First Cashout

If you've read this blog, you know on May 5th I started w/ $1k. As of 15min ago, my FTP roll was $20.8k. Looking at that amount is sort of depressing, but it's good at the same time. I set out to be at approximately $11k by September 5th to win the $7k in prop bets; in that regard I'm doing just fine. But, I'm not putting the time to study technique or the discipline to sit and play like I did when I started to grind. On the bright side, I'm rarely spewing, running "ok," and not SICK of poker like I was getting.

Also, taking out money from the bankroll is not what I want to do also. But, I lived off the prop bet monies (paying bills, eating, etc.) like I planned to. Justin still owes $300, but I'm not in a desperate need for that like I was before. I made my first cashout today for $700, putting my FTP roll at $20.1k. Playing for over four months and only cashing out $700. In one respect, it seems like I'm cashing out SO SO little. But at the same time, I don't want to take a penny out of my bankroll so it can continue to build up.

In my opinion, I need to feel a little bit more confident before I move up to the $400NL game. Floating and thin value bets become MUCH more common. Also, when I get to $400NL, I will probably cut my tables down to six, from eight. There are a few things I want to do at $200NL like having a $10k month and padding my bankroll to a certain amount. I'm starting to think about the money point where I'll feel comfortable playing $400NL. I remember when I first started out, I was ready to move up to $400NL once I got to $16k or so, but now I'm thinking more like $25k. A ten buyin downswing is $4k now! Just saying that sounds a little daunting. Maybe once I hit $26k, I'll take a shot and I'll drop back down to $200NL if the roll dips down to $22k.

Oh, and a funny hand happened. I didn't pokerhand it, but it's kind of easy to recall. There was a 80/5 loose/passive fish to my direct left that had a 6buyin stack. I opened 3d3h UTG to $7 and got 4 callers (fish called and I'm guessing the others called to stack the fish if they hit). That made a pot of $35 on a Qh6h3c flop. It was checked to me, and since the fish had shown a tendency to bet when checked to on decent-sized multiway pots, I checked to him. The fish ended up checking, but the cutoff bet $26 into the $35. The SB raised to $82+ (allin), I called hoping to not scare anyone off and also get put on a draw, fish called, cutoff repopped to $207 (allin), at this point I just put the rest of my stack in and raised to $260ish (allin), and the deep stacked fish even called! The pot was $875+ and four-way. I was expecting to have to dodge a bunch of cards, but it ended up that I was a HUGE favorite w/ everyone holding top pair (QKs, QK, and the deep stack holding QT.) All I had to dodge was a running full house or two running clubs, but they were drawing dead on a 9d turn. Now, $875 definitely isn't the biggest pot I've won, but to be allin four-way on the flop and to be such a huge favorite (and holding of course) is something that doesn't happen often. I can only recall one other time, but that was much more crazy than this one and a long time ago--holding 99 on 972 flop vs 77, 22, and JJ.

So, in summary, my FTP roll is $20.1k. I'm waiting on a $700 check from FTP--my first cashout. I'm not playing much, but that's almost alright. Feel like the favorite to get to $30k before Aaron gets to $100k or Justin to $10k. Will probably take a shot at $400NL when roll gets to $26k....