CraigSG1 Cash Diary and new goals. Starting BR £500. Current: £540

CraigSG1

Hi everyone. Been thinking about this for a long while but I will go public - if anyones interested - and it would be nice for some feedback. 

Ive challanged myself to hit a £1000 by May. 

Back in 2007 I played a poker home game for the first time. I was rubbish. I bluffed off my chips within the first five minutes as I didnt have a clue what I was doing! But somehow I loved it. The challange to learn this game began!

Luckily I discovered Poker Night Live and what I learnt from there was immense. I started playing play money then quickly deposited my first money and started playing 10 seater SnG's every weekend. I didnt have the internet myself at the time and would spend the weeks looking forward to weekend so I could spend the entire saturday at my mothers using her computer and internet! Playing SnG's really honed my MTT skills and thanks to a freeroll MTT (that I had no idea what it was at the time) won me a seat into a main MTT where I went deap and cashed for over $600.

I then used this to enter MTT's and over the next two years I won over £6000 which I used to buy 2 computers, a holiday and household items when I moved in with my girlfriend. I then had to step away from playing bigger buyin MTT's a few years ago and a site I was succesful at closed. I eventually found Sky Poker about three years ago and have had a decent continual small profit from this site with only a £100 max BR. Everything above this I withdrew.

Now with home life settled I find I can dedicate more time and effort and not need to rely on my BR for spending money to try and open up and go for larger goals again. I am very aware that things are a lot tougher now but I always enjoy a challange and we as poker players are forever learning!

So, starting from Friday I have decided to challange myself and by making it public I hope to use this a motivation to keep it up instead of getting to £300+ and withdrawing.

So, here goes.

Friday:

BR £127.92   PP 574

MTT: £2.30 BH for a -£0.61    £2.20 Rebuy for -£2.20  and £500 FR for £0

Cash: 1h 45m session. + £4.08

Saturday:

BR 129.19    PP 605

MTT: £3.30BH (30/88) -£3.30     £2.30 BH (5/161) + £14.93    £2.20 Rebuy (23/107) - £4.40    and £500 FR £0

Cash: 09:10 - 11:00   + £11.81

         13:35 - 14:50    + £5.05

         21:00 - 21:55    + £2.35

Finshing the day;  BR £154.91     PP 676

I feel I played well over those two days. I read hands well and when I know I made a mistake I never compounded it through a hand by trying to go through with an obvious bad play. Since I started playing 6 tables cash i find its enough not to get bored and play bad hands and not too much to get overwhelmed by decisions.

Well, ive done it. I just hope I keep it up. Not to mention be succesful. 

SJspanky1

Good luck with this Craig. Sounds like you have a solid game so this is well achieveable in 6 months. What cash levels are you playing and do you plan on trying to SAT into some of the bigger MTTs as your bankroll grows??

CraigSG1

Thank you. I will be starting at 4nl playing 6 tables but MTT's usually come first in my agenda depending on the amount of time I have.

Ive never tried sats which to be fair is a leak as my game does suit this style. I think I will definatley attempt sats in the future so time will tell how I do in them.

GaryQQQ

Good luck Craig, you've got a good game and a great chance of doing this, I'll be following with interest and cheering you on.

It's nit-picking I know, but the diary should really be titled '£154 to £1000'. It's a bit cheeky giving yourself a running start by including results of games played before you went public.

I've seen several other diary writers do exactly the same in the past. Funnily enough I'm yet to see one say something like this in the OP; 'I started on Friday and I've already lost £xx, my balance has dropped to £xx'.

LARSON7

All the best Craig, i would definatly say play the 7 0 clock freeroll, 10k chips is worth about £3 plus.

If you play the 7:15/ 7:45 deepies, thats your entries paid and any winnings are pure profit!

CraigSG1

Hi Gary, good point. I have a written diary I started on Friday so everything was taken from that. A £1000 is my goal but not written in stone. I just want to see if I can do it, and using your threads as motivation I will keep going even through the down turns.

