$1 to $1000 on Poker Stars

I’m really starting to get excited about this as I hit the $200 mark.  Any time I can move up in limits gets me excited to move along with the challenge.  I am going to start to mix in $6 TSNGs again with the $3 such that my average buyin is $4.95.  With $208 in my bankroll, that is 42 buyins, which is close to the 45 that Fox recommends for a protected bankroll.  Variance slapped me around the last time I played the $6s, so hopefully I can start off with some positive variance.  I’m also going to try my luck at the $0.5/$1 SHL tables.  With a little over 200 big bets, I feel comfortable giving it a shot.  If my bankroll drops below $175, I plan on dropping back down for both games.  

Yesterday’s results:

+$8.95 0.25/0.50 SHL

+$8.20 $3 TSNG:  1st:  1, DNP:  1
 
Overall Summary:

Starting BR: $1.51
Current BR: $208.00

I’m a member of the training site PokerXFactor.com and last night was their monthly subscriber tournament on Stars.  I had high hopes going into this event, but was card dead and ended up running AQ into KK.  It is a $5 tournament, which is currently outside my bankroll, but I figured once a month isn’t a big deal.  It’s good to take a shot every once in a while. 

The Turbo SNG tables have been pretty good to me, and I’ve been getting a lot of 1sts and 3rds.  That basically means that once I’m in the money I’m playing to win.  I’d also like to think that it means that once I get to heads-up, I’m vastly better than my opponent.

The SHL tables have been a roller coaster recently too.  Case in point was yesterday.  I was playing one table and had run it up to $22 from $10 and things were looking good.  My hands were holding up against the donkey chasers.  Next thing I know, I’m down to about $3 as people are chasing and hitting miracle hands left and right.  My trips wouldn’t fill up while someone else would flush on the river or fill up from their two pair.  I know I can beat the game, as my results have shown, so I’m not going to get discouraged.

Recent Summary:

-$5.95 0.25/0.50 SHL

+$14.00 $3 TSNG:  1st:  5, 3rd:  4, DNP:  16

-$5.50 $5 MTT:  DNP:  1

Overall Summary:

Starting BR: $1.51
Current BR: $190.85

+$39.31 0.01/0.02 NL
+$7.30 0.02/0.04 L
+$39.78 0.02/0.05 NL
+$4.94 0.04/0.08 SHL
+$13.13 0.05/0.10 L
+$6.80 0.10/0.20 L
-$10.83 0.10/0.20 SHL
+$27.93 0.25/0.50 L
+$65.61 0.25/0.50 SHL

+$11.70 $1 SNG (25% ROI): 1st: 7 , 2nd: 4 , 3rd: 9 , DNP: 19
-$4.60 $2 HU SNG (-16% ROI): 1st: 6, 2nd: 7
+$60.00 $3 TSNG (13% ROI): 1st: 20, 2nd: 15, 3rd: 14, DNP: 86
-$80.90 $6 TSNG (-25% ROI): 1st: 4, 2nd: 4, 3rd: 6, DNP: 35

+$3.00 $1 18-SNG (23% ROI): 1st: 1, 2nd: 1, 3rd: 1, DNP: 8
+$8.60 $1 45-SNG (33% ROI): 1st: 2, 5th: 1, 6th: 1, DNP: 18
+$5.80 $1 45-TSNG (16% ROI): 2nd: 1, 3rd: 1, 4th: 1, 5th: 4, 6th: 1, DNP: 24
-$6.75 $1.50 18-TSNG (-14% ROI): 1st: 2, 2nd: 2, 4th: 1, DNP: 22

+$3.99 $0.50 MTT (114% ROI): Placed: 4 (+$1.08, +$1.80, +$1.55, +$1.06), DNP: 3
+$0.03 $1 MTT (0% ROI): Placed: 3 (+$2.26, +$10.31, +$2.86), DNP: 14
-$5.50 $5 MTT (-100% ROI): DNP: 1

Well, the weekend started out horribly on Thursday night when I played 6 turbo SNGs and did not place in 1 of them.  The funny thing is that I had doubled up early in about 4 of them, but couldn’t hold on.  Usually for me, if I double up early on in a SNG, that means that I’ll make the money.  I also dropped about $20 at the SHL tables, and wasn’t looking good heading into Saturday. 

Saturday was a different story.  I played 6 TSNGs and placed in 5 of them, with 3 firsts.  I also won back about $10 at the SHL tables for a fine recovery.

Weekend results:

-$9.35 0.25/0.50 SHL

+$19.20 $3 TSNG:  1st:  3, 2nd:  1, 3rd:  1, DNP:  7

Overall summary:

Starting BR: $1.51
Current BR: $184.90

I decided to start playing some $3 TSNGs again to see how I’d do.  The beats took a break for a while and I was starting to see some good results.  I made it into the money in one tournament and ended up finishing third.  The other two players at the table were speaking German back and forth to each other.  At first it looked like nothing was up.  But they started tag teaming me on all of my all-ins, with speculative hands to boot.  After the tournament was over, I asked Stars to look into this tournament and also these two players.  After a two week investigation, Stars found that they were indeed in cohoots and granted me 1st place for the tournament.  It’s nice to know that the poker sites look hard into matters such as this.  I’m on my way to the $200 mark, and hope to be there very soon.

