Patience

It's been two days days since I posted my Crossroads post.  Two days to sit back and reflect on what I was thinking.

It's been said that the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.  Though I have certainly already taken several steps to my goal, that bit of advice also applies to the second, third and 5000th step.  I have put myself in an excellent position to persue my aviation interests, this is true.  More importantly though, I've given myself outs.  By planning on doing all of my training while working my job, if I run out of money or something else happens, I haven't really lost anything.  What's more, by trying to use poker to pay for my training, I avoid taking out costly loans that would become due just as I am starting a job that doesn't pay particularly well to begin with.  As a fledgling pilot with no loan monkey on my back, I'm far more flexible then my counterparts.

Also, some more perspective.  I'm 32 years old.  I don't have delusions of becoming a senior 777 captain for American or anything (may happen, but you know Isreal and Palistine might build a campfire, roast some marshmellows and sing Kum-By-A too), but even if it takes 8 years to realize my goal (which I would imagine it wouldn't, unless I really suck), I'll still have 20 years of flying left in me before Uncle Sam says I gotta hang it up.

Anyway, I operate best when I have goals, and now I have one.  Whether I reach it or not is irrelevent to the point that I've set the bar high, and I'm motivated to clear it.  I guess that makes me a dreamer, but without dreams, I wouldn't have this opportunity to persue at all.

Anyway, enough of that drivel.  Today was an amazingly good day of poker.  As with all days, it seems, it could have been better had I had the discipline to leave earlier, but as it was I managed to score a touch over +$25 in about 6 table hours of play.

The great thing about this is, it really wasn't what I'd call an amazing card day.  I got my fair share of playable hands the connected, but what's better, they stood up.  One hand in particular I was holding the stoney nuts and I had some guy who was gracious enough to bet and cap the turn and river.  What's more, another guy was nice enough to pay 4BB to see the river, which obviously didn't help him and he folded out.  Let me tell you, there are few things quite as satisfying as holding the stone cold nuts and having guys feeding you more action then Paris Hilton at a swingers party.  All it takes is one hand like this and you're set for the day.

I got two of them.  It don't get no better then this.

So, after some thinking, I think I'm going to go ahead and make the step up to $1/$2 when I get to $600 (300BB).  I really think I've got game for that level, and there's no point sticking around the lower limits.  If the goal is to build the bankroll to an appropriate $3/$6 level, I need to lose the training wheels.

Of course, I'm not there yet, so the $.50/$1 grind will continue.