Thanks Larson, I always do play that FR if possible. Its a great little tourny and I love that its timed.  The Deepies do sound interesting, I just struggle to stay focused if I go deep as I get tired around 9-9-30 as I'm up early each morning. But i wont get better if I dont try so lets see.

CraigSG1

Day 3

It's fair to say the river was not my friend today. I had one of my worst ever sessions at 4nl, in little under an hour I finished £12.71 down. I lost seven big pots to cruel rivers. One three way pot I flopped good with AKs v QQ v 1010 only to lose to a river Q. Another AK flopping well on a A high board with three clubs (I had K of clubs to boot) only to lose to someone calling down big bets with J2 (2 clubs) to hit runner runner straight.  

The pitfalls of 4nl. Although very frustrating at the time and even now it's also the play that makes me money in the long run. These swings are why it's important to enjoy the victories and good variance when you can. You can't get too confident and big when the going is good so it's just as important to realise you can't get to down when it goes wrong. I didn't feel I played bad poker, it just wasn't to be today. I know full well I will have more bad days but I also know I will have more good days. 

An afternoon session also didn't go my way, finishing £5:45 down. I managed to play the £2500 FR and manged to cash out with £3:48. Could have been better but free money is always good!

BR £140.23. PP.  714

CraigSG1

Day 4

A better day for me today, I felt I played decent poker just like yesterday but without the harse rivers. Saying that, I did lose to a river 10 with KK v 1010 aipf but thankfully I was running good on other tables to absorb this. Thats why its so important to play multitables to spread the variance. The more the better but only ever play what you are comfortable at playing. Its not an ego thing so dont think the more you play the better you are. 

I had two sessions today. 

11:37 - 13:00  +£3.77

18:00 - 19:00  +£8.12

BR £151.66    PP 755

Edit: I played the £500 FR at last minute. Good I did. Managed to gain £4.78 with about 14k chips at the end. 

New BR balance: £156.44

CraigSG1

Day 5

Did not play.

Day 6

Frustrating night tonight. Didnt get anything from the £500 FR and £2.20 Rebuy. Got off to a good start and then lost last hand before rebuy. Didnt fancy spending £6 to get back up so left.

In the 6pm £2.30BH I had a 12/129 place finish. I was card and situation dead for pretty much the first hour before doubling up to just below average with AQ v KQ aipf and took a head to boot. A few hands later I then doubled up again off a serial limper when I raised pre with A9s. With 2nd pr and nut flush draw I bet out and got called. A 9 on the turn was a great card. To my surprise the guy then bet just over half his stack. I shoved over and he flipped over 1010 and from no where I was 3rd. The value of patience and not forcing youself to take bad spots when you dont need to paid off. 

I did get lucky with 17 left (13 paid) when again with serial limping I moved allin from the BB with 77 and was shocked when the UTG limper (with biggest stack) snap called. Knowing I was against AA I was resigned to going out. But a 7 on flop (the case 7 I was told) got me up to 2nd. Its not a move I make a lot but with a lot of limp folding and people holding on for the cash it looked a good spot to add 2000 chips to my stack. From there I got to last two tables in 1st place only to lose 3 out of the next 5 hands to go out. First I raised button with AJ and a short stack moved in. He had AK. Two hands later the guy in SB who had just lost a big pot raise my BB. I had 1010 and raised back. He flipped AJ and hit J on river. Next hand I then get AK. From UTG I min raise, a guy moves allin for 30BB and I call. He flips over A10 and hits 10 on turn.

The ups and downs of tournaments!

I played an hour of cash but finshed £5.21 down. £4 of that in one hand when with AA I lost to a guy callng big bets both pre and post with Q7o. Suffice to say I couldn't get away from a J47 Q board when all money went in (i already had most of my balance in, I was more worried of QJ that Q7!)

A fun if not frustrating night.

BR £155.19   PP 772

Glenelg

Good luck! 

CraigSG1

Thanks Glenelg, nice to know someones reading!

Day 7

Did not play

Day 8

One of those days many of us have where just a couple of hands here and there could have gone a long way to making this a very good day. As it was I finished a few pounds up from my usual mix of tournaments first and then cash.

