Back to playing after break of 13yrs

Yes Vision Board I was one of the youngest Grandmasters at bridge for my age at the time I attained it, getting into the local newspapers too.

Originally posted by Muscledude
The money from the raffle I will withdraw at a later stage, I will need to open a skrill account and move it there and then to stars when I am ready.
I think it takes 48hrs to withdraw the money.

Right now we only offer Wire Transfer, I hope that helps. We may offer different methods in the future.

Well thanks SvenBe but I cannot do anything until it goes above $50,it is too low to withdraw at the moment.

Hi folks this week has been mixed but a down week in total.
For the last 7 days I have lost $1.73 after playing 2,041 hands or 4.24BB/100.
For the month so far I have played 4,287 hands for a profit of $5.25 or 6.12BB/100 which is good.
In total for NL2 I have played 18,203 hands for a profit of $20.53 or 5.64BB/100 which is also good.
On the cash out front I am better off by $6.07.
I have started posting hands in the no limit forum too so I can improve.
My next update will be on January 23rd.

Well folks I seem to be in a downswing right now, so I have reduced my play while I learn a different way of playing. I am going to play a MSS or Mid Stack Strategy which basically means playing with 40BB instead of 100BB at a table, this also means playing a fair bit tighter so we will see where this goes.
So since the last update I have played 1,493 hands for a loss of $8.28 or 27.73BB/100.
For the month so far I have played 5,780 hands for a loss of $3.03 or 2.62BB/100.
In total I have played 19,696 hands for a profit of $12.25 or 3.11BB/100, this is all at NL2.
On the cash out front I am better off by $6.67.
Now I am aware that I can play higher with this strategy as my table buy ins are lower, but it is a bit early for that just yet.
One plus point is that I have gained on the month after the pound got weaker against the dollar.
My next update will be after the end of the month.

Well the first month of the year has started with a small loss, so lets get down to how I have done since the last update.
I have played 1,844 hands for a loss of 30c or 0.81BB/100.
For the month I have played 7,624 hands for a loss of $3.33 or 2.18BB/100.
In total I have played 21,540 hands for a profit of $11.95 or 2.77BB/100 which seems satisfactory but could be better.
On the cash out front I am better off by $4.89.
Under the new strategy I have played 1,863 hands for a profit of $1.24 or 3.33BB/100. I have had a currency gain so my sterling loss is nominal or neutral on the month.
I am behind on hands I want to play for the year but this will quicken up after certain things have been done in the first half of the year, I hope.
February being a short month means I only expect to have 15K-16K hands in by then for the year.
My next update will be 8th February.

Well just like last month I have started off pretty good for the first 7 days. I have played 1,673 hands for a profit of $7.16 or 21.40BB/100.
For the year so far I have played 9,297 hands for a profit of $3.83 or 2.06BB/100.
In total I have played 23,213 hands for a profit of $19.11 or 4.12BB/100 which is ok but would like it even higher.
Under the new strategy I have played 3,536 hands for a profit of $8.40 or 11.88BB/100 so this appears to be working well but it is early days.
On the cash out front I am better off by $5.12.
I still need to try and play more hands but this is going to be harder than I think because I am now hunting for the bad players and this uses time up.
My next update will be 15th February.

The new strategy is going very well as you will see from the numbers and it has also allowed me to recover from a 614BB downswing.
Since the last update I have played 872 hands for a profit of $7.32 or 41.97BB/100.
For the month so far I have played 2,545 hands for a profit of $14.48 or 28.45BB/100.
For the year so far I have played 10,169 hands for a profit of $11.15 or 5.48BB/100 which is in line with my win rate before the year started.
In total I have played 24,085 hands for a profit of $26.43 or 5.49BB/100 anything over 5BB I am happy with.
Under the new strategy I have played 4,408 hands for a profit of $15.72 or 17.83BB/100.
On the cash out front I am better off by $4.32.
I am happy playing this new strategy for the rest of this year and plan on moving up after I have played 100k hands and it will also depend on the win rate.
My next update will be February 22nd.

I am aware I may have been running a little hot recently and I think things are correcting somewhat.
Since the last update I have played 1,195 hands for a loss of $4.61 or 19.29BB/100.
For the month so far I have played 3,740 hands for a profit of $9.87 or 13.20BB/100.
For the year so far I have played 11,364 hands for a profit of $6.54 or 2.88BB/100.
In total I have played 25,280 hands for a profit of $21.82 or 4.32BB/100.
Under the new strategy I have played 5,603 hands for a profit of $11.11 or 9.91BB/100.
On the cash out front I am better off by $2.82.
My current downswing is 241BB and may get worse.
My next update will be after the end of the month and I expect to get 5k hands in this month.

