placing 3rd in the other 180 and, for the sake of completeness, taking down the 45 man as well. I know it's a smallish brag to most of you, but for me it was pretty amazing to see the cash in my account and definitely a turning point for liking mtts so much (A few HORSE and single table tourneys are still part of my sessions). Round that time I started lurking and posting on a more regular basis, according to my favored tourneys and what I make most money from, in SSMTT.

After moving up slowly I'm currently at the $10s, rolled lightly though. I have no intentions of playing poker for a living, but it is a great hobby and something I'm very passionate about fwiw. Now I'm awaiting my first legit brag...(which would be attributed in large parts to this community)

Jakob

This is really great to read everyones bios'. Keep em comin!

names michael
im old, bitter, and a bigtime lagtard.
i enjoy spewing, and pabst blue ribbon.
ive won one $10 tourney for about ~$2600, couple other deep runs that have amounted to very little. won one FL Omaho 08 tourney on accident once for $666, after i thought i registered for a 4 dollar tourney, instead it was a $44 and my entire bankroll.

im terrible at bankroll management, have never excercised it once, but im not a total degenerate, im actually quite nitty with money.

i dont put in enough volume. im too lazy and apathetic to give it 100% all the time and most of the time i dont bring my a-game. my biggest leak is essnetially that i get bored. i love poker, but sometimes i just do it because i dont have anything better to do. ship me some aderall?

My name is Andy, I've been playing seriously off and on for about 4 years. Some stuff about me:

-I'm 26
-I started obsessing about poker while I was getting my Masters in Philosophy
-I still managed to get my degree
-I ran college cross country and track at Ashland University in OH.
-I am rrreally out of shape but I just decided after watching the olympic trials that I'd try to get back into shape and beat my PR's (personal records)
-I currently work at a pharmaceutical company in a chemistry lab
-I did okay at NL200 for the majority of my poker days. ~1.5ptbb
-ATM I am learning how to play MTT's because that's where the glam and glory is
-Oh and I live in Kalamazoo, MI HOLLA!

I missed this thread as I spent May holidaying in Greece ...so....

I always liked poker but quit the home games when the idiots I played with started getting drunk and betting paychecks and taking advantage of a friend that was a bit slow, and wanted to play with the "cool" guys. And no, to my knowledge, I was not the slow guy.

Never a true degen gambler, but always a gambler. In 1979 went to Vegas at 19 to count cards and play blackjack. Between the attitude towards card counters and the fact it was painful to play blackjack 8 hours a day, left 3 weeks later. Got a real job...

2006 saw internet poker that seem legit(Party) Tried some play stuff and put $100 on stars, built it to $500 and lost it. Between working full time(Small Business Advisor) and my girlfriend and I building a timberframe house ourselves(stupid) last year, haven't had time to improve like I hoped.

Deposited $100 again in Jan 2008. Lately the roll goes from $900-$600 depending on the swing. Play mostly 45s as I don't have enough time, but really want to improve as I love the challange.

Oh Yeah...I'm Derek, 47, live in Western Canada, Business Degree, good at bull****ing and bad at self discipline. Overall my game is not bad except for 3 or 4 gigantic holes.

Currently playing 6/45s mostly and trying to play more big field $5-$15 MTTs. I really need to review more hhs(mine).

2+ and books have been my main learning as I don't know any local poker players. Poker seems like a better retirement plan than the lottery.

My name is John. I write computer software for a living.

I started playing Poker in April. At the beginning of May I bought in online for $170 and wiped out in two days playing 3/6 limit and some $10 tournaments.

After that I started reading books like a fiend, and bought in for $30 more dollars.

After two months I have built this up to $120 playing $1 tournaments, and recently moved up to $2. I have been lurking on these boards for about a month, and they have helped almost as much as the books.

I get really obsessed with things, and Poker is my current obsession. I jump around a bit to different things and end up writing about them on my goofy website.

For example, I got obsessed with not being fat and lost 100 pounds:

http://www.hardgeus.com/index.php?npageid=17

That's me in a nutshell.

Hi i am Alan, i am 20 years old from Scotland

I have been playing online poker since like early 2006 but it was initially on Betfred (lol) and then without any real knowledge of what i was doing/bankroll management/whatever - i think i played there casually for like 10 months and cashed out like £150 or so (which i though made me awesome but i now recognise i used to suck)

At the beginning of 07 i finally deposited $100 on Stars - and managed to luckbox like a $250 score within my first week or so playing there - around this time i discovered 2+2, and just started reading a ton of the MTT threads, anyway i just got better i guess cracked the first 4 figure score in summer 07 - put some money on Full Tilt (then later Party and UB) - played a lot, ran well (i think) and by the end of 07 i had like a $7K roll.