In a £2.30 BH I finished 15/136. I had a very good start trippling up over the first half hour but then couldnt find any good spots to move on. Its important not to get too frustrated and stick to the game your comfortable with, it can be annoying watching other players gain big stacks with junk hands but often these players will be found out later on in the tournament. You just have to be there to take advantage. 15th was good for a min cash and with two bounties I managed to leave with profit. 

I played the £2 rebuy but had no luck there. In the newly reduced £300 (down from £500) Freeroll I managed to finish 13 with 20k chips for a £3.96 cash. 

After that I played cash for 1h 20m for the earth shattering sum of + £0.28. But profit is profit!

BR £158.78   PP 808

CraigSG1

Day 9

Well, a good day today in the end. I normally try and play the £3.30BH on a w/e morning but work intervened so I had a little session in the afternoon that lasted 1h 35m. As this is a warts and all diary I have to embarrasingly admit that I did something I'm not proud of and am trying hard to eradicate. I had an horrendous first 45mins getting coolered and outdrawn. I wont bore you but I was about £14 down. I then 'chased my losses' by moving up levels for the next 45mins. I didnt go aggro chasing but just moved up and seen what happened. Luckily this time I turned my session around to finish £5+ up but that is not the point. I really need to stop doing this as its a form of tilt. 

This is obviously part of why I'm doing a diary. Everyone has losing sessions and bad runs I need to just take it on the chin and move on but no-one likes losing and I need to deal with this better. 

A point proven by the fact I had a very, very good evening session. I played the £2.30BH and after a good start, again I just could not get going after. It happens and I'm cool with that. Im not prepared to get Q10 multiway allin or 77 multiway allin so finding spots was difficult and a few outdraws didnt help. I picked up a bounty along the way.

My 1h 15min cash session was my biggest win so far in this challange. I finished up on all 6 tables and despite losing twice with Aces to rivered 2pr's, I ran pretty well. I finished £16.59 up which enphasises the need to stay positive when the results arent and just believe you will have more winning sessions than losing ones.

BR £179.69    PP 893

Jac35

Well done so far.

Don't worry about moving up today. No harm came of it and we've all done that kind of thing every so often.

Good session tonight.

Will keep reading and looking forward to seeing you reach your goal

CraigSG1

Thank you Jac35. Nice to gert some encouragement.

Day 10

The day started with the two £3.30BH. In the 9:45 I enjoyed a solid start and maintained this through to the late stages, never dipping below average. I lost two big pots to be chip leader to one one outer and a rivered trips. Each time for a bounty. I managed to bounce back both times. My demise came just after the bubble burst. I min rasie AKo UTG and got a short stack allin and then the chip leader at the table moved in. Having blockers for AA and KK i took the risk of a race, not worrying about laddering as this pot was worth the chip lead. The shortie had A4s, the big stack JJ. Suffice to say I missed and exited 9/73. A win there and im in a great position to go on for an even deeper run. I left with +£2.79

In the 10:45, again I got off to a quick start flopping a set to bust a limper who made 2 pr but I then lost half my stack two hands later to a loose player shoving allin to my raise with AA and i again had AK. I stayed patient and managed another bounty 20 mins later that got me back above average. My exit came in very unfortunate fasion again. I raise with KK and a healthy stacked player who played most hands calls with A7s. I bet out and with his nut flush draw the villian shoves. I call only to be stung right away by an A and out I go instead of having a 9K stack and amongst the leaders. Even worse was both exits happened within a minute of each other. I left with -£1.04

I played two cash sessions in the afternoon. After 1h 20 mins I left with a £5.07 profit. Could have been so much better for the last few hands when I was playing my last rounds I lost a £9 pot when my flopped set and turned FH lost to a rivered better FH after money went in on the turn. On another table I lost a £4 pot when my turned trips with KQ lost to the turned bottom FH.

I returned after a short break for a further 45mins to again leave witha  profit, this time £4.32

BR £190.83    PP 959

After a week and half progress is going well. I think I am playing good, solid poker and making good decisions. Obviously Ive made mistakes, we all do, but ive managed to know when Im playing a hand badly and not compound it more by continuing. 

