Why not use those tournament buyins for some higher stake shots?

Or you could consider selling pieces of yourself in tourneys. Lowers the hit to your bankroll, but allows you to go for a big payday.

@funinbed thanks, and you are correct about taking some shots at higher limits opposed to tourney dumping! I will be doing that next year, but this year it's only 1/2 & 1/3 per $40k challenge.

I have always played with my own money in both cash and tournaments. I have never tried to seek backing, and pretty clueless how to even find backers. Without any huge scores, and the way my tourneys are going, I'm not quite sure if I can get a backer. I would definitely consider a backer deal, but no one has ever approached me, nor have I tried to seek backing.
I concur, it would lower the hit to my roll...If anyone wants to stake me, I'm all for it! Thanks @harby33 best of luck to ya.

+$777 today

There are so many legends in the poker room. We all have them… There is “Favorite Seat Guy”. “FSG” likes a certain seat, mostly seat 5 so he can see thetable/ or take on a table captain persona. Sometimes it will be seat 1, so he can talk to dealers/and put the tips directly in the container/while keeping an eye on everyone at the table. Another legend in the room is “Promotion Guy”…this guy knows the promotions better than the dealers. He could probably tell you what future promotions are in store for the upcoming months. “PG” pops up like toast when someone arrives new to the table asking about the promotions. He is more than happy to let “new guy” know. “PG” will even give the dollar amounts attached to each promotion. “PG” can also be known as “Rule Guy”…RG will be quick to call out any mistakes by the dealer! He is on it - when it comes to calling out that string bet! He knows a certain rule because it happened once in Vegas… Then we have…”Jersey Guy”. “ JG” has every sports team’s jersey. He never wears the same sport twice. He will slip the Hockey jersey into rotation every 5 weeks. “JG” also knows the leaders in every division of every sport, and which players are on the latest injured/disabled list. Next is “Loud Drunk Guy”…”LDG” is usually friendly, but always walking a fine line. Please don’t give this guy a bad beat. He will prance around and let everyone know how horrible it was for at least 4 orbits. “LDG” will usually order his 2nd beer before the 1st is half gone. When it comes to playing a hand, or ordering a cocktail, “LDG” mucks those cards without even looking at em. Beer is his main priority. Then we have “Poker Guy”…Poker guy has a poker uniform consisting of backpack, headphones, and a hoodie. “PG” will sometimes rock an online poker site hat or jacket. “PG” knows more about poker than you, so don’t even try him. “PK” also struts a Rolex Submariner watch that he won playing Open Face Chinese Poker last trip to Vegas. “PK” has never had a losing trip when he goes to Vegas.
Trust me, there are many more, and I love each of them. “These Guys” is what makes everyone’s local poker room a classic!
+$60 today.

Lol I love the rule guy! Always calls out the string bets!

Sent from my SGH-T999 using 2+2 Forums

@ButterflySymmetry-which of "these guys" are you? lol


Since i have not posted on this thread in a while i would like to start off by saying this thread is very entertaining and i have actually went back and reread it all a couple of times as it always seems to get me motivated.....ive had the pleasure to play with Ray several times and he is a pretty solid guy on the felt...i have nothing but good things to say about his play and can tell he is determined to prove all his doubters wrong on this challenge.....he usually crushes the 1-2nl games day in and day out....BUT...as good as his live play at Horseshoe Southern Indiana is....well lets just say his capability of filling out a NCAA bracket is that much worse....thats why I would like to take this time to cordially invite everyone within driving distance of Horseshoe Southern Indiana to make the drive April 8th(Monday) and catch in on the entertainment Ray will be providing....call in sick to work if u have to because Mr. Butterfly Symmetry will be decked out in a full fledged "Lifeguard Theme" that consists of tank top,swimming trunks, shades, flip flops, whistle around his neck, and even a lil Banana Boat sunscreen on his nose...it all started when Ray challenged me to a prop bet(im a sucker for prop betting) that i gladly accepted thinking i was coming into as the underdog....(Ive not known Ray that long but it doesnt take a genius to see he thrives on competition and that winning is the only thing he is gonna settle for) Rules were simple....we both fill out a NCAA bracket...used ESPN's scoring for our brackets and simply whoever did the worst got to be a lifeguard for 3 hours at HSI! Like i said before i "thought" i was coming into this as the underdog...well lets just say he's no Joe Lunardi when it comes to brackets....poor guy had Gtown winning it all and im pretty sure he went ahead and went to Wal Mart and picked up some sunscreen and a whistle that fateful night Georgetown went down in the 1st round to FGCU.......so call in sick, take the kids to the babysitter, or just do whatever u gotta do as long as u make it to HSI on Monday April 8th to catch the entertainment....(pretty sure he will be arriving around 10-11am)

I've been following this thread for a while and love the read! Just to share my strategy for tournament buy-ins:

Before you entered that Harley Tourny your roll was around $8200 right? That's about 7% of your bankroll. Too much risk.