I am having some personal problems at the moment which means I am not playing as much as I would like.
Since the last update I have played 793 hands for a loss of 18c or 1.13BB/100.
For the month in total I have played 4,543 hands for a profit of $9.69 or 10.66BB/100, which I am happy with.
For the year so far I have played 12,157 hands for a profit of $6.36 or 2.62BB/100.
In total I have played 26,073 hands for a profit of $21.64 or 4.15BB/100.
Under the new strategy I have played 6,396 hands for a profit of $10.93 or 8.54BB/100.
On the cash out front I am better off by $2.05.
My current downswing is 250BB. I am only on target to get 86k hands in for NL2 by end of this year as I am only doing 6k a month on average. lets see how things go in March.
My next update will be on 8th March.

I am trying to overcome my personal problems and hopefully things will sort themselves out.
For the first week of March I have played 1,355 hands for a profit of $1.27 or 4.69BB/100.
For the year so far I have played 13,512 for a profit of $7.63 or 2.82BB/100.
In total I have played 27,428 hands for a profit of $22.91 or 4.18BB/100.
Under the new strategy I have played 7,751 hands for a profit of $12.20 or 7.87BB/100.
On the cash out front I am better off by $1.99.
I have 186.5BB to go to get out of my current downswing.
My next update will be on 15th March.

This update is coming early as I about to move up to NL5, I will still be playing some NL2 as I might have difficulty finding tables at the higher limit due to how the MSS strategy is used.
Since the last update I have played in only 5 days 2,572 hands for a loss of $1.48 or 2.88BB/100.
For the month so far I have played 3,927 hands for a loss of 21c or 0.27BB/100.
For the year so far I have played 16,084 hands for a profit of $6.15 or 1.91BB/100.
In total I have played 30,000 hands for a profit of $21.43 or 3.57 BB/100.
While using the MSS strategy I have played 10,323 hands for a profit of $10.72 or 5.19BB/100 and believe this has now proved more than worthy to use. On the cash out front I am now worse off by $4.38 so I am sure suck outs are overdue. I am still in the current downswing of 260.5BB.
I have also built up some step up tickets worth $54.50 but they are not worth anything really unless you can turn them into hard cash, I may be able to use them to make a chest up though.
The judge is still out on using the cash out option and using this strategy as it is tighter it may be better not to use it, but this is designed in principle to reduce variance and so far that part has worked out ok. I need more data to be sure but I think the cash out option will not last too long and might be going will review at end of month.
It was suggested to me that I play more than 1 table and I have just started using 2 tables but as I am moving up limits I will only play one table and go to 2 tables after a few sessions and as long as I am in profit.
My next update will be 22nd March.

Well I am going to disappoint people as I do not feel confident enough to move up to NL5 and I have only played 16 hands for a 6c profit or 7.5BB/100.
I am feeling more content at NL2 especially as I am getting used to multi tabling and playing up to 4 tables.
Since the last update I have played 5,407 hands for a profit of $3.97 or 3.67BB/100.
For the month so far I have played 9,334 hands for a profit of $3.76 or 2.01BB/100.
For the year so far I have played 21,491 hands for a profit of $10.12 or 2.09BB/100.
In total I have played 35,407 hands for a profit of $25.40 or 3.59BB/100.
On the cash out front I am worse off by $8.60 this is more than 25% of my winnings and so needs to be used less and using the MSS strategy its over 100% so the cash out is generally no good.
I am only 62BB away from coming out of the current downswing. This month I have also had 2 small cashes in 16 man steps which was $2.79 in total.
So for the month so far I am up by $3.76+$0.06+$2.79 = $6.61.
I still have $42 of tickets to use and I might also cash a chest but its going to be close.
My next update will be after the end of month on April 1st.

