This is a fresh start for me. Over the past eight or so weeks I have had great success .... at being a losing player. It's clear to me that Poker is going to be a fairly large part of my life over the coming years, and yet I have a huge way to go before I even make it into a break even player.

The amazing consistency of my... below average play didn't seap in until I decided to browse my shark stats...



They say a picture speaks a thousand words and well I need to find a fix to this before it gets any worse!

My plans for the coming month or so is to start building some momentum behind my $300 bankroll which I'll be depositing in about 8 days.

I've recently watched Phil Gordons final table poker, and feel my insight into the game has doubled. Just because of the way it's consolidated various points that were there but not quite connected in my mind.

I feel myself getting to know forum regulars a little better now and am enjoying being able to develop a bit of a feel for who I'm speaking with. I'm enjoying becoming more active in peripheral non poker discussions, and I'm also enjoying being a sponge to information - instead of offering what little bits of fragmented poker knowledge I possess up to new members.

I'm not enjoying not playing poker... which is the situation I'm in at the moment thanks to having spent my bankroll and not being in a position to collect my pay cheque from work (have been working from home last week or so) - so I now have 8 days of watching poker to do. I'll remember this feeling and hopefully it will be a reminder next time I feel like calling that 'all in'.

I'm also going to read Skalinsky and Harrington, but I'm going to go and buy the books - because the ebooks just don't do them justice, since I've discovered poker I've spent more time in front of this computer than I have in my life, and considering I used to work in IT that's saying something. I'm 26 so have time to learn to become great at the game I think. But first things first, I need to at least start breaking even at the piddly stakes. I also need to take a more rounded approach to the game, there's more to it than simply becoming part of the furtniture in the poker stars lobby all day. This operation is going to stay with me for at least a year - hopefully I'll be able to look back on this first post this time next year and smile