With a roll under $10K, I'd be looking for weekly and month-end tournaments with buy-ins between $75 - $200 tops. These tournaments will be softer, and will still give you a good ROI by making the FT.

Just my two cents worth Keep it going man...you're doing great!

First off @emptinpockets did crush me in the “lifeguard” bracket bet. I looked through the house, and I’m pretty sure I need to get some sunscreen before Monday. Not sure how the Banana Boat smell will affect the poker play, but I will be saving lives Monday. Please No Nunning/No Diving unless you want me to blow the whistle! Oh No… a complete utter buffoon for 3 hours. Meanwhile, Joe Lunardi is on the hot seat with @emptinpockets vying for his job.
@Iamalwaysontilt I agree the tourney buys are too big for the “current” roll. Per this challenge, I agreed to play UP to $5k in tourneys. But without any results to show for the buyns , I will not be playing anymore tourneys until my roll is 20K+. I don’t like spending more than 10% of my total current cash roll on total tourneys (i.e $40k/yr.total cash games = not playing more than 4k/yr total tourneys buys). Right now, it’s 20% of my current cash roll, and I need to have a cash roll of at least $20K before I play another tourney. I agree with you that I shouldn’t have played the Hollywood Harley, but I just felt so long overdue! My past stats say I cash in 1 out of 4.2 tournaments (sample size 47), and I thought the bad run streak would end at Hollywood. The small buyns don’t really do anything for me, unless I was playing online w/ big fields. But totally agree with your thought process, and thanks for the insight. Much appreciation.
As always I appreciate everyone’s insight/feedback/following/motivating/encouragement/wisdom/etc. It has really help my play, and all comments/kind words/suggestions is much appreciated.
Today: Heading to Evansville, and be back tomorrow before my Cards play Wichita St. Someone said last week b scared of the college St. teams that aren’t actually a State.

See you tomorrow.I could use some cheap entertainment.

I get that 4-5 bust-outs is discouraging. Just be patient and scout a soft Month-End tournament near you.

For reference: In my neck-of-the-woods, there is a month-end tourney with a $150(prizepool) $25(seat fee) $10(dealer add-on) for a $185 total buy in. It sells out every month at a capped 180 runners. Top 16 pays with $10K up top. 12K starting stack. 40 minute levels. and a well-structured blind progression.

Normally a seat fee of that size would turn me away....but the field is SO SOFT it makes it worth it.

looking forward to the next report!

Where's this tourney at?!

That does sound like a great tourney. Where?
The 3 hours of lifegaurd went well today. Still not sure if I want to post the pic to twitter. It was pretty ridiculous. I found it to be hard playing in sunglasses. I had trouble seeing the cards, and i had to peel them back further then i wanted to. The sunscreen was really bothersome for the first hour, but then I was numb to the smell and the cold nose. Pretty sure my feet were getting frostbit towards the last hour. When I ordered a coffee from the cocktail waitress, i know she thought I was on crack. Other than that, it was fine.
Pretty amped for the game tonight!
+$54 today on 8 hrs.

Your main goal imo should be to start taking 2/5 shots ASAP. Gl.

Also how many hours have you been logging, graph?

@harby33 and @ButterflySymmetry: Last Saturday of every month at Soaring Eagle Casino/Resort in Mount Pleasant, MI

The Heartland Poker Tour is making a stop here May 1st - May 20th as well. Cash games will be through the roof!

Checking in. Hope your running good. Looking forward to the updates at the end of the month. Gl op

@bubonicplay thanks for the input, and the encouragement. I will tackle the 2-5 and take some shots at the 5/10/20 nlhe that runs every Friday at the HSI next year. Right now I hv $25k bankroll for 1/2, and would like to have around 35 buy ns ($1k max buy=$35k) before regging the 2/5 and 5/10/20. I fig next year I will b ready. I'm n no hurry...
As far as a graph. I have three (cash, tourney, overall) on my iPhone w my poker journal app, but I hv no clue how to get it on here. I tried taking a pic w camera and save to email, but no luck. I can tell u my tourney graph looks like my daughter's slide in my backyard -downslope. My cash is climbing upwards w peaks, and valleys along the way. I have been averaging 25hrs a week. Average session is around 6hrs. April has been blah blah blah - nothing to show for this first week of April. Donuts..
Yesterday-$-473 loss
Today $344 win

Press the top button and the bottom circle button on iPhone at the same time for a screenshot of graph. Then you need to upload online either photobucket, Flickr, or Facebook and use the IMG tag copy and paste into here.

