Daily Updates: Building My Bankroll (Blog)

First off, to get to know me.. my name is Dan and I am 20 years old. I am studying Computer Information Systems at Arizona State and love poker. I have played for about 3-4 years now and consider myself very much above average. My style is mostly described as tight aggressive, but it can definitly vary. My main game is NLHE, but I am not afraid to mix it up. I have been playing Bodog for roughly a year or more now and have played on PokerStars, PartyPoker (Before U.S. ban), and Titan Poker (Also before ban). I usually buy-in for the minimum, about $20 or $25. My style is mostly described as tight aggressive, but it can definitly vary. My main game is NLHE, but I am not afraid to mix it up. I believe this has been my biggest mistake because truthfully I have deposited probably close to 75-100 times. There are times I get my bankroll at a steady increase, highest around $350, but I have *never* cashed out. So, in terms of online poker I am looking at a whopping loss over about two years.

This loss I have made up with some good trips to Vegas or Casino Arizona which is around the corner from my college (ASU). I made $1700 playing $1/$2 NLHE at the Stardust a little over a year ago, and I grind out Limit games at Casino Arizona.

My times are changing now. I am going to become a winning online player and I am only investing $20. I have chose Full Tilt because it is basically the one site I have not given a go and I want a fresh start. I will use this thread as my daily blog of my progress similar to what ChuckTs did about a year ago (just recently read it, impressive). My username is: Daniel Jack.

The first two recorded sessions were done yesterday so they are not too detailed, I will usually post after my session is done so I know all my details. I plan to record each session, with the date, time, bankroll, profit and to myself I will keep notes on players.

7/16 10:30pm - BR: $20
I bought into $.05/.10 ring game. This is my first mistake and I won't be doing this again. So basically I lost my $10 buy-in within 10 minutes when I get pocket Aces in good position and raised it up. I get called by 5-5 and he flops a set, plain and simple. All the money went in and I was down to $10. I quickly joined a $1 + .25 SNG 45PPL and a $2 + .25 SNG 18PPL. I really did not enjoy the $1 SNG, people kind of play like a freeroll or absolutely tight (probably their last dollar). I placed 23rd. In the $2 SNG I played extremely well, made some good reads and basically played TAG the whole time. I ended up placing 1st, taking in $14.40. I felt good, I am back to a little above my starting $20. I will go grab some dinner and watch a movie for now.

BR: $20.90
Profit: +$0.90

7/17 2:30am - BR $20.90
I stick too my BR managment rule and join up two $2 + .25 SNG 9PPL. I will not play over $2.25 until I reach at least $50, most likely more. I play solid on both tables until on one table I raise it up with 88, and C-Bet the flop when an Ace hits and he calls. There was a flush draw out there, so I could possibly put him on that. Turn brings a blank and I bet about 3/4 of the pot in return he pushes all in and I am forced to fold. I have already seen how C-Betting has got me in trouble many times. I end up placing 8th in one, and 1st in the other ($9). Talk about extremes.

I join up two more, and place 9th and 1st ($9). I join two more, but one being an 18PPL. It is getting late for me now and I am getting tired. I place 3rd ($3.60) in the single table and I fell asleep when I was huge chip stack in 18PPL and end up placing 2nd ($9).

BR: $32.50
Profit: +$11.60

So I know this was a long post, most will not be this extent. Just wanted to give an introduction to what I will be doing and that was about 6 hours of play -- plus I am at work so I don't have all the details. Nobody needs to reply to anything in this thread, but if you are interested, want to give you're opinion, advice, rant, or anything.. I am open.

I am traveling to Amsterdam on Thursday, so my goal is to get up to $50 before I leave. By beginning of August I want to be roughly at $100-$120. Wish me luck.

Good luck. I'm completely new to online poker so a lot of that doesn't really make sense to me. However, you seem to be getting on good.

7/17 4:11pm - BR $34.40
Played three $2 + .25 SNG 9PPL today. 1st place in two of them, 7th place in the other. My bad point in the 7th place was when I called a raise from BB with 23 suited and flopped 549. I checked and he bet about 1/2 the pot. I called and missed the turn, he bet pot and I folded. This took out a good amount of my stack since I was sitting on about 1300 when the hand started. I tried playing the Poker After Dark Qualifier, but realized quickly how crazy it is. It's a freeroll SNG 360PPL, 1st place gets qualified to second round. I placed somewhere in the 60's. I don't think I'll play that again. So far a good day, will probably get into some more $2 + .25 games later and maybe a MTT.

BR: $45.65
Profit: +$11.25

Hey Dan,

I tried doing a "blog"-type thread on here a while back, also. It seemed to just get lost among the other threads. So I started a real blog (see my sig) and it works great. Many CC'ers also have blogs. We primarily use Blogspot.com. Try it.

