Hey all. My name is Bryan. I am 32 & live in Florida. I have been playing poker for the better part of the last 5-7 yrs. The complexity & constantly changing strategies have always been appealing to me. However, over the last 2-3 yrs my life has undertaken several altering changes that resulted in me putting poker on the back burner for a while. In this time I have, at best, casually played poker - no studying, inconsistently grinding live & online poker sporadically. Previous to the last few yrs the idea of playing poker full time was always a thought in my mind. Over the last few months or so that thought has resurfaced & at this point - given my age, where I am in my life, & this possibly being my real last chance to chase this dream - I figure it is now or nvr.

Some background information - I work as a poker dealer in my nearby casino. I work between 28 - 32 hrs/wk & make decent money. I have relatively low monthly expenses (~ $1,200 - $1,500). Lastly, I am not in a relationship & have no kids to take care of. When not working I have an adequate amount of free time to devote to poker. All things considered, I am in a good spot to pursue poker & try to build a legit bankroll.

So, what is the point of this thread? First & foremost, I am going to use this thread as a method by which to hold myself accountable throughout this journey. I fully expect & anticipate there will be highs & lows along the way. Particularly in the beginning as I play some of the rust off & improve some of the inevitable leaks I will have after so much time away. Being able to maintain focus, discipline, & keeping in mind the bigger picture is going to be an important factor if I am to be successful. Second, beyond just a poker thread I would like to use this as a life journal as well. I have goals outside of poker that I believe need to be maintained & accomplished in addition to completing this challenge. Maintaining a healthy poker/ life balance is essential. Lastly, along the way I hope to meet new ppl on here & discuss strategies, hand histories - I will be tagging & posting hands on here & am open to any & all critiques & advice in order to help me improve my game, mindset advice, etc.

In the past I attempted this challenge & after a few months found myself burned out, not enjoying playing poker & eventually like this challenge became a chore that I needed to do. I put a lot of pressure on myself to jump back on the grind & immediately speed run through the micros & mid stakes to eventually achieve the $5,000 goal. When that did not happen it became increasingly frustrating to the point where I stepped away from the tables & had to regroup before ultimately coming back now to attempt it a second time.

The challenge itself : build a bankroll on ACR to $5,000 by grinding - starting at the micros & moving up in stakes as my bankroll increases. Along the way I will be playing live sessions to help adjust my game from online to live poker as my goal is to mainly play live poker whenever I start playing full-time. I will also set aside money from my job to help supplement my bankroll along the way. If you have read this far I appreciate it & hope to hear from you along the way! GLGL at the tables. 10nl here we come!

My goals throughout this challenge :

1. Grind at least 20hrs/wk.

2. Maintain & update this thread by posting at least once per wk (every Tuesday/ Wednesday) - I aim to post more frequently but as a baseline I am going to commit to at least once every single wk.

3. STUDY - review hand histories, fix leaks in my game, improve my approach to the game. Mindset is, in a lot of ways, just as important as skill set when it comes to poker imo.

4. Run at least four days/ wk & hit the gym at least 3 days/wk.

5. Healthier eating/ drinking habits (no trash foods or energy drinks). You are what you eat.

6. Have a $20k bankroll by this time next yr.

7. Most importantly - Improve & be disciplined on my walk w God (make sure I am keeping Him first in my life, always).