[nomadtla]

Wow Aaron, you have allways been a poster I look for and read religiously but you have outdone yourself on this one.

I haven't played in a while for a lot of the reasons that you "warn" about in here.

-Wanting to get rich quick
-Ego
-Sense of entitlement
-Distorted view of money that comes with a bigger roll

These are all things that made me a losing player (along with no skill) when I started in early 2004. Unlike some of you I dug myself a good hole at the start, and for a while was a degen with -2.5K bankroll. To make a long story less long, I found 2+2 in late 2005 and with what I swore was my last $150 climbed out of that hole back into the black, thanks to a lot of hard work and help from you guys and some whoring (back when the whoring was good).

When I reached the black something clicked in me and I went back to my old ways. The difference was this time I had enough skill to sustain and even build on it for a while but that does not last when you're cashing out for "toys" and playing to high. Thankfully I have also become self aware enough to recognize it this time. Hence the stop while I was still in the black. So I decided to take hiatus and get things together. Cashed out a bit to cover some medical bills and car repairs the last few months, but left enough in there to rebuild from. Though on your scale it's near the petty change area.

I guess the above covers most of the first and third set of questions.

My bankroll philosophy is something that I've been giving a lot of thought to these past few months. I wanted to take time and know what I was doing with poker and why. Your post has put into words the conclusion I had been comming to. So at the risk of seeming redundant by quoting your OP I will throw out some of the ideas that stood out to me.

[ QUOTE ]
This isn't even for the semi-pro, who has a regular job and plays for a little bonus income on the side. Instead, this post is for the semi-casual player. The ones who take the game seriously enough to ask the bankroll question, but aren't really looking to have poker winnings represent any part of their regular income.


[/ QUOTE ]

I had gotten into thinking myself semi-pro, when I really just want to be semi-casual. Never thought of it in those terms but that idea alone has opened my eyes to my motivations.

[ QUOTE ]
Therefore, your goal is to make your bankroll last for as long as you want to play poker.


[/ QUOTE ]

The paragraphs above that quote and that phrase totally changed the way I will look at my bankroll in the future. It will probably be printed and taped somewhere to keep me focussed.

I hope I've given a decent response. Though I must admit this post has been more for me to work some of my thoughts of the last month out. But I thank you for starting a thread that allowed me to do that, and helped me flesh out those thoughts to give me a starting point to step off from this time.

Again I would like to thank you good sir for a well thought out post on a topic that really doeasn't get the attention it deserves.

Now I'm of with my one Benjamin to take some dimes off suckers [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Peace
Thomas