I've run up past the $350 mark, which is 6 buy-ins since my initial deposit. Not too bad, as I'm still learning the game and getting more comfortable. The plan is to grind this to $750, move up to 50PLO, grind that up to $2000, and then maybe move up to 100PLO. Not sure if I will make a withdrawal schedule as well, but I'd like to move up to bigger stakes before I take out money.

Thanks to everyone who has commented on the hands I posted for review in the Non-Holdem Forum. There have been a few hands that I've botched (both hands I've won and lost), a few bad beats, and a few successes. I've had a few instances where I've gotten it in on a complete freeroll, and I got paid off today with a set of Aces against a bad player's underset, and once with quad Kings that I checked behind on the turn to fool a guy with a made straight plus flush draw. That was fun.

Less than a month before the Vegas trip, and I'm excited to go play again. I haven't played a ton live lately, in large part due to the exorbitant price of gas. However, my girlfriend and I put down a deposit on a place for the fall that is right off campus, meaning I'll never have to drive there at all! That will save a ton of gas and parking, in addition to what I'll be saving on rent. Between my savings, my bonds, and whatever I can scrounge together from Poker, I shouldn't have to take too many loans for my two year MA degree, and after that, I will effectively double or triple my earning power in the education sector. Overall, things are going well I'd say. I will hopefully be out of debt and accumulating assets before I'm 30, and that would be a big plus.

I think when I head to Vegas, I might actually not play that much No Limit. I am going to try and find some good mid-stakes ($8/$16ish) limit Hold'em, and maybe some Omaha 8-or-Better (or if I'm lucky, some mixed games). Of course, I'll probably find some time in my 3-night stay to play some other games if I can, but I'm actually a bit bored with the usual NL routine of muck-muck-muck-muck-ship for hours on end. PLO I'm finding to be a much more enjoyable bit bet game, and the players are considerably worse at comparable stakes as compared to Hold'em. Anyone not in the PLO study group, I suggest you join. There is a lot of profit to be had, and a lot of people are getting interested in the game.

And how about my picks in the WSOP? All five guys have made at least one final table, and Daniel pulled off a bracelet. There are a few guys who almost made my list, but I'm pretty happy with the five I selected. If I'd know Barry was going to play so many events, I probably would have put him on the list instead of Juanda, but oh well.