Challenge #1: 12 Hours Session.

I have been a little lazy to blog since I have been back from Bulgaria. I suppose I am still in holiday mode. Running terrible makes you less motivated. But I am convinced to turn shit around, slowly but surely. I believe you need TWO things to get out of a bad run / downswing. You need to enjoy your poker again. Have fun. Do something different. Maybe play Omaha, maybe play 0.05/0.10 like a maniac, play some tournaments. I don't know just do something to enjoy the game. What I did was I played the £10 rebuy at The Vic. My god what fun I had. I played blind for 20 minutes of the re buy period. Went in blind hand after hand. Had the most fun I had for a long time at a poker table. I managed to spend over £150 in re buys. I did however accumulate a +15,000 chip stack. I think also from a strategy point of view, in order to have any chance of winning these tournament you need to play like this. Get a bunch of chips so you can survive your outdraws when these donkeys call your AK all in down with A3 and hit. But even with a monster chip stack I manage to find a donkey who not only had more chips than me but to convince himself I was bluffing. A 10 suited vs K 10 off suit. Flop A RAG RAG. I manage to get all the chips in. Runner runner straight for the K 10. I was not surprised. I run great. But hey hey hold on! This was not about the outcome. I had GREAT fun! So first thing! HAVE FUN. Second thing set yourself challenges. NOT GOALS. Challenges. This gives you something to aim for SHORT TERM. Goals great for long term. But when you are running bad you just don't have the frame of mind to think long term. So I set myself a challenge of playing non stop on line for 12 hours yesterday! 4 tabling 0.25 / 0.50 ($50 max). 2 tables on UB, 2 tables on Stars (yes I am playing there again now -trying to prove to myself I can beat the games there). Here are my stats: 16:00 / UB: -$42.95 / Stars: +$34.41 / Hands: 278 17:00 / UB: -$92.60 / Stars: +$13.26 / Hands: 489 18:00 / UB: -$77.52 / Stars: -$9.00 / Hands: 676 19:00 / UB: -$93.58 / Stars: +$18.00 / Hands: 979 20:00 / UB: -$81.18 / Stars: +$36.76 / Hands: 1211 21:00 / UB: -$74.32 / Stars: +$57.61 / Hands: 1484

22:00 / UB: -$38.67 / Stars: +$35.00 / Hands: 1765

23:00 / UB: -$38.45 / Stars: +$56.00 / Hands: 2066

24:00 / UB: -$45.55 / Stars: +$139.61 / Hands: 2352

01:00 / UB: -$123.07 / Stars: +$89.66 / Hands: 2660

02:00 / UB: -$144.20 / Stars: +$121.51 / Hands: 2887

Broken record I know, I but I ran terribly! Without being result oriented, I played very very well. And am happy the challenge help me keep motivated. I will be doing the same today.

OK...well I have so much more to write...hand histories...cardrunners....but next time...I want to play now!

Yigit out!