I consider 10k fully rolled for 1/2, feel free to take shots at the higher levels IMO. I would probably buyin for 500 though.

Bubonic,

I'll post some cliffs for you:

He is in a 1/2 challenge (he has said multiple times he isnt playing 2/5)
He doesnt have 2/5 running regularly at his casino
His 1/2 game plays big with straddles and large buy ins (plays like 1/3 or 2/5)
He doesnt need your help with BR mgmt.

@bubonicplay thanks for informing me how to get these graphs up here. Im going to give it a try…

Also, I do agree that 10k is fully rolled for 1/2, but not 2/5 for me. 2/5 w 1k max buyn, I would like to have 30k+ before I take shots, and $35k+ to reg the game. I like to buy in for the max. Although this year, I am challenging myself to play just 1/2 and 1/3 only. Like @Stonecoldtex mentioned, these games play big w straddles from any position, and max buyn 50% of big stack. (I emailed Jimmy Allen, supervisor of poker room, last month to see if 50% could be moved up to 75%. Long story short, I don’t think it’s going to fly.) I have always wanted to know what a solid 1/2 player, playing an avg of 30hrs/wk, can earn playing 1/2@HSI. This challenge will give me some insight to this question.

To your point of BR, I think it is just a matter of preference. Each person is dif. I think if I was single and no kids, then I could get by w 20buys n before I move up in stakes. But since I have a family and many responsibilities, I have to be more cautious w my br at 30buyns. Im in no hurry…Higher limits, yes more money perhaps, but def more stress too! Gl luck to you as well, and thanks.
Well i guess ima moron. I took the pics of the graphs, and saved to my email, then tried to copy a paste here... But they didnt show up. So I went ahead and posted them all to my twitter. I believe their are 5 total... 2 showing Cash Games Data, 1 Cash Game Graph, 1 Tourney Graph, and 1 Graph w combined Tourney and Cash results. All graphs are up to date as of 4/11/13. Since I couldnt get them uploaded on here, you can find the up to date graphs... https://twitter.com/RayzRayl
As of 4/11/13-Cash Games total = $11,091 on 386 hrs = $28.69/hr. Win percentage = 71%

I tried to log as many hours as I could the first 2 weeks of April, because I knew the last 2 weeks my time wd b limited. The next 2 wks the apartment needs some of my time (I.e. new exterior doors, stain deck, trim, tree cutting, landscaping,etc.).
Hollywood has been playing 1/3 over the weekend, and I love it so much more than the 2/5at HCO. Both hv max buyn for $500. I hope Hollywood can get that game goin during the week...
Seems to be the case for me (higher than 50%)---If sb or lb opens on a 4+way flop after its been raised pf by another player, they usually flopped 2 pair.-...If u want a player to call ur big bet after they hv been tanking, then look back at your 2cards and stay quiet (unless u know for sure talking will help)...If someone calls for spades on flop, they usually hv suited red cards....If 60+ yr old player or a recreational woman player raises u, they usually have it unless they misread their hand lol... Players that blame the dealers are the fishes at the table...Don't answer the question,"Will u show if I fold"? if u want a call,...If players say they have their fav hand, its usually not a pocket pair..
.................Just saying
Hope everyone has a great week at the tables.

I am more of a lurker than a poster but have really enjoyed this thread. Hope you have a succesful journey to 40K and beyond.

Thanks for posting the graphs and statistics. I saw them on your twitter. Nice work. Keep it up.

It's been 4 days without poker, and I'm JONESING to get back to the felt. This mini break has given me a short time to reflect on the 1st qtr and reenergize going into the 2nd quarter.
Still have some work to do at one of my rental properties, but will be back to the felt in a couple of days. At that time, I will be locked into $40k challenge mode.

I see this Horseshoe is hosting a tourney next month. Still not playing any tournaments until June? Anyways gl

Good luck. Your goal is definitely possible. The 1/2 at HSI has a dynamic (at times) that doesnt exist anywhere else that I have ever seen.

Your $800 max per day caught my attention. What are you going to do if you get seated with Brian or Jerry? I push every edge against them and have gotten $800 in pre flop 5-6 times in a session.

Assuming you are properly bankrolled, it seems like you are losing a lot of value.