On the tournament side ive made a few deep runs but need to make more of the middle to late periods. I dont like calling off with marginal hands, even to the l/a players, and would rather be putting others to a decision than having one myself. For example, I would rather be pushing with KJ, A7, 55 etc than calling off with them.

CraigSG1

Day 11

Only enough time for a quick half hour cash play today. Happened to be a profitable one too, although I have thanks to the river for once (been my tormentor lately) for a Q to outdraw KK once all money had gone in by the turn on a low flop. That was for a £7 pot. 

I finished £6.27 up to take my totals too;

BR £197.10   PP 972

CraigSG1

Day 12

Well, I dont know how to feel exactly after today. Both dissapointed and happy. I played two cash sessions today, both for over an hour. In the afternoon I finished £1.76 down although at one point I must have been £8/£9 down after suffering some terrible run. Im not moaning, its how it goes. Most of the time I got the money in good only not able to fade draws or caught two pairs. Its frustrating but important to realise I got it in good and I will see the benefits eventually! I hope!

My evening session went much the same, couldn't catch draws or have strong enough hands to cope with a lot of very aggressive play tonight. I did manage to win a couple of big pots but lost a couple too. Again I felt I played ok but finished 30p down.

So, the day could have been a lot worse and to finish only a couple of pound down feels a little like a win! Poker can be wierd, you can have a deep run in an MTT and finish a few pound up but still feel like you've lost!

Poker, eh!

BR £195.04   PP 1019

CraigSG1

Day 13

Not the best day. Very dissapointed and a bit down at the moment. Started off in the £2.30BH and pretty much ran dry. Won a few pots, lost a few. Couldn't get going and eventually down to 11BB I jammed K3s from button only to run into KK. A flush draw gave me hope but to no avail.  I did cash in the first £300FR for £1.72 (my GF played her first FR on Sky and cashed for a little more than me!) and in the second I busted first hand when my KK lost to a rivered A v A10s aipf.

My cash session lasted 2h 45m and I should have known after in the first few minutes i lost a buyin when I was set over setted on the flop. A combination of terrible luck, some bad calls and my made hands not getting paid meant I finished £11 down.

My first real down swing and the first of many I'm sure. Tomorrow is another day as they say. Onwards I go.

BR £183.39    PP 1070

chicknMelt

Hi Graig - all the best in your challenge!

2 losing days isn't even close to a downswing tho

if you post a hand or 2 here, you'd get a bit more interaction, and a bit of help with some of the more tricky spots.

Ive been impressed with your BR discipline btw

CraigSG1

In Response to Re: HOLIDAY CHALLENGE £127 TO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BY MAY (£1000 THE DREAM):

Hi Graig - all the best in your challenge! 2 losing days isn't even close to a downswing tho if you post a hand or 2 here, you'd get a bit more interaction, and a bit of help with some of the more tricky spots. Ive been impressed with your BR discipline btw
Posted by chicknMelt

Hi. Thanks for your feedback. I'm not viewing it as a downswing (yet!) but it's never nice to lose! I would love to post some hand histories but I've been unable to access them on the new software. I use Safari on my Mac so if anyone could help I would be grateful. 

Thanks, credit to GaryQQQ though as his example is what I intend to follow. I've used good BR management before to good success so will do again. I may bend it every now and then on a weekend but I will be very careful. 

chicknMelt

one trick is to past them into a word processor (word?), then copy and paste to the forum-  you lose suits tho, but can type/explain them.

I think it only works properly from IE unfortunately.

Glenelg

Still enjoying the read.  BTW  Gary always updated the title of his thread to reflect the change.  Just saying.... NOT criticising.  Good Luck!

CraigSG1

Thanks chickenmelt and Glenelg

Day 14

No play.

Day 15

Had another losing day. Its safe to say i'm feeling pretty down at the moment. I'm not going to turn this into a bad beat history lesson so i'll just say I ran awful.  The kind of awful that makes you question why you play. Very little went right even though I stuck at it for as long as I could. 