All this time i have been studying for a law degree at Strathclyde University in sunny Glasgow (lol), this was my final year, so i decided to focus obv, which meant i really didnt play very much (or very well) when i was playing for the first 5 months of this year

Anyway i finished uni at the end of May and since then have been on a pretty sick heater, more than doubling my roll - with a ton of results on Stars, FT and Party - i have also finally started posting which i think has def helped my game - i plan on grinding midstakes pretty hard this summer so lets hope the run good continues

- love this thread

hardgeus, holy **** that´s a sick homepage! totally into the metrosexual guide now.

Hi SSMT!

Name's Mido, 25yr old Indonesian.

I'm a regular SNG player at 12s and 16s for now.

I was playing MTT back then, and boy what a beginners luck I have.

Won several overlays MTT on Bodog back in 2006 - 2007, some FTs and deep finishes.

The main source of my initial bankroll came from my MTT results.

But unfortunately, I cashed out a big chunk of my winnings and only managed to save ~$800 left in my roll :P

BUT, I managed to bought HoH from that winningsand that's when I found twoplustwo forum!

I'm gonna post a lot of hands and ask a lot of questions here at SSMTT Strategy forum and hopefully won another MTT because I deserve it and not just because "The beginners luck". I know I'm gonna be learning from the best here

Hey guys thanks for bumping this thread. I was still lurking when it got started; so I might as well introduce myself now.

I'm 23 and working towards a Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics at a major American university.

I got started playing in live $25 tourneys at Harrah's St. Louis about a year ago, and when I realized I was actually breaking even I decided to put more energy into learning poker. I took a few months off, read most of Sklansky's 2p2 books, and started a play money account on FTP (turned 1000 into 1.6 million in about 8 months playing 90 man SNGs...if only it were that easy with real money).

Anyway, when I left St. Louis this year to start my Ph.D., I decided to give online poker a shot. I, too, am trying to "pull a Ferguson" and build a roll from freerolls. I had some moderate success early ... winning $8 in my first few freerolls and then turning that into $18 playing $1/45's, but I have since lost it all. I'm now back on the freeroll train and haven't had any success in the last three weeks -- the worst was the night that I bubbled in each of Razz, Omaha, and HE (28th, 29th, and 28th, respectively -- 27 places paid) after something like 5 hours of playing.

I play mostly for recreation, but I think I could reasonably supplement my meager grad student income in time. And, if I can't build a $100 BR from freerolls by the end of the summer, I guess I'll just load some money (feels like a moral defeat, though).

here you go you ****ing animals, enjoy, flame away.

Here's my story...I'm a 30 year old science teacher with a 1 year old kid, and a wife who always wants me to cash out.

I've been playing since late 2005, and I've never deposited a dime. I started out with a free bankroll $50 on party, playing SNG's and some MTT's and I lost that after a month or so, I got my friend to sign up for me and played his account until I scored the bonus, then transferred the $$ to myself. I read HOH 1 & 2, and the forums, as well as a few other books. In May '06 I finally got over 1k, playing $11 SNG's, then I had a few nice cashes on Party for just shy of $5k. I cashed out most of the monies and bought myself a nice new mountain bike so that I would have something to show for it. I probably cashed out around $6k total.

After that I kind of got bored and broke even for 6 months or so before tilting a few hundred away at NL cash.
I made a deal with my wife that I wouldn't ever deposit, and I haven't played much in the last year, since my son was born in March '07.

Every so often Party would ship me a few bucks with a ridiculous points expectation to keep the $$. About 2 months ago they put $20 in my account. I had 1 day before they took it back so I entered a $22 multi and took it down for $570. I've been playing a nightly $22 MTT and $11 SNGs, and last night won another $22 for $500. Current BR around $1100. I have also realized that smoking weed is -EV, it kills my concentration and I just don't pay attention.

We need to head out for Drinks.. I will get in touch with ya.

there's quite a few mike's here imo.

also: areaman, plz tell me that is you?

ZOMG! THIS will make my day/night

Im a 20 yo chilean, my major is sociology.
I have been playing donkaments since 2005, my top cashes are 6k, 5k, 5k, 4k, 4k , I have tried on higher stakes but without success. My current br is 13k, I thought I was on a 6k downswing so I decided I had to improve my game to take it to the next level, today I did a recount of my br and it turns out i had forgot a 3K withdrawal to neteller plus I had a good today on the tables which means Im only on 2,5k downswing, but I guess Im still going to post a lot to improve my game and hopefully somebody else on the process.

Hi, My name is Merum, and I'm a Texas microdonk.

