[OziBattler]

Hello BR Nits! You make me feel at home.

I made my first deposit semi-drunkern in 2004 xmas period which was a few months after I returned from 6 months in the USofA. I deposited $50 into stars using my Visa card....I only tried it on a whim and didnt really think it would go do through. It did. I donked around for a while at NL and 0/8 and lost $15 and wanted to cashout only to discover that that cashing out for an ignorant Aussie was all too hard so I left it there and used it as fun money. I managed to back up to $70 and took a shot at 25c/50c LHE. I was a total donk and lost3 months of winningsd in 100 hands and was pissed. Then by chance found 2+2 and lurked for a while whilst running up to $80 bonuses whoring UB 5c/10c tables (yes you read that correctly).

I then bonus whored (Paradise, Stars, UB and Party) all the way up to about $2000 playing 0.5/1. I probably made about $500 at the table and the rest was whored...lucky me not livin in the States.

Now, as many of you will know, Ive got 2 young kids and Im very conservative when it comes to my BR which allows me to be very aggresive at the table. I hate to lose. I also only get to play no more than 3-5K hands a month and I find that this means that I feel wins/losses more because I have more time to reflect on a previous session. Theres something to be said for getting right back in there the next day because for me that helps me get over a bad session.

So basically ive been playing overrolled and I decided that I wanted to start rewarding myself which means withdrawign excess Bankroll and buying stuff. I set my base BR at $1500 which is 750BB for my current limit of 1/2. So far Ive withdrawn somewhere in the vicinity of 2k. I really consider myself lucky to still be able to bonus whore. Bonus whoring at the lower limits can really be significant. If you non-Americans cant find decent bonuses playing 0.5/1 or 1/2 out there that can supplement your BR to the tune of AT LEAST 1-2BB/100 then you arent trying hard enough. I actually dont know how much of my total winnings is whored but it is probably well in excess of 50% (for a while I abused SSHE principles and spewed money but still managed to increase my BR with easy bonuses).

As I said, Im pretty conservative and whilst I'd love to play and beat 5/10+ I am realistic and whith a family with 2 young kids Im probably going to stick around at 1/2 and hopefully 2/4. I know Ive got the game to beat 2/4 but thats not the point. The point is that I enjoy poker and I enojoy winning and whilst Im leaving money on the table by not moving up as fast as others I really dont care that much.

All in all Ive taken $50 and turned it into thousands of dollars doing something that I enjoy (or love to hate at times)...this is as opposed to other people I know who prefer to pump money into games like Warcraft. I make a little money doing my hobby...they spend it to do theirs. hehe.