Recent Results:

+$48.55 0.25/0.50 SHL

+$22.20 $3 TSNG:  1st:  2, 2nd:  3, 3rd:  1, DNP:  6
+$9 $3 TSNG:  1st:  1, 3rd:  -1 (collusion)

Overall Summary:

Starting BR: $1.51
Current BR: $178.45

+$39.31 0.01/0.02 NL
+$7.30 0.02/0.04 L
+$39.78 0.02/0.05 NL
+$4.94 0.04/0.08 SHL
+$13.13 0.05/0.10 L
+$6.80 0.10/0.20 L
-$10.83 0.10/0.20 SHL
+$27.93 0.25/0.50 L
+$80.91 0.25/0.50 SHL

+$11.70 $1 SNG (25% ROI): 1st: 7 , 2nd: 4 , 3rd: 9 , DNP: 19
-$4.60 $2 HU SNG (-16% ROI): 1st: 6, 2nd: 7
+$26.80 $3 TSNG (8% ROI): 1st: 12, 2nd: 14, 3rd: 9, DNP: 63
-$80.90 $6 TSNG (-25% ROI): 1st: 4, 2nd: 4, 3rd: 6, DNP: 35

+$3.00 $1 18-SNG (23% ROI): 1st: 1, 2nd: 1, 3rd: 1, DNP: 8
+$8.60 $1 45-SNG (33% ROI): 1st: 2, 5th: 1, 6th: 1, DNP: 18
+$5.80 $1 45-TSNG (16% ROI): 2nd: 1, 3rd: 1, 4th: 1, 5th: 4, 6th: 1, DNP: 24
-$6.75 $1.50 18-TSNG (-14% ROI): 1st: 2, 2nd: 2, 4th: 1, DNP: 22

+$3.99 $0.50 MTT (114% ROI): Placed: 4 (+$1.08, +$1.80, +$1.55, +$1.06), DNP: 3
+$0.03 $1 MTT (0% ROI): Placed: 3 (+$2.26, +$10.31, +$2.86), DNP: 14

Haven’t been able to play too much recently, but here’s what’s been going on:

-$0.07 0.02/0.05 NL
-$16.54 0.25/0.50 SHL
+$5.20 $3 TSNG:  3rd:  2

Overall Summary:

Starting BR: $1.51
Current BR: $98.70

+$39.31 0.01/0.02 NL
+$7.30 0.02/0.04 L
+$39.78 0.02/0.05 NL
+$4.94 0.04/0.08 SHL
+$13.13 0.05/0.10 L
+$6.80 0.10/0.20 L
-$10.83 0.10/0.20 SHL
+$27.93 0.25/0.50 L
+$32.36 0.25/0.50 SHL

+$11.70 $1 SNG (25% ROI): 1st: 7 , 2nd: 4 , 3rd: 9 , DNP: 19
-$4.60 $2 HU SNG (-16% ROI): 1st: 6, 2nd: 7
-$4.40 $3 TSNG (-2% ROI): 1st: 9, 2nd: 11, 3rd: 9, DNP: 57
-$80.90 $6 TSNG (-25% ROI): 1st: 4, 2nd: 4, 3rd: 6, DNP: 35

+$3.00 $1 18-SNG (23% ROI): 1st: 1, 2nd: 1, 3rd: 1, DNP: 8
+$8.60 $1 45-SNG (33% ROI): 1st: 2, 5th: 1, 6th: 1, DNP: 18
+$5.80 $1 45-TSNG (16% ROI): 2nd: 1, 3rd: 1, 4th: 1, 5th: 4, 6th: 1, DNP: 24
-$6.75 $1.50 18-TSNG (-14% ROI): 1st: 2, 2nd: 2, 4th: 1, DNP: 22

+$3.99 $0.50 MTT (114% ROI): Placed: 4 (+$1.08, +$1.80, +$1.55, +$1.06), DNP: 3
+$0.03 $1 MTT (0% ROI): Placed: 3 (+$2.26, +$10.31, +$2.86), DNP: 14

As I continue to grind it out at the SHL tables, I’m starting to learn why it is such a roller coaster.  Like Hold Em, Stud is a game where aggression pays.  At this limit, though, the calculated aggression sets up big swings depending on whether you’re hitting or if the fish are hitting.  Many people don’t understand the importance of starting hands or drawing to the low or high against someone who is drawing to scoop.  I’ll continue to play this game because I know that I can beat it, but I may need to change my strategy up a bit for the fish.  I started to mix in some $3 TSNGs at lunch again, but of course I can’t seem to place.  I seem to get in with the best of it most of the time, but can’t seem to win one. 

Recent summary:

-$17.45 0.25/0.50 SHL

-$10.20 $3 TSNG:  DNP:  3

Overall Summary:

Starting BR: $1.51
Current BR: $110.11