My background is in electrical/mechanical/software engineering, and I work in product development. I've got a few patents to my name that I'm pretty proud of.

I've been playing poker for longer than I can remember but took it up seriously at the beginning of this year, after donking it up on the FTP play money tables as a goof for a while. A friend turned me on to 2+2 and it's been improving my game steadily. I'm happy to say that I've not redeposited after my initial 50 and bounce up and down between there and a hundred playing the 1.20s with occasional upward shots.

I think this SSMTT community is great and I'm interested in discussion with folks who want to discuss strats, beats, or poker in general, or for the occasional roadtrip to Winstar.

BTW: Hardgeus, what the hell exactly is wrong with acid and horse tranquilizers???

its just you.

Ive read most of them esp the one from ppl I see posting here frequently like bradi areman, dunk, etc.


ANYWAY

Im 22 a senior in college. I am friends with The-Toilet0, Chong, Bigeygpt, Adamoos, and more down in @ U of I and I found out they were making ass loads of money So I decided to get very serious about playing because im about to graduate and I dont want to work in a ****ing cubicle for $50k a yr with some fat ass boss breathing tuna breathe down my back.

Jan I started putting in MASSIVE amounts of hrs and till this day I still do in terms of playing, reading, posting, watching videos on pxf and crs. I usually put in about 50-80 hrs a week damn near every sec im woke im doing something with poker even during the school yr i was.

This is my first non recreational yr, and I've made about $15k playing ~1k donkaments and I have pretty soild ROIs about 80% avg (I just went on a $2k downswing i dunno where it is right now). My goal was to be playing $100 mtts by the end of the yr which is hard when u spend ur BR on other ****.

I'm committed to playing for a living like I said, I dont want to get a "real job" after I graduate, so I have no choice but to get better. I know some ppl say they would talk about hand, but I really mean it, no matter what time, as long as im on AIM (sebastian2433) which Im on all day im game. I dont want to waste my time with part time/recreational players...serious ppl looking to become dominate and stack paper.

Hi folks,

My name is Ben and I've been on and off two plus two for the last year or so, mainly posting in SS Limit Hold em but have come back to tourny play over the past few months.

I started playing in 2002, had a really fun home game in Boston, and traveled to Foxwoods for 2/4. 4/8 and 5/10 hold em. Did really well but had no pipe dreams of making a living grinding out low stakes hold em. Moved to MN, played a bunch at Canterbury Park, finally moved to AZ in 05 and still monkey around the two rooms we have here from time to time.

Back in 02 I deposited $200 onto UB. Went bust. Deposited $200 more, went bust. Depostied $200 more, took 2nd in a $10 PL event for $400, worked that up to $3K and cashed out to pay off all my credit card debt.

A friend of mine cashed in the WSOP in 06 and paid half my buy-in to the WPT event at Foxwoods later that year. I finished 29th for a little over 20K, paid off half my student loans.

Got back on to Full Tilt and Poker Stars in 07 since I was sick of the tourny's offered around here, and have had okay results in the past 6 months or so. My BR management sucks, mainly due to an itch to play PLO and PLO8. NL Tournaments are probably my best game online.

Thats about all. Think this is one of the better forums on 2+2, lots of thinking players.

Hi all. I'm a 30-something scientist, and I suck at the pokers. Started playing poker a few years ago as a hobby, home cash games (penny/nickle/dime type stuff) and play money both online and in local restaurants. Less than a year ago I started playing for real money online (by real money I mean it would buy me a stick of gum, not that it's high stakes). Took 3rd in one of the PPA freerolls that Stars was running and got my roll off to a nice start with a ~$350 score. Kept playing the micro stakes 45s and 4/180s and built it up some. Tried some of the small and micro tournaments and scored a 6th place finish in one of the 10-minute levels events for 3 figures. Tried some limit cash and ran it up decent, then had some disastrous swings in pretty much every form of poker I tried (NL cash, limit cash, tournaments), losing about 40% of the roll.

Finally got that slide arrested about a month ago. Since then I've been running it up in small fits and starts, going deep in a few big field tournaments but not quite breaking through (11th in a $5/1900 turbo being my closest to a big win) with the only significant score being a 4/180+side bet money in the 4/180 challenge in MTTC (~$400 with the side bet). Anyways, now I have a new job that's eating all my time, so I'm thinking about cashing out and treating myself to a new computer.

While my location is accurate, I have managed to win money at this game (not big money, but it's better than a hobby that costs money), and a lot of the credit for that goes to this forum. I suck, but thanks to you folks I don't suck as bad as some of the other players out there and I can take their money in very tiny chunks. And I enjoy playing, so double win for me.

wtf. 3 people from kzoo in this thread? HU4ROLLS? LOL jk