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Since coming back from the WSOP, I have decided to put myself in a self-directed “Bankroll Management Class”.  It is not that I lost a lot of money - I just feel that if I want to make a run at playing high-stakes poker, I need to manage my bankroll a little better.  I am not bad at cash management by any means, but like every other poker player on the face of the earth, I fall victim to the dreaded bad run of cards.

Players go into the inevitable valley where no matter what they do, they get beat by every donkey who catches runner-runner for the 87th time this session.  Usually the player wants to move up a level.  Poker players KNOW that they can beat the next level - and make up the losses quicker.  This train of thought is common to poker players who are in a slump - and  I am guilty of it too.

I REALLY wanted to play in the 2008 Pokerstars WCOOP, but my bankroll would not allow it (I deposited $200 and have built it up to $800).  Stardard bankroll management advice says that you must have at least 20-25 buyins for the level of cash games &/or SNGs you want to play, and at least 50 buy-ins for the level of MTTs you want to play.

I could be undiciplined and say, “I have a ‘free’ $600 in my account, I should buy into a $530 event and see what happens”.

While a lot of people would go this route, I maintained my discipline and did not buy in.  With a current bankroll of $800, I could only play SNGs for about $30 and MTTs for about $16.  I decided that I was going to take the challenge of the WCOOP Steps.

I started every time at step 1 for $7.50.  After about 3 weeks of playing, and buying into about 35 step 1 SNGs, I had won the following entries:

Event 1 - $215 NL holdem 6-Max

Event 6 - $530 deepstack NL Holdem

Event 27 - $530 Triple Shooutout (this was actually won in a MTT rebuy tournament, not the steps).

My bankroll was down to about $550.  I am not a big fan of triple shootout tournaments, so I unregistered from Event 27 and took the 530 W$, which I sold to one of the many sites what will buy them.  That replenished my bankroll back to approximately the same amount I had before I enbarked on the Step Frenzy.

Playing prudently within the limits set by my self-imposed “Bankroll Management Class”, I was still able to play in the WCOOP.  I am tempted to unregsiter from both events and sell the resulting W$ to boost my bankroll even more, but who knows - if I can cash in either of these events, the reward would be so much greater.

One of the bi-products of my poker playing has been my wife taking up poker.  About a year ago, I talked her into playing in a free “bar league”.  She did well and built a reputation of being a very solid-tight player.  During one of the bar-league final tournaments, she took third place for $150 (or something like that).  Not bad for free.

Over the last year, she has played in a few casino tournaments.  She had the same problem that I had - always making a deep run, but coming up short.  Either she was card cold and was blinded out, or she lost to some pretty bad beats.  She was frustrated, and threatened to give the game up on several occasions.

Last December, we went to Atlantic City where she played in a WSOP Circuit Ladies-Only event.  There were 350 or so players in this particular tournament.  Donna made a decent run and finished in the 70s somewhere - about 30 short of the money. After this ladies tournament, she said that she much preferred to play against women.

She played in a few other tournaments here and there.  During our visit to Vegas for the WSOP, she made the final table on 2 occasions, but came up short of cashing.  I started to look for women’s poker tournaments when I came across the High Heels Poker Tour. They were hosting a tournament at Turning Stone Casino in August 2008.  I told her about it, and she was interested. So, we made our plans and off we went.

The tournament started on Saturday August 23rd at High Noon.  There were 58 players.  Each player started with T10,000 and the levels were 30 min long.  I expected the tournament to last about 6-7 hours.  Was I ever wrong!

At the mid-point of the tournament, Donna was the chip leader.  She came out for dinner break all nervous.  She told me that she had never been in this position before (being chip leader).  I just laughed in good spirit and tried to calm her down.

After dinner she had a string of cold cards, and even a bad beat or two - but she hung in there.  She wanted to make the money so bad.  I told her that she had an intermediate goal first - and that was to make the final table.  She surely would not cash if she did not make the final table.  So they continued to play, and around 10:30pm the final table was set.  Unfortunately for Donna, she was now the short stack.

At one break, I told her that her skill got her this far, and now her fate was up to the card gods.  In any tournament, skill will get anybody deep, but then you need a run of cards to win.

Rather quickly, 3 people busted out, leaving 7 - the top 6 paid.  Donna picked up A8s, went all in, and was called by AJo.  She got lucky when she spiked an 8 on the flop and doubled up - leaving the lady with AJ severly crippled.  Before too long, the bubble burst and she was in the money.  Play remained tight as each spot enjoyed a sizable increase in pay.

While the table was 6 handed, Donna picked up 44 UTG and shoved all-in.  In a 6-handed table, 44 figures to be the best hand because only larger pocket pairs beat it preflop.  Since pocket pairs are 17:1, statistically, it should be the best hand.  The card gods were not with her.  She got a call from the chip leader, and from the short stack.  Donna was all-in with a T2000 side pot.  The chip leader turned over 99 and the short stack turned over KK.  What an unlucky time for that to happen!  Nobody tripped up and after 11 hours of straight play, Donna was out in 6th place for a $675 cash - her first ever.

Because she cashed, she now has HER own Cardplayer.com page:

http://www.cardplayer.com/players/results/Donna-Larocque/88245

Donna is very excited now and CANNOT WAIT to play in more ladies events!  Good job honey!