So this month the first three days I was down about $800/900 but only $300 in ev down, after the first three days i watched a good motivational video/ have been trying to compare myself to myself and improve myself everyday, raise my own standards and keep an eye on myself daily rather than these monthly kind of updates.

with the poker - just stay in stakes well within my bankroll so down to 25nl normal tables (yes stayed within bankroll)
fitness- try and do some every day which is an improvement (ran 25/27 days, 2.8-4.5 miles)
booze- try to cut down to the odd occasions rather than like 2/3 times a week (33 pints over 7 occasions in 27 days)
spending- just cutting down on waste like takeaways etc (2 days spent a bit)

hopefully I can improve the above next month too

totals for November,

rakeback: $173.26
normal tables: $527.32
zoom: -$867.93
live: -£25/ 2 hours
total: -$197.94

2022 totals:

Tournaments: -$2557.42
Normal Tables: +$1157.64
Rakeback: +$4524.85
Zoom: -$3616.02
Live Poker: -£460/ 5 hours

January: -$572.47
February: -$1107.83
March: -$1138.65
April: +$185.46
May: +$105.40
June: -$460.09
July: +$191.31
August: +$1749.80
September: +$104.96
October: +$9.58
November: -$197.94

Total: -$1100

So a small losing month but up about 20 buy-ins since the 3rd November, i think if I can just work towards always improving myself I can profit but if I mess around, no fitness, no diet, sloppy poker etc I will lose. Target for December is to try and do well and get into black figures for the year then have a better year next year hopefully

here is my end of the year summary as I'm going to have a quiet couple of days.

In December poker went very well for me. It was my second biggest winning month of the year and put me into a small profit for the first time in the whole entire year. A complicated way to make $24.10 for the year. It was alright though, better than losing and at half way through the year being minus $3000, tournaments not going well and probably being a loser at cash games to get back to break even was good in the end. Had a few lessons which were very good and now hopefully makes me a winner at smaller cash games and hopefully next year will be better.

here are my other targets I am working on to hopefully improve myself with the poker too

poker- stay in stakes well within my bankroll (yes did that) good
fitness- try to do some every day (ran 3.9 miles 5/31 days) bad
booze- try to cut down to the odd occasion (64 pints over 8 occasions in 31 days) very bad
spending- try to cut down on unecessary spending (6 days spent a bit extra) bad

these targets, poker went well, fitness was not great so need to do better, booze was a mixture of Christmas and world cup which hopefully means it will be much less in future and will try to aim for the odd occasion in future and keep more of a watch on spending too.

totals for December:

Rakeback: $46.98
Normal tables: $1077.12
Total: $1124.10


2022 totals:

Tournaments: -$2557.42
Normal Tables: +$2234.76
Rakeback: +$4571.83
Zoom: -$3616.02
Live Poker: -£460/ 5 hours

January: -$572.47
February: -$1107.83
March: -$1138.65
April: +$185.46
May: +$105.40
June: -$460.09
July: +$191.31
August: +$1749.80
September: +$104.96
October: +$9.58
November: -$197.94
December: +$1124.10

Total: +$24.10

Yearly total since the start of this blog
5 months 2021: +$1798.46
2022: +$24.10
Total: +$1822.56 in 17 months since blog start.


So plus $24.10 for the year. Target for January is just to play well at the small stakes normal tables. Target for 2023 is to stick to the normal tables, no plans for tournaments or zoom, just to stay well within my bankroll and maybe play a few live games as the bankroll gets bigger too. Stick with this blog as it is a good way of seeing how much I am up or down and get some more lessons hopefully if I can go up a couple of stakes too.

Happy New Year and best wishes to everyone for 2023.

January Summary - January was alright for me with a small winning month.

