jan update
12/31, 1/1, and 1/2 were all all-time highs for my bankroll. I went to bed on the 2nd fifty-six cents away from $800. Five of the next seven days would be losing ones, three more than $100, and so I gave up a couple months’ progress. Not a huge deal: variance had been very good to me for a while, and payback is inevitable.
Here’s the good news: dropping below $500 meant leaving $50NL for $25NL, and I’m a better player than I was when I left $25NL the first time, so sessions have been more positive more often. I’m still up in the air on my tournament play: I redeposited at Party just to play their $10+1s, but 800 chips and killer blinds in the fourth round just put in me bad situations more often than I would like. I did have one memorable tournament (out in fourth) where I’d been pushing my 5BB stack with every A, K, or pair that came my way. I survived for a long time doing this, but when I finally got caught (with T9s vs. 77 - a matchup I’ll take any day shortstacked), the table just lit up: they were so glad I was gone… it’s such an effective strategy. When they’re glad you’re leaving, you’re doing something right.
I read the NL chapter of Super System, and it didn’t really move me that much. I guess it brought some of the value of draws into perspective, but I don’t play that many drawing hands to begin with. (Of course, if you’re going to start, you learn a lot about position, and a lot about post-flop play, but I think there’s also a reason people don’t use his system as the foundation of their game.) He likes to get all-in with crazy draws and have people fold. I suppose that works for some people, but at the low levels, you’re putting your crazy draws up against other crazy draws, and people don’t fold.
I cashed out of everything to collect a Party bonus I’d heard about, but BonusWhores.com decided not to tell me when Party withdrew the bonus, so it was all for naught. I did just deposit my bankroll at Paradise to do their Super Bowl weekend bonus, and if the Seahawks win, I go to the freeroll tournament. Go SEAHAWKS+4!