I played one Sky tournament - the £2.30BH that I got bumped out with flush over flush. I managed to take one head. 

I played two cash sessions. Just over an hour at lunch to finish £1.72 down and then an almost four hour session to finish £6.37 down. 

Ive still had more winning sessions than losing ones and I guess I'm still up from my starting balance but I still cant shake the bad feeling of losing. The way I lost is about the only respite I have (which may sound funny) but I know the majority of the time I got my money in ahead but couldn't hold. 

Right now I feel like never playing again but I know it wont last and tomorrow I will give it my all again. Here's hoping for better news tomorrow.

BR £173.75    PP 1176

CraigSG1

Day 16

Moral is low. I dont know what is happening but I'm having an horendous time on cash. Cant hold hands, cant get paid on big hands, have shared hands numerous times and been rivered into losses or chops too many times to count. Add onto that some lazy calls and some bad play towards to end through frustration i've hit a low ebb.

In MTT's I had some success. I played the two morning £3.30BH. In the first I was doing well until I ran KK into AA. In the second I played very well. I took a head early and then half an hour in I won a big pot when AQs v AQs clashed and I won through a flush. A head a few hands later propelled me into 2nd and from there I bossed my table and cruised into a cash never dropping below 4th. Things got sticky and slow with 12/13 left and chip stacks evened out. I got to the final table in 5th and eventually finishing 4th when I jammed the flop with a FD but got called by a superior FD and didnt hit any outs. I left with a profit of £20.26 which made me just about break even after an horrendous 45 mins of cash that saw me lose over £17.

In the evening I got no joy from the £2.30BH. Gaining a head but crashing out early when my stack was devestaed by a rivered better two pair after chips had gone in. My demise came soon after when I lost a race.

In the £2.20 Rebuy I made the first hour with no rebuys but took the add-on (essential). Was playing decent but again the luck wasnt on my side and losing two races and then being dominated I crashed out in 31/73. 

Again in another hour of cash it was the same story. Lost over £7.

BR £155.52  PP 1220

Im not sure where this leaves me at the moment. I'm feeling down and not enjoying my poker. I'm not playing as good as I know I can and I know a lot of that is due to me assuming the worst every hand so either forcing worse hands out too early for fear of yet another outdraw or passively playing a hand already assuming I'm beat but cant fold 'just in case" and therefore not charging them to hit and getting value. 

My strengths are MTT's and SNGs although for some reason I dont like playing the SNG's on sky as I like 10 seater SNGs and the SNGS here take a long time to fill up unless its a hyper. 

My cash play is a work in progress and I never like giving up but after nine (didnt realise it was that many!) losing sessions (and big ones at that) I think I need to take a step back until I can build up my BR a bit more and gain a bit of confidence.

I'll probably give it one more go tomorrow afternoon and then take a couple days off to refresh. I think its important to use this feeling as a positive and learn from it as best as I can. Its hard but i'll always try.

clubhammer

Chin up Craig, we all have spells like that, I have for most of this week too, where you hit a set and it runs out 4 suited for their flush etc.

Your game looks fine whenever we have met on the tables. Just have a look back at your hand history see if there are things you could have done better, and maybe play fewer tables for a little while to see if there are things that you might not pick up on, when multi-tabling.

Give it another go tomorrow (the weekends are usually a bit easier) and if you feel like a break after that, no harm in using your main strengths in MTTs to brebuild the roll and confidence before going back to cash.

Don't forget to post some hands up too, which might invite some interesting comments.

Good Luck

CraigSG1

Hi clubhammer. First of all, love your avatar. Only just got into Breaking Bad a few months ago and viewed said episode last week. Best episode ever!!! Working through last season now so no spoilers! 

Anyway, thanks for your input. I would love to post hands histoiries (especially lately) but as i've said before for some reason I cant access them. Its a pain when I would love to know what someone had but when I access the page I cant click onto the hand. I hover my cursor over the hand but nothing happens. I run Safari on my mac so not sure if its that or Sky poker. I would love to get more input and discussions. Soon I hope.