2023 totals:

normal tables: +$270.15
rakeback: +$99.62
zoom: -$62.82
January total: +$306.95

my other targets - poker - stay well within bankroll (yeah did that just need to stop the little try at zoom as this was a waste of money and should know not to do that when normal tables go better for me)
fitness- try to do some everyday (ran 4.5 miles 1/31 days, bad need to really work on that this month)
booze- try to cut down to the odd occasion (20 pints on 3 occasions in 31 days, better than last month and would like to keep it around this level)
spending- try to cut down on unnecessary spending (didn't pay attention to that this month, but it was okayish)

yeah so try and improve most of these things this month.

Target for February is just the same, keep to small stakes normal tables and hopefully make a few hundred profit.

February Summary -

February went alright for me again with a few hundred profit which I guess is what I was kind of aiming/hoping for this month so yeah just a bit of profit and only $2.78 this month in rakeback.

totals for February:

Rakeback: $2.78
Normal Tables: $552.82
Total: $555.60


2023 totals:

Normal Tables: $822.97
Rakeback: $102.40
Zoom: -$62.82

January total: $306.95
February total: $555.60
Total: $862.55

other targets - poker - stay well within bankroll (yeah did that)
fitness- try to do some every day (ran 3.5-4.5 miles 6/28 days) try to look to do this around half the days in future as its more realistic than every day and a small improvement on last month)
booze- try to cut down to the odd occasion (48 pints over 5 occasions in 28 days) aim for half this next month
spending- didn't keep track and spent more that I would have liked really - pay better attention in March

Think the target for February would be just to keep to the small stakes normal tables as they are going alright for me. If the month is going well maybe put a couple of buy-ins into the Pokerstars anniversary tournament as it is such a huge tournament and the only tournament I plan on playing this year.

March Summary -

March didn't go too well in terms of poker, will hope for a better April. I was maybe a bit greedy as I raised the stakes a bit and lost (played the Sunday Million Anniversary had 1.6 million chips at one point and was 32/1000 left after 39500 started, ended up 500 or something for $1000 after 3 entries and probably messed my exit hand up), I think going forward I will keep the stakes a little higher though as playing for months and months at the very small stakes is not getting me anywhere anyway, here is how March went.

Totals for March:

Rakeback: $145.90
Tournaments: $89.96
Zoom: $5.90
Normal Tables: -$886.57
Live poker: -£1160/ 5 hours
Total: -$2076.83

2023 totals:

Normal Tables: -$63.60
Rakeback: $248.30
Zoom: -$56.92
Tournaments: $89.96
Live poker: -£1160/ 5 hours


January total: $306.95
February total: $555.60
March Total: -$2076.83
Total: -$1214.28

other targets - stay well within bankroll (no)
fitness- try to do some half the days (ran 3.5-6 miles 12/31 days so pretty good will aim for the same target of half the days next month)
booze- try to cut down to the odd occasion (22 pints over 5 occasions, about half of last month which was what i was aiming for this month)
spending- yeah a lot better this month only overspent a couple of days

Targets for March- Just try and make a bit of profit at the small stakes tables as I had been doing okay the last 8 months or so and then also put any profit and try to play the live games in London, I did 100 hours earlier in this blog and made just £500 but I think although the games are a little out of my bankroll hopefully I can get lucky and build a bankroll they are probably easier than the online games and my overheads where I live at the moment are really good to get there just £3.30 there and back when in previous times living just 30 miles from London it costs like £50 there and back so might as well give them a go.

April Summary

Totals for April:

Rakeback: $278.71
Tournaments: -$5.41
Zoom: -$236.82
Normal Tables: -$448.52
Total: -$412.04

2023 totals:

Normal Tables: -$512.12
Rakeback: $527.01
Zoom: -$293.74
Tournaments: $84.55
Live poker: -£1160/ 5 hours

January total: $306.95
February total: $555.60
March Total: -$2076.83
April Total: -$412.04
Total: -$1626.32

other targets- stay well within bankroll (no- change that next month, 30 buy-ins minimum from now)
fitness- try to do some half the days (yes- 6 miles 15/30 days)
booze- try to cut down to odd occasion (32 pints over 7 occasions, okay keep lowering)
spending- fine