Personally, I would recommend getting your own domain and site for it but BlogSpot is pretty good.



What are your targets though Dan?
What I do is play and aim to make $10 then stop - after which if I want to play a tournament I will go back to the Ring Games and make the Buy-in - so everyday you get $10 richer!
If I loose my buy-in, I stop for about half and hour to prevent tilt - and look at my starting balance to reassure myself that I am in good position.

Good job and keep good the work going !

Dan
I've been a long time FTP player... like you play the $2
One "pattern" I've seen, felt, experienced, however you want to read it ...
is that weekend playing produces losses...I know, I know, its random, its the cards, its the players you face...
but after 6 years... a pattern is a pattern.
Also like the 50 FTP turney.. 54 plyrs for Satellite Tokens... $24+2
this gets you a buy in to daily guaranteed turneys from $3k up to 30K
they vary from 1500, 2400, 3600 plyrs but pay thru 153, 180,351 places.
Always looking at first but I've cashed at $50 or above whenever played.
another good ROI in my book is the $3.+.30 36 player sng direct satellite into weekly $500K. Only pays 1st with a seat to the $500K but a field of 36 is manageable. Good luck and I'll see you at the tables on FTP

My targets are to become a winning online poker player. I am going to play with bankroll management and just grind it out. right now I've made over 100% off my deposit in 1 day and a half. I'd like to get up to at least $300-500 before cashing out any. But after that I'd like to be able to have a monthly withdraw to have a few hundred income per month.

You gotta have a bigger bankroll in my opinion.. deposit around 150-200 and play the $10 buy ins and build up as you go..

Well I am up to about $60 now. I think I can get up to $150-200 without using anymore of my money. I sat in ring games today, I will post them later or tomorrow.. it's late in Germany.

Good luck, man. I've done a little bankroll blogging too before, and I think it helped me keep a level head and play more focusedly. It's easier to play the best you can and not tilt when you know that you're going to be posting your results for the public to see and it's not just a private thing. And tilt (and poor bankroll management, though they often go hand in hand) is easily the biggest bankroll killer for above average players. You just gotta know that some downswings are inevitable and all you can do is play your best. Hopefully your bankroll keeps going up

nice blog keeped me readin , keep writing ur progress

ive started a blog for my bankroll too, but i havent deposited yet, check it out My poker bankroll it has my summer poker story and what i plan to do tell me wut u think abotu the plan

Hey guys, at work decided to make my post. Before I do that I just want to thank people for their support and ideas. I was surprised this many people we're interested. Also, good playing with 1598, MrSticker, and dakotah last night.

7/17 11:00pm - BR $45.65
Started off playing a few SNG, the usual. Didn't place in my first one, I called a raise in the SB with 2-3 suited hoping to flop and I did flop an open ended, but missed on the turn so I had to fold. It really took a good chunk away. I joined up another and ended up placing in 1st, it was a very soft game. At the end of the night I had joined an 18PPL SNG and did not place, take note to not play tired. So I ended up playing with a few CC members as noted above, in a ring game on FT. $.05/.10 NLHE, I played two tables at once.

I mostly grinded my way to a few extra dollars in the beginning before getting into my first real hand. I had KK in early position, I decided to call the BB and hope someone raises. My plan worked and the cutoff made it $.40 to go. I bumped it up to $1.20, and he raises to $2.40. I sit there for probably 10 seconds and then push all in, if he had Aces good for him. He calls and flips over AJ suited, nice one guy. Flop hits an Ace and the river hits a Jack, I am beat.. I rebuy.

So I end up almost doubling up on AA on one table and I am sitting pretty healthy at about $17 and $12 respectively, almost back to even. On the table with most CC members I start hitting some very nice cards and anytime I am in position and nobody limped in yet I would raise it up. Majority of the time everyone folded, but it didn't hurt to pick up the blinds and when I did pick up a hand I drew action. I got paid off on KK again, which I actually picked up about three times out of ten hands after my beat above.

Overall it was a good session I enjoyed playing with some members, and I felt good sitting in a ring game. The only reason I played, which I told myself I wouldn't until i got to about $100 BR, was because CC members we're playing. Not the best reason, but I know I can afford at least one loss. So I ended up with about a stack of $28 and $12 or so and my bankroll is steadily increasing. I will be traveling throughout Europe this week and weekend, Baden Baden for two days and then Amsterdam for the weekend. Should be fun, hopefully they have wireless.

BR: $56.65
Profit: +$11

I do the same thing - I allow myself to play ring games with CC members that I normally won't play in. Though I really need to swear off $50 NL for a while lol.

The hotel I stayed at in Amsterdam had wireless - though it is a bit pricey, especially with the conversion of dollar to euro. But being the online addict I am I paid it anyway. I think I even played in some CC event while I was there lol.