Day 17

Yippee! We finally have an upward curve! As normal on a Sunday I only really have time to play for little blocks of time so that only leaves cash to have a go at. It again didnt start well though, my morning session of just over 75 mins saw me drop another £10. I ran KK into AA very early, my flopped set lost to a straight (the guy called a big 3 bet pre with J9o and called down 3/4 pot bets on a Q102 A board. By the time of the K river I had committed myself to calling the river). A few other amazing catches hity me also. I am pleased though that I didnt get too annoyed and still played ok but still felt annoyed at yet another losing session.

But! The afternoon session went much better, I played for a couple of hours (with a little break in the middle to start tea) and managed to make a profit (wow, that word is good) of £17+. I finally got hands to hold and get paid on a couple of other hands too. There was still the usualy unreal beats but they are easily more acceptable when your getting more hands to hold than not! 

BR £162.36  PP 50

Hopefully the downswing is over for now - or at last lessened. Hopefully when I can get my BR over 220 I will be able to play more MTT's and realy use my strengths to get this BR challange going.

clubhammer

Good to see you had a profitable day today.

No spoilers for BB - just finished last episode a week ago. Hard to believe that something that good isn't on mainstream TV, but channel 5 originally had series 1 & 2, I think, but stuck it on in the graveyard slot late at night, & dumped it for poor viewing figures. I hardly watch any TV as most of it is rubbish, but prefer to just catch up on whole programs, like The Wire, and The Sopranos which are right up there with BB.

CraigSG1

Day 18

Only time for a quick 25 minutes today. Managed to finish just over a buyin up. I could probably have played for another ten minutes but I started to feel like I didnt want to be in a big pot and end up down so I took the profit and confidence boost and left. Not optimal play I know but sometimes confidence is more important. 

BR £166.85  PP 62

CraigSG1

Day 19

I managed to get an hour of play into today, was thinking of maybe missing out and 'resting' but the urge is always there and im determined to do this. Sometimes I worry too much about having losing sessions as it can leave me feeling down and any sort of winning session makes me feel confident.

Thankfully I did manage the latter, finishing £2.68 up. I kept my head on playing my way and reading hands as best I can and for the most part I think I made the right decisions more often than not. It was really just small pots that I was involved in, and any big pots (for this level) were at a premium. I think I was involved in 3 of which I won 2. The one I folded was with A7 on a 77895 board. After being check raised on the turn and then pot bet at I folded.

Well, I've managed to string together a few winning sessions and confidence has risen. If I can have a good day tomorrow I will feel like I'm back on track again. Its funny as on my other site (PokerStars) I am doing very well at the moment and it seems to fluctuate from there to Sky. 

BR £169.53  PP 87

CraigSG1

Day 20

Confidence is returning. Apart from a few moments I felt i've played ok over the time when I've been suffering beats and knock backs so its nice to come off a nine long losing streak to record my forth winning session in a row. 

I played one MTT, my usual £2.30BH. Got off to a decent start and chipped up to 3,000 early on but failing to really get paid off a couple of nice hands. From there though I ran card/situation dead. My best chance of a big stack came when I 3 bet a short stack with 88 only for someone to jam all-in quickly who had me covered. The short stack called allin leaving me with a decision. Its probably the right fold, if im racing I have to dodge 2/3 or more likely 4 overcards or I could be drawing thin already. As it was I was against J7 and AJ and the board ran out well culminating with an 8 on the river. Ah, well. I eventually 3 bet allin over a min raise with A7s only to be called by A9s. His kicker played and I was out.

I played 6 tables for an hour at 4nl and managed to aquire a £5.80 profit. I was amazed it was that high actually. For the first half hour I was mainly playing small pots and playing very well and was ahead on 5/6 tables. But then in about 10 minutes I lost 2 buyins and another £4+ pot when i was again hit by bad river cards. Thankfully though for the last 20 mins I managed to get a couple of hands to hold and win one big pot when my top 2 pair manged to fade a top pair who could improve and a straight draw.