May Summary

Totals for May
Rakeback: $249.09
Normal Tables: $2981.34
Total: $3230.43

2023 totals:
Normal Tables: $2469.22
Rakeback: $776.10
Zoom: -$293.74
Tournaments: $84.55
Live poker: -£1160/ 5 hours

January total: $306.95
February total: $555.60
March Total: -$2076.83
April Total: -$412.04
May Total: $3230.43
Total: $1604.11

other targets - stay well within bankroll (not all the time but now have hopefully got to a higher stake and have the 30 buy-ins now so can stick to this this coming month)
fitness - try to do some half the days (yes 6/7.6 miles 15 maybe 16/31 days if i run today so happy with that, same next month)
booze - 39 pints over 7 occasions (still try to cut down to 20 something is ok)
spending - fine

Targets for June: try and have a similar month to this at the normal tables, put a few nice months together would be good and keep to my other targets.

About time you had a good month mate. Good luck in June

hehe thank you very much Hurt, hope all is going well with your poker, travelling and comedy.

June Summary

June did not go too well for me, I ran quite badly at poker and also didn't live too healthily, I also ran badly in terms of my exercise and maybe if I had been exercising as much as the month before I would have been a bit sharper and probably wasted a few days with hangovers too which if I was being healthy maybe could have changed the month to break even rather than a loss. After about 10 days into the month I started a £10k 6ish month bankroll challenge as I didn't feel like I really had a goal other than have a profitable month so hopefully that will be something to concentrate on.

Totals for June

Rakeback: $124.40
Normal Tables: -$1003.97
Live Poker: -£200/1 hour
Total: -$1132.43

2023 Totals:
Normal Tables: $1465.25
Rakeback: $900.50
Zoom: -$293.74
Tournaments: $84.55
Live Poker: -£1360/ 6 hours

January total: $306.95
February total: $555.60
March Total: -$2076.83
April Total: -$412.04
May Total: $3230.43
June Total: -$1132.43
Total: $471.68

Other targets - stay well within bankroll (pretty much, played an hour live but I don't mind that)
Fitness - try to do some half the days (no, 5/30 this month)
Booze - 78 pints over 11 occasions (really try to go low this month, under 20 would be good)
Spending- too much this month need to get back to normal

Here is how the bankroll challenge is going that I started, there was 206 days of the year left making $61.04 a day for two hours a day (the hourly of $30ish was based on my previous 90 hours but I think that was probably a very lucky period and it is much less than that but will do the challenge anyway)

Day 22/206 (30th) so 44 hours target (10.68%) done 43 hours (10.44%), $1342.88 (10.68%) target done (-5.76%) -$728.22

Target for July, be healthier, do the bankroll challenge, maybe play a little live.

July Summary

Totals for July

Rakeback: $683.87
Zoom: -$115.89
Normal Tables: $2097.59
Total: $2665.57

2023 Totals:

Normal Tables: $3562.84
Rakeback: $1584.37
Zoom: -$409.63
Tournaments: $84.55
Live Poker: -£1360/ 6 hours

January total: $306.95
February total: $555.60
March Total: -$2076.83
April Total: -$412.04
May Total: $3230.43
June Total: -$1132.43
July Total: $2665.57
Total: $3137.25

here is how the £10k 6 monthish bankroll challenge is going:

Day 53 (31st) so 106 hours target (25.73%) done 146 hours (35.44%), $3235.12 (25.73%) target done (15.95%) +$2037.71

Other targets- stay well within bankroll (pretty much)
Fitness- try to do some half the days (6/31 this month, need to improve)
Booze- 31 pints over 6 occasions (okay still try a little lower)
Spending- (was ok)

Target for August - same as last month really and have a bit of holidays the same as last month so to be healthier, do the bankroll challenge and maybe play a little live.