There might be a small change coming which I will elaborate on later.
Since the last update I have played 5,272 hands for a loss of $2.14 or 2.03BB/100.
For the month so far I have played 14,606 hands for a profit of $1.62 or 0.55BB/100 for NL2 and 16 hands for a profit of 6c or 7.50BB/100 at NL5.
For the year so far I have played 26,763 hands for a profit of $7.98 or 1.49BB/100 at NL2 and 16 hands for a profit of 6c or 7.50BB/100 at NL5.
In total I have played 40,679 hands for a profit of $23.26 or 2.86BB/100 at NL2 and 16 hands for a profit of 6c at NL5.
I have come out of the current downswing the 2nd so far and I am into another downswing which may get worse currently 275BB deep.
This month I have had 2 cashes in 16 man steps for $2.79 and a chest for $3.00, so my profit this month is $1.62+$3.00+$0.06+$2.79 = $7.47.
On the cash out front I am worse off by $9.66 and brings me to a possible change, I am currently trying to get my account verified at GG Poker to remove any chance of taking a cash out which is bad in the long run anyway, but also allows me to get strategy points by linking my account to this site. Also, it allows me to do something I have been wanting to do from when I started and that is to withdraw my deposit at poker stars in full and freeroll there from now on and put that deposit on GG Poker, that way it does not impact my bankroll challenge.
All it needs now is to get my account verified wish me luck on that front.

Got my account verified on GG poker but I could not find suitable games I was able to play with any kind of confidence and so I cashed back off. I am still able to play in the daily freebie which may allow me to build a freeroll for nothing over time though. So I have decided to open an account at 888 poker to allow me to get strategy points and they have a game I can play NL2 and maybe higher over time. There is a small problem in that they charge more to deposit to pay for a depositer's freeroll and other freerolls that run through the day/night. So I need to find the right moment to put my deposit on there, in the meantime I am getting my account verified. I have used some of my TAF balance to buy silver status to try and learn a new game but nothing suitable so improving my tourney skills with it instead.
Since the last update I have played 1,332 hands at NL2 for a loss of 30c or 1.13BB/100 and 157 hands at NL5 for a profit of $1.59 or 20.25BB/100.
For the year so far I have played 28,095 hands at NL2 for a profit of $7.68 or 1.37BB/100 and I have played 173 hands of NL5 for a profit of $1.65 or 19.08BB/100.
In total I have played 42,011 hands at NL2 for a profit of $22.96 or 2.73BB/100 and 173 hands at NL5 for a profit of $1.65 or 19.08BB/100. My current downswing is 304BB deep and may get worse. On the cash out front I am worse off by $9.87.
On GG poker in the daily freebie I am offered either spin and gold or mystery casino royale depending on the day and I have got $1.30 from the mystery casino royale a multi player event which I think is so fun to play as you get bounties to ko people at the final table which I got to on my first attempt and came 2nd. So in the first week I have made $1.30+$1.59-$0.30 = $2.59
I am looking forward to playing on 888 poker too.

Got my account verified on 888 poker after an awful lot of trouble but the moderator Vorpal here managed to help me get the job done, so many thanks to him for that.
Since the last update I have played 1,776 hands at NL2 for a loss of $1.42 or 4BB/100 and 15 hands at NL5 for a profit of 10c or 13.33BB/100.
For the month so far I have played 3,108 hands at NL2 for a loss of $1.72 or 2.77BB/100 and 172 hands at NL5 for a profit of $1.69 or 19.65BB/100.
For the year so far I have played 29,871 hands at NL2 for a profit of $6.26 or 1.05BB/100 and 188 hands at NL5 for a profit of $1.75 or 18.62BB/100.
In total I have played 43,787 hands at NL2 for a profit of $21.54 or 2.46BB/100 and 188 hands at NL5 for a profit off $1.75 or 18.62BB/100.
My current downswing is 361BB deep and could get worse. On the cash out front I am worse off by $10.22.
Now I have moved monies from poker stars to 888 poker which has come at a small cost this has been made up from free monies made at 888 poker and GG poker as if no money had been moved at all.
So over and above that I have made $1.98 at GG poker and $3.91 at 888 poker, the shortfall for moving monies around that had to be made up which I have done fully from 888 poker was $7.69.
So this month my profit so far is $1.98+$3.91+$1.69-$1.72 = $5.86
I will change the update days to tie in with the bankroll challenge update days except for after the end of the month and from the 2nd Sunday of each month.
So my next update will be 21st April.

