November Poker Summary

• Ferguson Challenge Update – I started November with $186.49, and finished with $2494.77. Yes it was a good month! I found a tourney ($5.50 PLHA) that I had some nice successes in, placing 2nd ($95), 1st ($127.19), 1st ($148.85), and 2nd ($139.23). In addition, FTP is running a Holiday Hundred bonus promotion, with a max of $100 bonus available over a 30 day period. Thus, I’ve been playing more cash games, mostly 9-handed PLO. Halfway thru the bonus period I have cleared half the bonus for $50. I was up $130.52 for PLO cash games in November. The big bankroll jump took place when I took 2nd place on November 28th in the Daily Double A ($10 + 2) out of 1,521 players for $1771.97! Sure I got lucky in a few spots along the way, and I would have won 1st place if I hadn’t gotten 4-flushed on the river in our last hand heads up when my A5 hit a 5 on the flop vs his A3. So, what this means for the Ferguson challenge is I started the month being able to buy-in to cash games for $9, and ended the month being able to buy-in for $120! Obviously there is still a long way to go, but November 2009 should provide a big boost in my attempt to complete the Ferguson Challenge.

• I took 2nd place in the November NCPC Event #4, and am still in 1st place with 6 events remaining.

• I played in a $50 tourney @ a former co-workers house the day after Thanksgiving and ended up in a 3-way chop for $265. Gave back some of it afterward though playing $1/$2 Stud.

• On November 6th I checked out the new Hollywood Casino (former Argosy) for the 1st time. I played in a $125 NL Bounty Tournament. I knocked out a couple players for $20 each, but ended up missing on a straight flush draw and didn’t cash. The WPT Poker Room is definitely a lot bigger & nicer than the old one.

• I just completed Gus Hansen’s Every Hand Revealed and am halfway through Daniel Negreanu’s Power Hold’Em Strategy. I would recommend both, as they take different approaches toward improving your game.