Totals for August

Rakeback: $819.07
Normal Tables: $2531.31
Total: $3350.38


2023 Totals:

Normal Tables: $6094.15
Rakeback: $2403.44
Zoom: -$409.63
Tournaments: $84.55
Live Poker: -£1360/ 6 hours

January total: $306.95
February total: $555.60
March Total: -$2076.83
April Total: -$412.04
May Total: $3230.43
June Total: -$1132.43
July Total: $2665.57
August: $3350.38
Total: $6487.63

here is how the £10k 6 monthish bankroll challenge is going:

Day 84/206 (31st) so 168 hours target (40.78%) done 238 hours (57.77%), $5127.36 (40.78%) target done (42.38%) +$5368.72

Other Targets- stay well within bankroll (pretty much)
Fitness- try to do some half the days (4/31- need to do better)
Booze- 58 pints over 8 occasions (bad, try and do better)
Spending- was ok

Target for September, same as August, just work on the bankroll challenge and be healthier.

awesome results this month bro wpwp

thanks a lot Hurt, hope the second half of your year is going nicely too



Totals for September
Rakeback: $649.70
Normal Tables: $1984.58
Total: $2634.28

2023 Totals:
Normal Tables: $8078.73
Rakeback: $3053.14
Zoom: -$409.63
Tournaments: $84.55
Live Poker: -£1360/ 6 hours

January total: $306.95
February total: $555.60
March Total: -$2076.83
April Total: -$412.04
May Total: $3230.43
June Total: -$1132.43
July Total: $2665.57
August: $3350.38
September: $2634.28
Total: $9121.91

here is how the £10k 6 monthish bankroll challenge is going:

Day 114/206 (30th) so 228 hours target (55.34%) done 306 hours (74.27%), $7072.56 (55.34%) target done (63.85%) +$7787.78

Other Targets - stay well within bankroll (pretty much)
Fitness- try to do some half the days (3/30- look to do better)
Booze (38 pints over 7 occasions, keep trying to do better)
Spending (ok)

Target for October same as this month really, work on the bankroll challenge and be healthier.

October Summary

Didn't really know what to write this month but I suppose I had better update just to be consistent with the thread rather than not post for a few months and come back when I'm winning.

October was very wasteful for me. I lost a lot of money after starting to beat the games for the last few months. I thought now at my age I was past the stage of just throwing money away for the thrill when in the past you could get a thrill with poker and 10/20x the money very quickly but that's not the case these days and you pretty much lose instantly.

Going forward I think I need to think to myself do I want to treat poker like a video game and spend a lot of time doing it but have no reward at the end? Which would be fine, just a lot of effort for no reward, or just be a bit more sensible and have a bit of money at the end of it? hopefully the second option is what I could aim for, $8500 is a lot of money to anyone and if I could aim to be sensible with it, it would be the difference between breaking even and having quite a hard life, as most people have, or having a bit of money spare and having a bit of an easier life.

Totals for October
Rakeback: $193.51
Normal Tables : -$8,636.66
Total: -$8443.15

2023 Totals:
Normal Tables: -$557.93
Rakeback: $3246.65
Zoom: -$409.63
Tournaments: $84.55
Live Poker: -£1360/ 6 hours

January total: $306.95
February total: $555.60
March Total: -$2076.83
April Total: -$412.04
May Total: $3230.43
June Total: -$1132.43
July Total: $2665.57
August: $3350.38
September: $2634.28
October: -$8636.66
Total: $678.76

here's how the £10k challenge is going after that month

Day 145/206 (31st) so 290 hours target (70.39%) done 422 hours (102.43%), $8850.80 (70.39%) target done (-6.98%) -$848.88


here's my other targets - stay well within bankroll (no)
fitness - try and do some half the days, 11/31 days went for a run - (try and do better)
booze- 68 pints over 10 occasions - (not good)
spending - (not good)

target for November - try and just wrap the year up with a small amount of profit the next two months

Very brave of you to make this honest post ma man. Can I ask what games and stakes you were playing to have such a rough month?

thanks Hurt


Don’t think there is a way to write it without looking very silly really but yeah it was holdem, $1k and $2kNL, saw a couple of players sit who would only last a few hands but ended up losing a couple of stacks myself, then had a shot at some 400 games and that didn’t go well either.