BR £173.03  PP130

I've had a couple of requests to put some hands in and I would love to do that but unfortuanatly i still cant access my HH's. What I will try and do though is map out some interesting hads as best I can for next time.

Edit: Was watching Sky Poker channel and realised I was 7 points away from the 50point target for the latest Sky Poker promotion so I jumped on a few cash tables for 25 minutes and was happy to get another little win of £2.33 and more importanly make up my 50 point quota. 

BR £175.36  PP 139

CraigSG1

Day 21

Did not play.

Day 22

What a difference a week can make! I have that winning feeling again that is just so so good. And its also the reason why we all come back time and time again after having bad sessions.

So, I started out the day by having a session over my lunch break of an hour to have my first losing session in a few days of -£3.56. It was one of those sessions where nothing much happened, any pot I won was small and I lost a couple of biggish ones. I have no complaints, I made to bad plays. Both through frustration and added together they pretty much amount to the amount I finished down. They both came after a succession of having to lay down decent hands to the same player when the board ran out bad for my hands. Im fairly sure I made the right lay downs but I let that get to me and ergo lost those two pots. 

I returned in the evening to play my staple starting tournament, the £2.30BH at 6pm. For the moment its one of the few tournaments I can enter early doors, I cant really play any around 8pm at the moment as I work long hours and if I did run well I would be up a long time. Not to say I wont start trying when my BR increases but its all about playing in your comfort zone and to the best of my abailities.

As you can guess this one went very, very well for me because I won it. Finishing 1st from 161 runners (up above the usual 140ish being a w/e so all the better) was very satisfying and also has the honour of being my first win in this challange. 

In the first 20 mins or so I managed to claim 3 heads and become 2nd in chips by getting paid for my hands. From there though I went quiet, not being able to get into good situations or have any hands. At the start of the next hour tho I took a beat, losing half my stack to fall from amongst the chip leaders to average. I had 8K and called off half my stack blind v blind when I called a player who was going all in 3/4 times an orbit. My A7 no good against his A9. Feeling a bit gutted I quickly calmed down by realising I was still average and wasnt in danger. From there I managed to steal a few pots and then 20 mins later a rush of 2 hands and 2 bounties propelled me back into the top 3. Add onto that a nice bluff catch and I as chip leader. After that I dont think I dropped from 1st all the way to 3 handed play.

When we got down to about 30 players left (18 paid) no bust outs came for a good 15-20 mins and blinds to pot ratio dwindled. Knowing this couldn't last I just concentrated on my table and players and sure enough bust outs came thick and fast and I manged to add a couple more heads and have a vey big chip advantage.

The final table was a wierd affair. After kncocking out the first player to go to five handed a big four way allin about five minutes later brought about 2 exits and the three of us left had about the same stacks with me a few BB ahead. Ten minutes of small pots later and the other two got involved a couple of times for one to be kncocked out and at heads up I was playing a 2-1 deficit. 

Heads-up didnt start well, my opponent catching some cards when calling dominated a few times. I admit I got a bit frustrated but didnt let it affect my decisions and I managed to win a big pot when his rivered top pair gave me the straight. I managed to chip away before we wnt to the races and my KQ flopped well to beat his 99.

I felt I played very well, and it was also very nice for most of my hands to hold at the right times. No matter how good you are, that is always the critical aspect of winning MTT's. Getting your chips in in good spots and letting the maths work out over the long run. The tournament gave me a £61.13 profit.

I did play a tiny cash session while at the final table. It was a way of keeping me in line and not getting impatient just playing one table. It only lasted 15 mins as 6-3 handed play went very quickly. I finished £1.86 up.

All in all, a very good day!

BR £246.87   PP 174   (BR total includes PP payment of £12.20)

CraigSG1

Day 23

My best day so far in this challange!! Feeling very good at the moment. I cant believe how much it has swung in the space of just one week! Just last saturday I felt so bad but since then I have manged to add over £120 to my BR. Almost doubling what I was on then. Admittedley it is all from MTT's, but I did state that this was my best poker form and that cash is a work in progress.

