Charity Poker Challenge CRUSHED

I'm so sorry but I totally forgot to update this at the end of the year w/ all of the Holiday stuff going on.  I am happy to say that I completed the Charity Poker Challenge in grand fashion.  After starting w/ $27 on April 14, I finished the year with $5225 AFTER making the $2500 donation for a grand total of $7725.  To do this I did add another site to play some bigger games on but I stayed within the rules of the challenge in regards to bankroll management.  It was a fun and frustrating challenge.  I've started over as a personal challenge and I want to turn $33 into $10K this year.  I won't be updating the new poker challenge this year because I have another charity challenge in mind and I think you're going to like it.

Wrapping this challenge up

The year is coming to an end and I'm wrapping this challenge up.  With a little bit of luck, some grinding, and playing some different games, I've pushed the bankroll for this challenge up to $4050.26.  What's more, I preemptively took out the goal donation amount of $2500 and donated to my favorite charity.  So, technically the challenge is over but I made a goal for myself to hit 5K by years end.  I'll get there for sure now.  I'm moving to bigger games tomorrow and I'm hoping to crush both of them.  If I do, I knock this challenge out of the park in a way I didn't even expect to do.  Wish me luck tomorrow.  If I do something big I'll post it then.   Until then, Challenge yourself to challenge the need.

Appologies and frustrations...losing motivation

I want to apologize for a bit of a delay in my last post.  To be honest with you, I've lost motivation a bit since this site isn't quite having the effect that I wanted it to.  Over the past month or so, I've been literally begging for people to donate to one of my favorite charities with the incentive that I'd match whatever was donated.  To say the least, it is one of the most trying things I've ever done.  I totally understand that times are hard and people are tight with money but I don't think people understand how happy it makes me to see them donate the smallest amount to something that means a lot to me.  It really has crushed me every day that has gone by with no donations.  Perhaps I'm taking it too personally but it does hurt when people don't give what equates to two coffees from Starbucks (I was asking people to donate $10).

I have found myself looking back and thinking of why I don't donate to things or have not donated in the past and some of the excuses that come up are:

• I don't have the money to help-  Although this is a very valid excuse, it doesn't take a lot to make a big difference in peoples lives.  There is never an amount that's too little.  Believe me after asking people to donate, every dollar literally made me smile.
• I don't care about the charity- Extremely valid and I would NEVER donate to something I didn't believe in, EVER. 
• Someone else will donate if I don't- This is very very untrue.  I have heard that all charities are having a harder time this year in collecting donations that are essential for them to stay afloat.  If you believe in something, it has to be YOU that does something.  You can never expect anyone else to do what you think should be done while you watch. 

I'm sure there are other excuses, some valid and some not, but the bottom line is that it is always easier to turn your head when you see someone in need.  It's easy to think that someone else will help or think about the time that you were down and no one helped you.  I challenge each of you to do something hard once a year, not for the good feeling that it give you but because it's the humane and right thing to do.  If everyone does something small we can make a big difference.

OK, enough with my frustrations and on to something positive.  I'm currently in Biloxi playing in a World Series circuit event (or 2).  I've decided that if I make a final table I'm donating 10% to charity.  So, think good thoughts and until the next post.... Challenge yourself to challenge the need.

Poker Challenge update....I'm past the $2500 mark!!!

That's right, with a little bit of weekend dedication and giving up my big games to focus on this challenge, I've passed the $2500 mark in the challenge.  To be more accurate, I'm up to $2763.  I've made most of my latest progress by grinding out sit-n-gos and tournaments.  With over $2500 in my bankroll this means I can take some big shots at making some significant scores to finish this thing up in the next couple of months.  Regardless, I've hit the donation mark.  Now I just need to double this so I can have an OK bankroll to start my next challenge.  Through all I've done playing poker this is still very exciting to turn $20 into something significant that I can use to help someone else.  In fact, I know I've said it before, but this challenge means more to me than playing in my big games with my own money.  I'm hoping to wrap this up in a big way in the coming months to get me ready to start something huge in the new year.  I'll update when I get past that $3000 or $4000 mark depending on how fast I'm moving in the next couple of weeks. Until then, Challenge yourself to challenge the need.

Big games up and down

No huge update this week but I've taken some big shots and missed by little bits here and there.  I made the final table of one of Bodog Poker Open series.  I finished 8th which means no big payday ($78) but I got a ticket to the Bodog Poker Open final event.  All I need to do is take this one down tomorrow and this challenge is over.  It'll be a huge weight off of my chest since I haven't had a lot of time at all to play at any point in this challenge.  I'm going to figure out the total hours played soon to give you an idea of how disappointed I am with the amount of time I've been able to put into this. Until then...Challenge yourself to challenge the need.

Poker Challenge Update- Big things coming up

OK, I've mad a bit of a liar out of myself as I've said that I'm going to make time to play this challenge out.  I haven't had any such chance because of my real job getting really really busy.  I have had some good fortune on some of the tourneys I've played and pulled my bankroll up to $2149.  At this rate I'm on a good track to make it to the donation mark.  If I can make a good run at this and find the time to do so I think I can take the entire challenge down.  The new chip chart is below.  A big series starts tomorrow that I'm going to get into if I can find the time.  This could be my shot considering I can buy into tournaments as big as $40 buy-ins...finally feel like I'm making some real progress.

Quick Challenge update

My bankroll for the challenge is up to $1401.  I'm going to put in some extra time this week where I can to get this challenge jump started again.  Although I think I'll be hard pressed to make the 5K goal I'm pretty sure I can get to the 2500 donation mark.  I need more hours in the day.