Well fair play for having the balls to sit in those games haha. Will be totally possible to grind a good chunk of it back before the end of the year glgl

Hi man, just read this thread first time today, along with these 2 years record like a roller coaster. $1k and $2kNL are obvious not your normal stake, this is a very expensive mistake. Maybe you need put more effort on your mental game, make a routine and stick to it.

Hi Tilt, thanks yeah I probably need to put in a lot of work on the mental game have been looking into it and will be focusing on it in 2024.

Here is the summary for November

November Totals
Rakeback: $157.97
Normal Tables: $431.45
Total: $589.42


2023 Totals:
Normal Tables: -$126.48
Rakeback: $3404.62
Zoom: -$409.63
Tournaments: $84.55
Live Poker: -£1360/ 6 hours

January total: $306.95
February total: $555.60
March Total: -$2076.83
April Total: -$412.04
May Total: $3230.43
June Total: -$1132.43
July Total: $2665.57
August: $3350.38
September: $2634.28
October: -$8636.66
November: $589.42
Total: $1268.18

Here is how the £10k challenge is going

Day 175/206 (30th) so 350 hours target (84.95%) done 484 hours (117.48%), $10682 (84.95%) target done (-2.05%) -$259.42

here are my other targets- stay well within bankroll (yes)
fitness- try and do some half the days- 9/30 went for a run (try to improve)
booze - 26 pints over 3 occasions (better try and keep low)
spending- good

target for December - stay within bankroll and end the year with a small profit

December Summary

Rakeback: $206.72
Normal Tables: $140.97
Total: $347.69

2023 Totals:
Normal Tables: $14.49
Rakeback: $3611.44
Zoom: -$409.63
Tournaments: $84.55
Live Poker: -£1360/ 6 hours

January total: $306.95
February total: $555.60
March Total: -$2076.83
April Total: -$412.04
May Total: $3230.43
June Total: -$1132.43
July Total: $2665.57
August: $3350.38
September: $2634.28
October: -$8636.66
November: $589.42
December: $347.69
Total: $1615.87

Yearly total since the start of this blog
5 months 2021: +$1798.46
2022: +$24.10
2023: +$1615.87
Total: +$3438.43 in 29 months since blog start.

Here is how the £10k challenge ended up:

Day 206/206 (31st) so 412 hour target (100%) done 544 hours (132.04%), $12729.99 target (100%) target done (0.69%) $88.27

here are my other targets

Stay well within bankroll (yes - 60 days)
Fitness- try to do some half the days (12/31 - not bad try to do better)
Booze- 78 pints lost track of days (bad, do better)
Spending- alright

Yearly summary - I play cards for a couple of hours a day so on one hand it's okay to have it be a slightly profitable hobby as it is said that it is hard to make profit from poker. On the other hand it was dissapointing really to not have a bit more money to show for my efforts and silliness in October hampered me a lot there, the bankroll challenge was going nicely about 2/3 of the way to my target and then to end it at nothing was dissapointing. In terms of mental game there, I think there could be many reasons why I did that but if I just keep on and stick to playing in bankroll and putting in hours equals profit, if I go out of the bankroll it won't go well and I'll have another year next year with just a small profit instead of a decent amount so hopefully I can move on nicely from it.

Anyway 2023 is now pretty much over so here is what I want to do in 2024.

A one year £20k challenge, just realised it is a leap year so an extra day to help. Will be aiming for 2 hours a day for 366 days so 732 hours to try and make the target. Sticking to my new strict bankroll and it will just be cash games online and live can count this time too once they fit my bankroll. Only played about 8 tournaments in 2023 so don't plan on playing any in 2024. Zoom I only played a couple of times and the one thing I really like about zoom is I played when I was running bad over quite a few hours then just a short time playing zoom really motivated me by showing how great normal tables are but I don't plan on playing zoom in 2024 either so just normal cash game tables and maybe some live. To summarise for 2024 I just want to play cash games within my bankroll for a couple of hours a day and make a decent profit.