But you don't have long enough - so drink up the glory of Amsterdam. It is my favorite place in the world I think.

Well wireless was referring to Baden Baden since their casino only has two poker tables and is 5/10 NLHE. Sorry, can't afford that much.. need like a $10,000 BR to sit in that comfortably.

I just researched Casino Amsterdam... very happy. From what you told me about the SNG is true, 10 Euro to enter, but do you know how much they rake and how much the winners get? Also, their cash games for 40 Euro and 200 Euro buy in. I think I will definitly sit in the 200 Euro buy in and see if I can put some scratch together.

Anybody who reads this I am going to sit in the .05/.10 NLHE cash game on FT at 4pm my time.. so 10am ET. I will post in games going on as well. Hopefully see some of you there.

I have also deposited alot of money on my full tilt account, but never cashed anything out. Its weird because when i first start out with 50, i do good and get it up too about 150 or 200, then i will start going to higher stakes and then i will start doing terrible. I dont know why its like that, its just always happens. The highest i ever got my full tilt account was 525, and i didnt cash it out because i wanted too wait till i got too 600. But i ended up losing it all. Sucks!

Haha, sounds very similar to me. I think our problem is bankroll management and playing stacks that are not familiar to us. Whether we consider ourselves great players or not, our style and play adjusts when you play lower limits. Well let's make a pact to make steady income and cash out frequently. Want to play in the .05/.10 at 10am? Good luck with your games.

7/18 All Day - BR $56.65

Wow, I played a lot today. I just got to the city of Baden Baden, got some dinner and drinks then came back to my hotel around 10pm and started playing cash games with my buddy. I was multitabling and doing pretty well. I think I just about doubled my money or a little more in that session. But, what I really wanted to talk about was the FT $3.30 Rebuy $6K GTD last night. It was my first MTT, besides freerolls, since joining FT. I have to say I really enjoyed it, placing 78th out of 615 and taking in $18.50 roughly. Could of done a little better, but I got pretty shortstacked right around the button. 99 paid out, and there was 101 left.. I had a big stack acting behind me the whole tournament and he was definitely playing solid. I was sitting about at 15K and he had about 55K, blinds were somewhere around 300/600 I believe. So I was in SB, he was BB.. it folds around to us and I look down at A-6, I raise it to 3x the BB and he calls. The flop comes off 3-4-5 rainbow, I think thats a perfect flop for me and I bet out 3/4 the pot and he instantly raises me the minimum. If I were to call this raise I would be absolutely pot committed on a draw right next to the bubble, plus he could have a nut hand already made. I use my time and end up folding it away for him to show me A-5, I think I made a good fold. So I ended up being shortstacked after the bubble and 3rd break, ended soon after in 78th. Not bad for my first MTT, I had a good day today.

I know a little bit of a brief post, not too many hand details, but I am busy in this other city today and I slept veryyy late today.

BR: $89.21
Profit: +$32.56

keep it up buddy your doing really well. Today is my birthday so imm get tanked and play some online haha. I think i have like $30 i can spare on pokerstars if anyone can trade with me so i can play with pez

thank youuuu

For some people bankroll requirements may be higher. Afterlife and pezjb, you two may fall into that category. I know I am...

Try setting your bankroll limits a little higher than the norm. For me (being a limit player) instead of 300BB's to move up, I am starting to practice 450 for that added comfort. While you may feel comfortable playing higher stakes even while under bankrolled, maybe without knowing it in your head you have doubts and aren't recognizing it.

Just something to think about... Get to know yourself as a poker player.

Hmm, a little confused by your post. I am taking that you mean to play smaller limits so I have more of a bankroll behind me? The only problem is I am having great success at cash games right now, even though I am using 10% of my bankroll to buy-in, but it is the lowest limit they have on FT. And I think I am using good bankroll management in tournaments, playing only $2.25 SNG and $1-3 MTT.

Yes, that's exactly what I mean. How much have you read about bankroll management? I think that should be the next thing you do. Read up on exactly what good bankroll management is...

You may know exactly what your doing. I don't know. But if you haven't read more than an article or a few posts about how to manage your bankroll, I'd think it is definitely a worthwile subject to delve deeper into.

dude. im inspired to start my own bankroll blog.

im inspired to learn how to play poker now . THANKS PEZ!!!!!

Haha, funny 1548. You're a high roller. Philthy go for it, it has been helping me. Swanny I have read many bankroll management articles, I just am surprised you are saying that since my first post is saying how I had such trouble with it, but that is the reason for the blog: to stay within my limits.

I had a bad day today, and will post details tommorow.. was down about $25 at one point, down about $12 now. Going to grind for about an hour or two now on .05/.10$ table.

