I've been working hard the past few days on a runitup challenge. I never knew Jason Somerville before I stumbled across his podcast video and after that he told me about runitup. Jason has been running his bankroll up for the challenge for a long time and it inspired me to try the same thing.

I've been playing poker for about 6 years and have recently left my job and am taking a break from the real grind of 9 - 5 working. I have time to do what I love doing now which is playing poker and reading and clubbing. Its really kind of liberating.

The challenge

The challenge is starting with zero bankroll run up to €1k profit then reevaluate. Bonuses count for the challenge. So far I've played for 2 days starting with 2 €1 sng tickets (you can read more about how I got them in first post on my blog) and bankroll is at €26.45.

Rules are I can buy into anything for 20% of the bankroll.

I'll post updates here as the challenge progresses , you can read more about today's session in my report here (http://ibreathepoker.wordpress.com/2014/08/12/day-2-update/).

Thanks for stopping by! Good luck at the tables

Had a good evening session and continued to runitup!

Played 2 €4 5 mans and took two 1sts #cheer
And had first go at 10nl with 50bbs and finished with €10 profit

Challenge bankroll now at €50 and some change (will update amount properly when back at computer) this hasn't been updated in my blog yet either.

So a great start to the challenge for early hours of day 3.

I really wanted to open another session but decided to sleep first, got to keep it smart.

Here's to a decent session later today, may the heater continue.

Gl

So u can buy in for 20% of BR? That is 1/5th = 5 buy in rule. I'd do something like 20-30 bi rule.

Thanks geefmede5 yes this is a runitup challenge so not using conventional BRM which should make for more interesting challenge hopefully

Final table of 350 gtd 70 to first would be a nice boost.

Finish 6/67

Day 3 Update

Hit a new peak for the bankroll, niice.... €74.47

Playing a mix of €4 and €10 5mans
10nl (buying in for 50bbs)
And a MTT, I finished 6th in for €20.

Ran bad in €10 5mans at €60, so dropped down to €4s again and took two firsts, and the MTT, took another go at the €10 5man and took it down, putting us back in pole position.

€2 - €74.47 in 3 days definitely pleased with that.

Disaster my age old problem of discipline reared its head again. Played a 14 hour session yesterday and lost bankroll by trying to win back losses after I got bad beat at 50nl short stacked. Bankroll went from 130 Euros to zero when I lost couple of 50nl hands due to bad beat then instead of dropping down in stakes played 25 euro heads up.

This blog is going to be completely honest which is why I've updated with the truth instead of letting it die. I love the game of poker, but I allow my ideas about the life it can grant me overpower me so when I make progress with a bankroll I get attached to it and when it goes down significantly all I want to do is get it back. Its plagued me for like 5 years this massive hole (its more than a leak).

I have to make the quality of my play the driver and not the money bottom line.

Its like a compulsive behaviour when I lose, I guess that is what you would typically define as a gambling issue. The frustrating thing is technically degeneration aside I know I have a distinct edge on my opponents which is what makes it all so annoying if I could just play with no emotion or attachment.

This challenge is as much about me overcoming this massive weakness in my game as it is about running it up now. In 6 or so years I've never had a bankroll for more than a week that's saying something isn't it.

I'm going to redeposit €8 soon and start again. My first challenge and most important first step will be to still have a bankroll without redepositing in one week.

I'm going to be reading part of the mental game of poker in between sessions.

I really want to do this, but am not sure if my brain / natural tendencies are up to it, I guess the next week or so will be the judge of that.

Before I play again I'm going to devise a strategy to assist with improving my behaviour when losing.
Just doing some research and looking into neuroplasticity, an interesting Ted video here

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o0td5aw1KXA

lol wtf is this

This is a blog about grinding a bankroll from hardly nothing, and also an experiment to see if a poker degen can learn self mastery. The video is about the miraculous nature of the brain inside a typical human.

OK. It's Friday morning here in the UK 11:30AM. I'm just about to deposit £10. I want this to be the last deposit I make. For the time being, before and after each session I'm going to post in this thread to keep me focused on not degenerating into gambling with my bankroll...

Same rules apply as at the start of the thread - I can buy into anything for 20% of bankroll. This means until I have 20 Euros I can't buy into anything > 4 euro buyin. With 5 buyins for 4nl I think it will be very hard for me to go bust, because play is so weak at that level so once bankroll gets up, if ever I run bad at the 20% buyins, I'll eventually fall back to 20 euro bankroll for 4nl.

For now I'm going to shortstack 4nl to reduce risk of ruin. I am due to clear two bonuses soon, one is a 15 euro credit and one is 5xsng tickets - so I should clear them soon which will help the bankroll.



Goals for this session:
Play 8 Hours well.
Stop after 8 hours no matter what bankroll is at, for at least 2 hours.
Abide by 20% buy in rule.

Session update

Not great but not terrible. Not great because I played for 9 hours instead of 8, but not terrible because despite the fact I was opening the lobby for a 10 euro sng with just 20 euros i closed it and played a 4 which was within the bankroll rules i set.

The mind is a crazy thing. How you can be so adament one second and nearly veer of the straight and narrow tracks of decent bankroll management the next.

Anyway. So far so good.

Watching Michael McIntyre with my brother, had two beers but feel fine. Deliberately stopped at two to stay sensible as I want to get another session in. Next session starting within next 1hr.

Rules
Maximum 4 hrs.
No buyinnfor more than 20% of bankroll.
Must play well if playing bad end session.

Will report back after session for accountability.

Here is a theme tune for this challenge

http:// http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vj092UgKwQ

Mission is to stay alive,I think I just might do it this time

Going to end this thread as I appear to be talking to myself.

Have awesome Saturdays everyone, and if your not at a party at least have a drink!

Gluck on the felts!!