Other goals - fitness - do some half the days but also lose a couple of stone in 2024, for the last 3 days I've been averaging 500 cals less than my diet plan which was aiming to lose about 1lb a week, so fitness goals is to do some half the days and also for at least January where I will re evaluate at the end, to average 500 cals less than my diet plan a day.

Booze - hopefully when sticking to this diet plan it will bring my beers down too but I'll keep track of that too and hopefully keep it lower.

Spending - spending has been okay recently so try to keep an eye on it.


Target for January poker - just keep within bankroll, average 2 hours a day and make a small profit toward the bankroll challenge.

Happy New Year everyone and have a great 2024.

January Summary

January ended up okay, think my longest downswing last year was about 90 hours when playing in bankroll, that downswing kind of felt normal like it could happen to lose that way, this month the first 47 hours I was losing fairly badly and it was happening in the most ridiculous ways, probably wasn't really unbeliveable at all over such a short space of hands it just felt like it, sets over sets, AA vs AK no suits and you know your going to lose this kind of thing and then just losing every all in. I played some micro zoom just to get a load of hands in, win a few buy-ins just to get away from the bad run of cards and then went back to my normal games and did alright.

Tournaments:-$280.25
Rakeback: $201.18
Zoom: $62.16
Normal Tables: $1042.80
Total: $1025.89

2024 Totals:
Normal Tables: $1042.80
Rakeback: $201.18
Tournaments: -$280.25
Zoom: $62.16

January total: $1025.89

here is how the bankroll challenge is going

£20k ($25458.96) 366 day challenge to 2025
2 hours a day making an average of $69.56 a day
Day 31/366 so 62/732 hours target (8.47%) done 92.5 hours (12.6%), $2156.36 target (8.47%) done (4.03%) $1025.89

other goals - fitness (do some half the days and lose weight) ran 11/31 days, lost a bit of weight try and do same thing next month
booze - i lost count this month, don't think it was too bad but will try and keep track next month as it helps me keep it down
spending - good

Goals for Febuary - same as January, keep within bankroll, average 2 hours a day and make progress towards the bankroll challenge.

February Summary

Normal Tables: -$2490.99 129h
Rakeback: $934.75
Tournaments: -$139.23

Total: -$1695.47

2024 Totals:

Normal Tables: -$1448.19
Rakeback: $1135.93
Tournaments: -$419.48
Zoom: $62.16

January total: $1025.89
February total: -$1695.47

Total: -$669.58

here is how the bankroll challenge is going
£20k ($25458.96) 366 day challenge to 2025
2 hours a day making an average of $69.56 a day
Day 60/366 so 120/732 hours target (16.39%) done 221.5 hours (30.26%), $4173.60 target (16.39%) done (-2.63%) -$669.58

Other Goals -
stay well within bankroll (not really but it is so small to really worry anyway try better next month)
fitness (do some half the days and lose weight) did it 8/29 days
booze - lost count again will try to count again this month
spending - not great improve next month

targets for March - to try and relax a bit, concentrate on fitness and just play low stakes and not so much as last couple of months.

March Summary:

Rakeback: $442.54
Normal Tables: -$607.12 42h
Total: -$164.58


2024 Totals:
Normal Tables: -$2055.31
Rakeback: $1578.47
Tournaments: -$419.48
Zoom: $62.16

January total: $1025.89
February total: -$1695.47
March total: -$164.58
Total: -$834.16

here is how the bankroll challenge is going
£20k ($25458.96) 366 day challenge to 2025
2 hours a day making an average of $69.56 a day
Day 91/366 so 182/732 hours target (24.86%) done 263.5 hours (36%), $6329.96 target (24.86%) done (-3.28%) -$834.16

other goals - didn't really keep track
targets for April- stay at a small low stake all month and keep fit

I'm sorry your year hasn't gotten off to the best start. Just keep trusting the process and things will turn around.