1548 birthday wishes to you, I'm sure you're passed out drunk in a corner now though haha.

Blog in my sig.

Keep up the good work, too.

you so won huge in a tournament today


niceee big boy keep it up

7/22 11PM - BR $40

Ok, now really frusturated.. just made a long post and then it asked me to log in which led to it being deleted. Great. I am keeping it short now. Got back from Amsterdam, dealers and players in those casinos are absolutely stupid donkeys. It took dealers a minute to figure out who won hands, and he mucked my winning hand before the losing hand once.


I played in a $1 FT MTT turbo tourney last night. 1000+ entrants. As I said, I am keeping it short now. Final hand, heads up.


Blinds: 40K/80K or so, ante is high
Me (BB): 700K
Villain (SB): 800K


He raises a little above minimum and I call with J♦3♦. I put him on nothing too big here, no PP, no AJ+.. he would of raised more.


Flop: 5♦3♥6♥

I bet out 300K, which is a little less than the pot. I am now pot committed in my mind, and hopefully he sees that and folds. I have 300K behind.

He pushes over the top, and I am to an all in decision for 300K more. I sit and think and use my full timers and everything. I can not put him on at all hitting that board, a pocket pair. The only thing I can put him on is two overs with a flush draw.

I call. He flips over K♣9♦ for K high. I show my pair of threes.


Turn: K♠
River: blank


Great job donk, push me over the top with K high and no kicker.. do you know how many hands could of beat you. I am happy, but frusturated.

I took down $156 and change for my 2nd place finish. Now when I get to $250, do I start playing $.10/.25 or just sit at $.05/.10 until I reach $500.

BR: $196.50
Profit: +$156

7/23 All Day - BR $196.50

So I sat down at $.25/.50 ring game and then ended up multitabling.. really got to stop doing that. I lost my $25 on one table, and turned one into about $40 and the other even. I wasn't feeling the tables I was at all, I ended my sessions after about an hour.

I joined up a $5 90PPL SNG, top 18 paid. I was doing real well, sitting around 5th for a while with about 25 people left. I ended up going out in 12th after a bluff that I had to lay down since he played back at me and I basically chipped out. Paid only about double so nothing special.

I took a risk to clear a friends bonus and sat at a $50 max table. I destroyed it.. really. Some big nut hands, one with 4 to broadway on board, I was holding the Ace for the nuts.. but also two diamonds. Diamond fell on the river to complete my flush and I bet big which he called. At my highest I was at $260, but left with around $215 I'd say. I am very happy and really liked the two tables I played on at different times. I think the competition is better for me higher up. I was able to steal a lot of blinds in position and get paid when I hit.

Anyone want to play tomorrow let me know. I'll probably be doing some MTT's and $.25/.50 cash.

BR: $310.87
Profit: +$114.37

You are an absolute beast. I'm going to try to do something like this in the near future too.
Keep it up.

Interesting to read.

I just started "playing" online poker, as in, I played poker before with friends, but never online for money.

I started at pokerstars with play money for a week or 2, then went to real.

Overall, id say im down -$500.

You said you had lost thousands of $ maybe over 2-3 years... that doesnt seem to bad to me I like the experience I get, and for the -$500 I got a good 2 months of playtime.

Like I said ive only been playing online for $ for 2 months, i play the tournaments, 0.25 ring games, and $2 sit and gos.


I think im getting better, and I love the game, but im only 20 yrs old and my mom seems to think its a bit of a waste :P

What are your thoughts on this? Is it really a waste that I lost my money, but I got ALOT of experience and enjoyed it?

here is my suggestion to ya...i have been playing for a while and those 2$ sit n gos take nothing but luck to win in them and here is what i would do. why not play the 5$ and 6$ sit n gos i find those easier to win than the 2$ ones and if u do win u win more. u see what im saying? its not like its that much more. like for example the other day i played 5 6.50 9 man sit n gos on full tilt and i took 2nd 2nd and 1st and didnt place in other two. so thats like my money back and +30 to my br. thats probably one of the best ways to build up if u have about 50-100$ in yr br. start with 6$ 9 mans and work yr way up to higher buy ins and every once in a while i would play 45 man to try to hit big but u want yr odds of winning to be high as possible. and another best way to build up is to play bunch of heads up games. it is possible and i have done it before i builded up 5$ to 50$ just by playing hu on full tilt. but it dont really matter what site u play on if u win like 2 out of 3 hu ur still making money and they dont take very long, most take about 5 minutes and thats all.

oh i just realised...yr name monoxide..did u get it from the monoxide and icp and twiztid and do u listen to them?

yeah...those 2.25 sng's are a joke. im oging to go back to the $5.50's. for some reason i like plyaing the 18's better than the 9man's