This last week has had mixed results which will become obvious later on, this is mainly because of free stuff on 888 poker.
Since the last update I have played 1255 hands at NL2 for a loss of $1.90 or 7.57BB/100, no play at NL5.
For the month so far I have played 4,363 hands at NL2 for a loss of $3.62 or 4.15BB/100 and 172 hands at NL5 for a profit of $1.69 or 19.65BB/100.
For the year so far I have played 31,126 hands for a profit of $4.36 or 0.70BB/100 at NL2 and 188 hands at NL5 for a profit of $1.75 or 18.62BB/100.
In total I have played 45,042 hands at NL2 for a profit of $19.64 or 2.18BB/100 and 188 hands at NL5 for a profit of $1.75 or 18.62BB/100.
My current downswing is 481.5BB deep and could get worse and is why NL5 is on hold. On the cash out front I am worse off by $9.24 and if this was added to my total profit would make over 1BB difference.
On GG poker I have added $1.56 from the free games on there since the last update, giving me $3.54 in total there. What I want to do here is on the penultimate day of each quarter, the next one which will be June 29th, If I have made over $10 in the quarter I will play a small entry fee tourney and If I do not have enough in order to keep a $10 profit on the quarter I will play something cheap but keep $10. This figure could be revised upwards but not sure yet.
Now on 888 poker I was given $63 worth of blast tickets, these are spin & go's really for $1 each and I did rather well here also making small amounts in freerolls and free spins I turned a deposit of $122 into $204.38 less $7.69 of adjustment for moving monies around, this gives me a profit here of $3.91+ $70.78 for this week making $74.69 for the month so far here.
So this month my profit so far is $3.54+ $74.69-$0.17 ( poker stars reduction in bankroll) = +$78.06, obviously this cannot be kept up unless I am on the lookout for good deals on other poker sites to build my bankroll.
My next update will be 28th April.

I am playing less poker as I am watching the uk snooker which is a very good watch.
Since the last update I have played 553 hands at NL2 for a profit of $2.92 or 26.40BB/100 and $6.20 from freerolls/freebies etc.
I will keep this update short as I will be doing a fuller monthly update on 1st May.

This month has been my best so far mainly because of a bonus offer at 888 poker and somewhat at GG poker.
Since the last update I have played 663 hands at NL2 for a loss of $1.62 or 12.22BB/100.
For the month I have played 5,579 hands at NL2 for a loss of $2.32 or 2.08BB/100 and 172 hands at NL5 for a profit of $1.69 or 19.65BB/100.
For the year so far I have played 32,342 hands at NL2 for a profit of $5.66 or 0.88BB/100 and I have played 188 hands at NL5 for a profit of $1.75 or 18.62BB/100.
In total I have played 46,258 hands at NL2 for a profit of $20.94 or 2.26BB/100 and 188 hands at NL5 for a profit of $1.75 or 18.62BB/100.
My current downswing that I am trying to come out of is 481.5BB deep at its worst point and could get worse and until my overall win rate gets a lot better NL5 is on hold until further notice. On the cash out front I am worse off by $9.24.
On GG poker I have added $8.07 from freebies and $79.08 on 888 poker from freebies, by the end of June I think I can lock in gains of at least $15 or $20 on GG poker. On 888 poker I seem to have let my cash games down by not completing my tables and going to play in freerolls, this month I can let it go but I need to be aware of this going forwards.
My profit on the month is $8.07+$79.08+$1.69-$2.32 = +$86.52 so a good uplift to my bankroll, my thanks to Vorpal once again for helping me get my A/c verified at 888 poker.
My next update will be 12th May.

Well plenty going on but lets get up to date with figures first.
From freebies and freerolls etc I have made $8.14 this month.
For the month so far I have played 1,395 hands at NL2 for a profit of $2.47 or 8.85BB/100.
For the year so far I have played 33,737 hands at NL2 for a profit of $8.13or 1.20BB/100.
In total I have played 47,653 hands at NL2 for a profit of $23.41 or 2.46BB/100.
I am still in the current downswing of 481.5BB and on the cash out front I am worse off by $5.08.
Now to the good part, I have won $75 in the raffle which is tremendous and makes my taf balance $107 after deducting silver membership for a couple of months and I am transferring this to coin poker, this balance will also be added to my bankroll. The only problem I have got is what to play at coin poker I will do the freerolls where I can and the NL2 is 7 seated which is no good for MSS strategy and I might have to think about going back to BSS but reluctant to just yet.
On GG poker I have decided to look at what to play at the end of each month so at the end of this month I will add April and May together and on the last day of the month I will decide what to bank and play something with what is left and do the same each month and see where we are at the end of year.
On 888 poker I am playing freerolls and NL2 which is going fine.
So my profit on the month so far is $2.47+$8.14+$75 = $85.61 and I also have another $32 in my taf balance.
I need to do more study and will try to devote 1-2 hrs a day to this.
My next update will be 19th May.