My last op was a miserable failure, but I think I am at a place in my career where I can attempt another one.

Seems that every time I publicly state a goal, I immediately spew/downswong/etc.....so knock on wood that the same thing doesn't happen again.

Some of you may know that I have a daughter, now 6, and her mother insists on sending her to private school instead of putting her in a large school district in her city. Therefore, I get to pay for half of her tuition each year. In addition, I hope to be able to earn enough money to put back for her college when the time arrives. I have been able to pay for the first two years' tuition through poker, and see no reason why I can't continue (UIGEA notwithstanding). So this is my "Grind For Education" part deux, but it will carry an additional meaning. In this operation I will attempt to be educated on how to really play poker. Several times in the past I thought I had figured it out, just to be smacked down by my own leaks and magnified by the variance bug at just the wrong times.

My poker story:

Started playing in free bar tourneys/watching on TV like a lot of us did. Discovered online poker, deposited, played some STT SNGs and got hooked. Won a bit of money in some tourneys, etc. Switched to cash games in early 2006 and have played mostly cash since. Started out at Party/Pokerroom at $25NL, moved to Absolute and Tilt for the RB, play at Stars occasionally as well. Play live when I can (although gas $ has cut that out a bit) and enjoy live even more than online. I have played as high as $200NL and as low as $10. Currently playing $50 and $100 even though I am overrolled. I am playing overrolled for several reasons: Confidence (play better when I have the cushion behind me), and because each time I have moved up to $200 I have gotten creamed. Much better in my eyes to win money at $50 than it is to lose money or breakeven at $100.

My history the last year includes several horrific downswings where I play bad and variance gets me, the most recent one being the first of this year while chasing the FT Ironman Bonus. I was obsessed with getting in hands to clear the bonus, and never slowed down. Went on a nice tilty cycle and ended up spewing enough to move down to $25 temporarily. At that point I totally revamped my game, tightening up preflop and postflop, paying much more attention to position than I had been, and plugging some longstanding leaks. This is not to say I have it figured out, because I don't, but I feel my game is in much better shape now than it was when I rode the last big wave upward. I have had decent success since mid Fed and hope I never go through the hell I did at the beginning of 2008 again. I played 125K hands at $50NL with a good but not great winrate, then re-incorporated the $100 tables into my game slowly again. I have another 26K hands at $100NL and am now showing a decent winrate and hope to continue that for a while.


My goals:

--20K hands per month (not a lot compared to the grinders but with my schedule and being a dad that's what I can realistically count on....between 600-800 hands on weeknights and 1500 hands on weekends when I am not busy). 8 tabling mostly.
--100K hands at $100 with a positive winrate
--Working BR of $10K by Jan 2009
--Taking successful shots at $200 by Jan 2009
--work my way to a happy medium of BR nitiness.
--contribute to this forum
--incorporate a bit more 6 max into my game again.

Thanks to all who pop in for a visit!!

CMAN