Where to start? Well, fresh from my MTT win last night I hit the two morning £3.30BH's. In the first nothing really happened, lasting until the very last hand untill the break (an hour 10 mins in). MY button jam with 99 losing a race with Ajs which hit his flush.

In the second I fared much better. It was really just small ball poker that got me through the first hour and then a little rush propelled my below average stack up into the top 10. From there it was just stealing blinds where I could and looking for spots to get allin. I was surpised to make it to the final table as nothing really happened, just enough to keep me afloat. I took a head on the final table to get is to 4 handed where we stayed for quite some time. Over 25 mins in fact. We then got down to three and again this lasted a long time. I went from 3rd to first by winning a race and then with a chance of going to heads up with a chip lead my JJ failed to hold against A7. The definitive hand it proved to be as with stacks close that knocked me down. I stole a few chips to get back up but then ran K9s on the button into limped AA. Out in 3rd. Dissapointing as I felt I could definatley win this but two final tables in three is good.

I played a little cash session while on the FT, but had no luck again. It seems like I cant get any run in cash and I dont know why. I played 3 big pots and lost them all. Firstly my QQ lost against AK and A10 aipf for a £11 pot, my nut straight lost to anothe nut straight allin on the turn as the guy had a freeroll to a flush and hit it on the river. Then another river beat sent my flopped set down the pan to a runner, runner flush.I lost £6.20

In the evening things just got better. I played the £2.30BH and the two FR into the £33BH main event for next saturday. 

With a big weekend field of 289 runners I just concentrated on playing my situations as best I could and not worry about what other stacks people had. This proved very succesful as I was below average stack for most of the first hour and a half but still healthy BB wise. I took an early head for a small pot and from there just kept patient. 

In the meantime my first FR went badly, I as out very early losing a 3 way allin race. The second one started and I was concentrating more on the BH so was just playing myu cards. I managed somehow to gather a decent stack early and use it to last until the blinds began to gather pace.

I got into the money in the BH and from there I finally managed to pick up a couple of hands that got piad off propelling me up into the top 10. At the same time in the FR people kept busting and I just played simple aggressive poker, making sure I was first in and not calling off light. I started believing when we got to the last 40 and with 9 places awarded seats I made sure every decision had my full attention.

This got me to the final two tables in the FR where action slowed down and to my THIRD final table out of four MTT's in a row. With a 2nd placed stack I basically shut up shop, only putting pressure on the short stacks and picking up hefty blinds 3 times in about 7/8 orbits. I was a bit confused why the two big stacks on the other table continued to play pots against each other and in one instace the chip leader bet into a dry side pot when the shortstack was allin only the see the shortie hit the river to threble up. Eventually the bubble burst when the short stack was allin in the BB. I just called with 107s (hoping to get more calls and increase the chances of the BB busting. Yes, he could quadruple up but with 2 other storties it was the right all in my estimation). I flopped the flush and checked it down, a river club making four on the board was a bit concerning but it was ok and that was that! My first satilite win and made even more the better it being a £33 main event AND double garentee week next week!

On the final table of the BH five handed play went on a while. Mostly being 4th or 5th but only one double up away from the chip lead I was content to pick my spots. After 10 mins I got one and doubled up when my AK beat A5s to claim 2nd. A couple of hands later the guy I doubled off and who was the shortie went allin over a min raise and call (by me - i flatted with KQ knowing that the shortie would push a wide range here and then I get to see how strong the original raiser was. If he calls/reshoves I can fold and when he folds I call like I intend). The original raiser folds, I call and lose a race against JJ. I win then Im chip leader with four left, but I lost and I'm back where I started. My demise came when after two limps I shove the button with K10s and get called by 77. The flop is two of my suit against a set and a blank run out.

So, the lesson here is to believe in yourself and things will change. Its nice to have a diary to look back on and even better to see the good things when things arent going well and vice versa. So, to sleep I go feeling very happy and knowing I am 1/4 of the way to my initial target and the chances to play bigger stakes poker again.

BR £276.00   PP 203