I've decided to remove the limitations on Phase III of my daily quest to grind out a living in the Florida sunshine.

My initial thought was that I'd probably have had enough of playing cards for the day if I were to reach the $5-$10 game having won both $600 at the $1-$2 and $2-$5 games and so putting a limit of winning a further $300 more at the $5-$10 game seemed a reasonable thought at the time.

Having had more time to think I'm going to do Phase III with the following goals in mind...

a) Lose $200 (thereby banking a $1000 win for the day)
b) Play until I get fed up

Of course if I'm on a winning streak at the $5-10 game then the rewards there will be that much higher than in the $1-$2 / $2-$5 games and I can't really think of a good reason to quit the game if I've pushed all-in for $100, got called in 3 spots, and emerged the winner (in my dreams of course!).

The $5-$10 game will play very different to the lower limit games but with a bit of luck and a stop-loss limit of 2 throws of the max buy-in = $100 dice I really do think this is a no-brainer!
 

Sometimes in life things come your way that you have to ABSOLUTELY just do.

For those of us on the treadmill of tedium called a job we'll always find ourselves dreaming of a better one and for those of you, like me, that love the game of poker then we'll always be wishing that we could do that day in and day out without any worries about losing all our bankroll.

Over the Xmas period just gone I visited Florida. For those of you who read my blog back in the days when I was keeping track of my poker playing exploits on a tournament by tournament basis you may recall a little place I played there called the 'Seminole Hard Rock Casino' based just outside Tampa.

Back then, in Dec 2007, no-limit hold'em was pretty much restricted to a $1-$2 game where the most you could buy in for was $100. I was quite successful at this game in cash games there, not tournaments mind, so since then I've been back there twice more and on all occasions managed to do quite nicely. Some things HAVE changed but mostly things haven't.

For me the most important rule still in force there is that the maximum buy-in for ANY game there is STILL $100. Despite the fact that since those days in 2007 they've now added table games where the maximum bet on a hand of Blackjack is $5000!

Games have expanded as well. There are now lively $2-$5 and $5-$10 games, still mind you with a max buy-in of $100, but the skill factor in the majority of these games is still considerably less than you'd find down the local club.

With all this in mind I have decided to give something a go.

My current contract ends on Feb 26th. On Feb 28th I'm flying back to Orlando, booking into a hotel close to the Hard Rock Casino, attempt to stay there for the 90 days my visa will last, and grind out a life as a poker player for those 90 days. I'll have a starting bankroll of $5000 and subject to the following rules will try my damdest...

Rules: (can be amended at any time)

1. Day will start with a $1-$2 table.
   I quit if:
   a) I get to $600 PROFIT.
   b) I lose 5 buy-ins
   c) I get fed up (winning or losing)

2. If the outcome of rule 1 is a) (get $600 PROFIT) then...
   Day continues with a move to a $2-$5 table.
   I then quit if:
   a) I get to $600 PROFIT
   b) I lose 3 buy-ins
   c) I get fed up (winning or losing)

3. If the outcome of rule 2 is a) (get $600 PROFIT) then...
   Day continues with a move to a $2-$5 table.
   I then quit if:
   a) I get to $300 PROFIT
   b) I lose 2 buy-ins
   c) I get fed up (winning or losing)

Time is not an issue. The getting fed up will be!

So...best case scenario is I WIN $1500 on the day. Worst case scenario is that I LOSE $500 on the day.

On the majority, if not all, of the days I play the +/- will somewhat fall in between the two extremes.

So without the worries of not having to get up for work, not having to worry about getting home for a certain time to do certain things and without the worries of much else just how do you think I'll get on?

My daily expenses, once in Tampa, are hotel - $50 a night and car hire - $25 a day incl. Food and other minor expenses I expect to be circa $25 a day. So I need to make $700 a week PROFIT in order to continue to stay on.

My first two weeks, till March 13th, are fully funded and paid for so for me to return on March 13th I'd have to have to have lost my entire $5000 bankroll.

So how am I going to fair? Bear in mind that the standard of play at the Hard Rock, especially in the $1-$2 & $2-$5 games, are VERY SOFT.

My goal is to come back at the end of May with money in pocket!

More soon.