Ninja - Thanks for the kind words. Empire was pretty frustrating.

Tib - I get out to NJ every once in a great while to visit with my wife's family. They are up in the Oranges, but great grandma loves to go to AC and play the quarter slots. Last time out, I sat in a 3/6 LHE game at the Taj (I think it was the Taj), and it reminded me of the no-fold'em games out here. Pretty easy, high variance games. I'll try stud next time out (looking like August or September, but maybe June for a cousin's graduation from Rutgers).

Yesterday brought more PLO at the Bodog 25 tables. Up $1. Had the chance for a decent score with a pot that I built when I flopped the nut flush, but the board paired on the end and someone found it necessary to hold on to their set of sixes from OOP facing pot sized bets on the flop and turn, then when the board did pair he checked it to me. I check behind, nice hand sir. I also ran a flopped ace high flush into a flopped straight flush, and top boat into quads, but was able to get off cheaply because villian in each case was a shortie. What a horrible feeling it must be when you flop the mortal nuts, have someone BTP into you on the flop, and have ony $4.31 in your stack.

I also played in a 5+.5 PLO8 SNG on Bodog. For as bad as the players are at the ring games, the SNG tournament players were pretty decent. I bubbled out in two hands, going from being chip leader. I got all in pre-flop with AA2J double suited. Villian had A876 with the ace suited and runner-runner flush with a 2 on the board and no 4th low card. If I win that hand first is pretty much locked as I would have had 8300 of the 10,000 chips in play. Oh, well.

True Poker is one strange site. The players, and they number in the double digits, are an eclectic mix of donators, maniacs, and some obvious 2+2ers. The limit hold'em games are ok, but I have had the most success at the $10NLHE 6-max. A $5 PLO8 game went today also, maybe it is because it is the weekend. I am down a bit overall at LHE, like $30, playing whatever game looked good from 1/2 up to 5/10. I have cleared $30 of the $100 bonus. The PLO8 game had some resident sharks and probably 4 people that had absolutely no clue what they were doing. I cashed out after 2 hours at $33.

As part of the sign-up incentive, True Poker gives entry into 4 1 table SNGs that pay 12.50/7.50/5. I went 4 for 4 ITM with 3 2nds and a 1st (you could probably post blinds and fold your way to 2nd). If someone wants to start a bankroll from $0, I whole heartedly recommend playing those 4 SNGs and then playing in the $5 PLO8 cash game. The SNG entries come with e-mail validation, and no deposit is required. You should be up to $100 within the weekend.

I am off to find an Omaha cash game while the women shop at the brand new IKEA store in town. What is so great about IKEA? People camped out for weeks just to be the first ones in the store. Yikes. Some kind of cult following, it seems.

I worked on clearing the True Poker bonus yesterday. The terms are 1000 raked hands to clear $100 at 30% of the deposit amount. Any raked hand under $1 is counted as a corresponding fraction of a raked hand (ie. a hand raked at $0.65 is .65 of a raked hand). I am 2/3 of the was done. I will probably not be back without any kind of bonus. The only sites that I have played so far that I think I would play without a bonus are Party and Bodog.

I was up across the board yesterday, but did not play too much due to time spent with the family and watching the NASCAR Busch race from Mexico City. Three things that I love more than poker - my family, motorsports, and Mexico - yesterday was a great day. Next year, I hope to go to the Mexico City NASCAR race.

True Poker
$25 NLHE +27
3/6 LHE +76
1/2 LHE +21

I give up on 7CS. I have been playing at the 1/2 clearing the Interpoker bonus. I have a 27%W$SD for yesterday over 225 hands. Not good. Aces up just won't work it seems. Ugh. Down $70.

I went back to limit Hold'em, and I will finish the crypto bonuses at holdem this month. Maybe I'll go back to 7CS next month.

Limit hold'em has been going quite well. Up $160 playing 2/4 across Interpoker, 24h, and Party yesterday. I also cleared the first Party bonus yesterday 10 tabling .5/1. I did not want to test the 3 calendar day - 72 hour issue that Piers got screwed on. I will shoot for clearing the second bonus sometime after midnight eastern tonight, so I will have Sunday evening and all of Monday to clear the third one if I choose to do so.

I have made $750 in the last 10 days whoring casino blackjack. It is much easier to play BJ when Emma is awake, and I decided to give it a try after Derk's post suggesting BJ whoring to build a bankroll. I was at first skeptical, but casino whoring the easily cleared wager requirements is definately +EV (about $22/hr) and great to build a bankroll or just to make a little extra money.

My hold'em game is much better over the last 10 days also, perhaps I'm just running hot, but maybe playing poker when Emma is asleep is less distracting, and I am able to give the tables my full attention.

Hey dude - just dropping in to say thaqt I am following your progress, glad its going well. A note on the 7CS bullshit...why not just stick to whats working and ditch the 7CS altogether. Specialization is the key to success man...juts grind thousands of hands of 1 game....

I've grinded a 13k BR from nothing in the last (effectively) 9 months, starting at 25nl (no bonus or RB either). there is a ton of money out there to be won man...so many fishies.

As to playing while the baby is awake - I gave it up altogether a while ago. Just cant concentrate and feel too guilty as well. that said, I am not his full time caregiver, his mom is, i'd probably feel differently if I was home all day with him. I know its a pretty difficult job.

Anyway, keep on trucking dude - good luck to you.