Good for you and your efforts in poker!! Most of us are a little jealous but some will say otherwise.

One thing I would ask you when considering the step to 2/5 is ... "HOW are you winning?" If you are sitting around set mining waiting for someone to overplay TPTK then you may struggle at 2/5. Having never played in AC I can't help you determine how the play changes, or if it changes, at the next stake. But there's zero reason right now why you couldn't spend the last couple of hours of a session at a 2/5 table trying to get a feel for it. You say your have bills and expense ... but your results state that you are free-rolling 3 weeks of each month!!

When you find a day that you are up quick get on the 2/5 list and use profits, not bankroll, to sit down and see what happens. You should really get into finding the best table for your style, whether it be 1/2 or 2/5, on any given day if you are gong to play for monthly income.

I could get into your 'non-work' situation more but it sounds as if you may have already. If you were injured on the job then your employer should've been responsible to help get you back to work via Workers Compensation laws. If it was determined that you wouldn't be able to fully 'recover' and preform your previous job then there should've been some sort of settlement involved and you either change jobs or go your separate ways. Perhaps this has happened .. or NJ has different laws than Michigan. I can't imagine a system in place that wouldn't find some sort of separation settlement, but I certainly don't have all the facts!!

Have fun .. Get over to ML and HT some as well if you can travel.

As far as tournaments, there's nothing wrong with playing a few 1-day spots once in a while. They should play similar to cash until 50% or more of the field is eliminated, then you will see where you need to acquire some tournament skills. I'm putting you a bit on the nitty side so I think you will do just fine.

I WOULD play some of the sattys for the BPO ME ... and then sell your entries!! When I've had time I've done very well playing qualifiers and sattys and then just selling them off at a small discount ... so I could play cash during the ME. GL

I am an actual player. Able to change gears depending on table dynamic. I make bluffs often when I see a weak table. I am nowhere near nit status - although I am very capable to be a nit on certain tables.

When it comes to playing 2/5 I take the occasional shot. Last year I averaged about 3-4bb an hour. It was much higher but I still remember one session I lost around 2000. My worst beat ever. I played my last 2/5 session on New Year's Eve which I crushed the game. I know I can play that level but I would rather have a 50 buy in cushion. So I'm currently playing my way up to a 25k bankroll. I figure by the 3rd quarter of the year I should be there...hopefully lol.

My situation with my injury is pending. But I'd rather not give too much detail but I am getting compensated for it but it will eventually end - NY state law states employers are not obligated to hold a position even for a worker hurt on their job site. Already been replaced. All that money goes into an account that I do not touch - not even for bills. I'm trying to prove to myself I can do this from poker.

My expenses include food and some other necessities when going to AC.

I respect this post .. I did add one word. You are a 'poker' player, not 'card' player or gambler. That is the way I like to look at things too. Based on that comment I see no reason why you shouldn't take a run at some sattys or 'full' day tournaments. I think some of the posters might get confused as to why you would be looking at putting money into tournaments when you could be putting it into 2/5. But I think you've cleaned up that for me in your last post. GL

Ed Miller wrote a column in which he said that a lot of pros he knows built their bankroll with a lucky tournament score. If you are a winning 1/2 player who wants to move up to 2/5 eventually, it might make more sense to take a shot in a tournament in lieu of taking a shot at 2/5, which you should consider doing when over-rolled for 1/2 but not sufficiently bankrolled yet to play 2/5 regularly.

I would start really low in tournaments while you learn the dynamics. There are a lot of tournament situations that don't apply in cash games, and you need to get comfortable with them. For example:

playing on the bubble

when to "ladder up" to get into the money and when to takes risks to win it

getting to know the other players to figure out who might be satisfied just to cash (which affects how likely they are to fold to pressure)

understanding whether the payouts are top-heavy or flat, which might impact how much risk you are willing to take

Phone bill seems really expensive.

I know its very high because:

a. I need a reliable service like Verizon when Im in places like casino floors or even the hotel room which have horrible Wi-fi and

b. I use it a lot for online poker where I want the extra protection of a safe network - plus my online banking, trades...etc.

yesterday I took a shot at a 2/5 NLHE at Harrahs resort. I absolutely crushed the game playing for 15 hours straight because the action was great and the players were terrible. I normally wouldn't play this long but it would be immoral of me to leave money like that on the table LOL. Some of these tournament players who busted out or had the day off waiting until day 2 have no idea how to play the cash games properly. I took over $1500 profit - making a great hourly rate for the session.

I read a little from ed miller and remember him mentioning that. I also follow Alec Torelli who said he had a lucky tournament win which boosted his confidence to move up and play better (which was a 30k hit). 2/5 at The Borgata is a place I feel I can dominate as well from the few times I've played there. My only issue....being really well cushioned to do so.

An online tourament I played yesterday was a great example of how tournament conditions can affect decisions, and it would never apply to a cash game. I don't remember the exact numbers of everything but this is very close:

I had a small stack (M of about 5) in a micro online tournament and I was 27th of 30, top 23 cash. One of the players at my table had been sitting out for a long time and I decided to check the other tables. There were a total of 5 sit-outs with enough chips for 3 orbits or less. I played 2 or 3 premium hands and folded everything else. When the last sit-out was gone I was 20 of 23. Normally I would not try to fold into the money, but when I saw all those sit-outs it was like someone gave me a present. I accepted it.

I got 7th place.

Tournaments aren't just a little different than cash games. It's an entirely different way of thinking.

I'll probably pick up a book on tournaments and read it entirely. Wondering if you tournament players with great results can recommend me a book.

Tournaments also rely on variance wayyy more than cash games. You can be the best player at the table, but if you run bad you'll be first one out. That simply doesn't happen as much in cash games.

I don't know how anyone who isn't a semi genius can possibly play tornies for a living these days.

I cannot agree more about those who can survive on tourneys these days. Some of the 2/5 pros at borgata whom I've had the opportunity to sit with don't even have great poker resumes (hendonmob) - Or even good for that matter. This past borgata winter open some of the players I thought would do great just didn't. Although I wish they did so that they can show these tourney players what great reading abilities and exploitation of style can achieve. I guess that's just a cash game ego lol. Oh well. Time to do a little more studying on tournament play - Everyone telling me grinding low stakes isn't great at all.