Decisions, decisions... Vegas or Bankroll???

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My recent win from which I have managed to save about $1.6k has left me with a decision to make: how to spend it :D

Basically I have narrowed it down to 2 sensible options:

1) Go to Vegas with 'Newcastle Poker Forum' gang during the WSOP or (I will have another $1k by then so $2.6k total)

2) Save it to use as the bankroll I've always wanted for online MTT's (when I graduate in June)

I'm torn between the two at the moment. Basically the trip to Vegas is a great oppurtunity as the NPF lads are renting a house, which would save a lot of money. Plus it's an oppurtunity to experience Vegas with a bunch of other poker players (last time was on my own). Plus it's during the WSOP!!! The only cons are I'd be on a budget (only $1k to spend over 2 weeks including buy-ins) and that I've been before so perhaps I should wait to go again until I'm not on a budget.

Option 2 however has it's own allure. Basically instead of pissing about hoying $20-$100 on now and then onto various sites and trying to guess if I'm a winning player overall, I could do it properly! I'm sure I could raise $400 to make it up to $2k which is a perfect figure for $10-$20 MTT's given that I'm not going Pro. TBH the reason (and this is very honest for me lol) I've never kept a decent online bankroll is because when I've had over $1k online I get scared and spend it on something concrete (and usually unecessary e.g. bike or TV).

What would you do??? Comments appreciated.

Stars Step 5 - double mistake

After my latest win I cashed out $2k from my Stars account so I can concentrate on study again for the last 4 months of my degree. This left $100 which I decided to use to sattelite into a Sunday major... I won a $39 turbo sat and unregged as I couldn't play that nite.

Then, stupidly, I decided to play a step 4 tourney on stars thinking I could cash in the $700 if I won!!! Half way thru it dawns on me that I can't do this, woops! However, I can't bring myself to lose on purpose in the late stages to regain my Sunday major ticket... So I win and advance to step 5...

5 hands in I'm dealt AKs UTG and 3x raise. One caller from MP and I immeadiately put him on a small pair for some reason... Flop: A43 two clubs... I C-bet, he raises, I check sharkscope and see this: he's played 1 $5 SNG on stars and that's it, SUSPICIOUS!!! Anyways I know he can reset his stats and do this but the other part of me wants to believe he's a fish with AQ or a flush draw. So I make a standard $10 SNG move and re-raise, he shoves and I feel commited so I call. If u haven't guessed it by now he has a set of 3's. Gutted.

I think the main two factors in this mistake were years of playing small stakes SNG's and my eagerness to believe what I wanted to, it was a painhful mistake that I hope I learn from. Of course $2k has softened the blow a bit :)

1st for $1.9k Weeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night was my biggest cash ever. And tot top it off I had decided it was the last game I would play online for 4 months (probably lol). I just put a tenner on to treat myself after handing in two assignments.
I'm quite glad I did that. Seriously though this is the result I've been looking for, for a long time now and I finally got it when I least expected, extremely chuffed!!! :D

5 Month Break from Online

This might sound out of the blue for a few ppl but it's something thats been brewing a while for me. I'm in the last 5 months of a degree that I've been doing for nearly 5 years now, enough said on that factor. There are other reasons for the break too though.

Firstly, the more I hear about successful players on forums the more I realise that they are extremely hardworking people, I can't be with regards to poker atm.

Seconly, online poker has become a big escapiest tool for me in recent times that has prevented me from getting the most out of my life.

Thirdly, I can't afford a bankroll atm to play the games I want to play.

Finally, I need some time to reflect upon where I'm going with this game and how much time/effort I'm willing to give it in the future.

I will still be playing live (once or twice a week max) but the aim is not to play online at all until my degree is over. Good luck in the new year to everyone else!!! See you at the tables (live) :)

Quick Update

Just a quick update on the cash challenge. I've played 30k hands now from the beginning and I am break even without rakeback. Considering the steepness of the learning curve of deep stacked play I am pleased with the results so far. Hopefully now that I have just signed up for rakeback and I have some 6-Max experience under my belt I can get this ball rolling!!!

Azimut Cash Challenge

Once again sorry about the image quality, if you click on it you will be able to see the details. A very experienced and skilled player on the NPF has set up a 'cash challenge'. So as I've always wondered if I could cut it playing 6-max 100bb's deep I decided to join in, all be it with a limited starting bankroll of $100.

I'm now 15k hands into the challenge. The first 3k hands at 5NL went badly as I lost about 7 buy-ins and slightly belatedly dropped down to 2NL - not how I'd envisaged things going :s . Switching from playing $10-$30 MTT's to 2NL was something of a challenge in itself lol... but part of the reason for doing this challenge was to learn proper BRM, something I have rarely if ever properly employed.

11,620 hands later and I'm back at 5NL hopefully to stay this time. The challenge is to rise 5 levels so I'm back to square one, bring on 10NL!

set over set over set :

It's times like these your glad your only playing 2NL lol! Sorry about poor image... I had the 9's.