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I've decided to have a go at $20+2 NL Holdem sit and go tournaments, instead of playing more Limit Holdem or switching over to NL cash games. My bankroll has 20 buy-ins. The rules: Play as many as I want to, two at a time, but stop when I log my second loss in a night. Doesn't matter how I'm running that night; as soon as I fail to make the money twice in a night, I'm done for that night. That way, my roll guarantees me ten nights, if I lose every single one. If my bankroll ends up down to my initial $200 deposit, I end this challenge and go back to the $0.50/$1.00 Limit ring games.

I've registered for my first one tonight. I'll edit this post later with the results of my first night of this.

[Edit 11:30 PM)

Ok...I played four. The results:

Event	Place	Buyin	Win	Net	Running Total
Tourney 1	2	$22	$54	$32	$32
Tourney 2	2	$22	$54	$32	$64
Tourney 3	5	$22	$0	($22)	$42
Tourney 4	2	$22	$54	$32	$74

I'm not going to delve too deeply into describing my play or my strategy tonight. I'm interested now in measuring performance over the long haul, playing a consistent game, trying to play the best I can. Let it suffice to say, "Tight and aggressive wins the day".

One thing that has me vexxed tonight is the fact that at both of the first tournaments, I had commanding chip leads when it got heads up, and I managed to lose both times. I think I'm decent but not expert heads up. Don't get me wrong, second place money (and third, for that matter) is excellent. But I should have been able to take the $90 first prize in at least one of those.

In #3, I went out in a battle for the blinds. I was the small blind. The big blind, unfortunately, had some pocket rockets and I never stood a chance. Should I have gotten away from the hand? Probably. I'm not sure how much of the blame for this bustout rests with me and how much rests with Lady Luck.

Another thing I need to start looking out for is people just "going limp" on me. I play very aggressively and take down a lot of pots without showdowns. Then, an opponent just plays really passive on me and I keep betting into him and then get smacked around with a monster hand that I never put him on. It's the poker equivalent of the rope-a-dope.

Memo to myself: don't be a dope.

In tourney #4, making the money was a struggle, and once in I was lucky to take seconds. I was in third chip position but patience paid off when 1st and 2nd battled it out and 1st won. I had 2500 chips to his 11,000. Despite that, I made a good run at it and got the stacks to about even. I went out in a preflop all-in with a 2:1 favorite; I can't complain. I wasn't a dope. :)

In any case, this is an auspicious beginning. Let's see how I hold up over the coming two weeks.