Introducing James “HullJimi” Greenwood, the second to attempt our PartyPoker Bankroll Challenge. Nick Cantwell went first and lasted two weeks - surely James can do better?

Building a Las Vegas fund: James Greenwood

William Wilberforce. Amy Johnson. Phillip Larkin. The Beautiful South. Dave “Devilfish” Ulliot.

Some of Hull’s finest children. And now…..me!

My name is James “HullJimi” Greenwood and I’m based in Hull, in the North East of England. I’m 29 (OK, I’m 30 at Christmas!), and have been playing poker for the last couple of years, mainly online but periodically live, too.

Nick has failed where Chris Ferguson succeeded, and now it’s my turn to try and transform $25 into life-changing money by applying strict bankroll management and moving up through the levels.

The Rules:

I am not allowed to buy into a cash game or SnG that is more than 5% of my total bank roll (although this gets ignored immediately due to the micro limits!).

I am not allowed to enter an MTT for more than 2% of my total bank roll.

I’ve never really applied myself in the game, always doing silly challenges but this time I mean business. I’ve a reason to get serious - I get married next year (hello, Emma!), and we aim to spend a week of our honeymoon in Vegas. I’ve never been before and I want to go armed with a serious bankroll to play some live cash and tourneys. So this time, it’s poker war and I’ve armed myself with some WMPs - “Weapons of Mass Profit” - PokerTracker, PokerAce and $25 of PartyGaming’s money!

In the same way Nick has, I’ll be blogging on here once a week to keep you informed of how I’m getting on. I’m sure I’ll face some of the same problems Nick did, but I hope to be a bit luckier than he was and hopefully last a bit longer. Feel free to leave some comments with your advice, encouragement, or mild abuse!

See you at the (micro) tables.

By Nick “The Cloud” Cantwell

Current bankroll: $0

After a profitable first week I was full of hope and looking forward to pushing my bankroll upward some more – little did I know that three days later my bankroll would be busted.

The week didn’t get off to a great start, as I quickly found myself back to square one on $25, but the following day I managed to increase that back up to $32. However I didn’t foresee what was coming on the third day – now known as Busto Day!

Having $32 meant I was playing with six full buy-ins, which was a high-risk strategy but, in my opinion, playing with full buy-ins is the only way to play cash no-limit hold’em. And here is the story of how each of those buy-ins disappeared.

The day got off to a good start. I was holding 8-8, and called a small pre-flop raise, and then got the perfect flop – A-8-3. The original raiser bet the pot, so I am hoping he has an ace, so I come over the top with a re-raise, and he puts me all-in. I insta-call – and my hopes that he has an ace are realised – unfortunately he has two of the blighters.

Down to $26 now.

This time I hit an ace flush on the river in a multi-way pot, holding A-4 suited, when the flop is checked around and so is the turn. Unfortunately one of my opponents is slow-playing two pairs (very slow) and hits his full house when I hit my nut flush.

$21.

A-A! Yes, a chance to get some back. There are three of us at a very aggressive table. I raise ten times the big blind (sounds a lot, but doesn’t seem to discourage any action at all) and have one caller. The flop is a very dangerous 10-J-Q (rainbow), and my opponent (big blind) bets half the pot – which to me is saying that he is on a draw, or he has hit a part of the flop. I go over the top all-in, thinking that if he is on a draw he will fold, but I am wrong, as he calls with king six and hits a nine on the turn. I’m not happy now.

$16

Whilst all this is going on I am four-tabling, and almost instantly on another table I hit A-A again, and I raise ten times the big blind again and get one caller – and the flop has two queens on it. This is a toughie, and my opponent is the first to act, and he bets the pot - if I re-raise I am virtually pot-committed anyway, so I go all-in - my opponent is very loose, and I don’t believe he has the queen, seeing as there are only two left, and he has taken a stab at every pot - but he is holding K-Q.

I am now down to $11 and the situation is critical.

I am now playing no-risk poker, and am only playing one table – and see an 8-9-10 flop whilst holding J-Q – and this flop is getting a lot of action. I go over the top all-in, and have one caller, who is holding J-7 – a beaten straight. Unfortunately a queen on the river splits the pot – but this was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Down to $9.

I have lost most of my bank in the previous 45 minutes, but my mind is now completely frazzled, and the $9 disappears a little too quickly.

The fact that I was playing full bankrolls did leave me open to going bust, but it was a gamble I decided to take.

So that ends my challenge, and I pass the mantel onto the next PartyPoker Bankroll Challenger.

Good luck.

The Cloud: Busto! 

Simon Young introduces Mikkel - player Ladmigvaere - who won a$57,490 in this week’s PartyPoker $300K Guaranteed Sunday.

Your name: Mikkel M (surname withheld).

Age: 25.

Where do you live?: Aarhus, Denmark

Do you work, or do you play poker full-time?: I’m studying to become a teacher, so I play poker part-time.

How long have you been playing poker?: About three years.

What game do you normally play and what level?: I play NL$400, and the big sunday tournaments.

How often do you play the $300K Guaranteed Sunday?: It used to be once or twice a month - but now it will be every sunday!

What is your previous best finish in the $300K?: About 35th.

Did you buy in direct ($200 + $15), or get your seat through a qualifier?: Direct.

What is your stategy when you play a multi-table tournament like this?: Really just to play my good cards strong, play tight in the beginning when it doesn’t make sense to steal blinds, and then losen up and steal some blinds later on.

Were there any key moments on the way to winning Sunday’s tournament?: The three times I doubled up with A-K v Q-Q all-in pre-flop; my more-than-double-up with K-K three-handed where the button raised, small blind re-raised, and I shoved and got a call from small blind with 7-8; and my double up all-in pre-flop with A-K v A-Q at the beginning of the final table. I’m really happy that I didn’t get my money in to the middle unless I was the favourite, or it was a race.

What happened on the final hand?: Well, we made a deal when we were heads-up, so there wasn’t really a final hand.

What will you do with your winnings?: I just bought a really nice new bike! Then I’m going to play a little higher and put some money in the bank - maybe invest some.

Do you have a family?: I’m a happy single, without children. I planning to have some eventually, though.

What is your poker ambition?: Just to earn some money to support my everyday life.

Have you played in any live events?: Yes, in my local casino, and in the UK Poker Open in October.

Congratulations, Mikkel!

By Simon Young

Another week, and another great turn out in the PartyPoker $300K Guaranteed Sunday. Yet again the prize pool shot through the $300K mark, reaching $329,000 when 1,645 of you sat down to play the best Sunday tournament in town.

After blood, sweat and tears (okay, maybe an exaggeration) player Ladmigvaere walked off with the top prize - a stunning $57,490, which will no doubt come in handy with the holidays just around the corner!

The final table and payouts were as follows:

1 Ladmigvaere, $57,490

2 Egyptian1, $44,500

3 Aashutosh, $22,701

4 sky86, $17,930.50

5 new0107, $15,134

6 lucol, $11,350.50

7 Lenny_1964, $8,718.50

8 WOW___LOL, $5,757.50

9 Sjakk_Matt, $4,441.50

10 Patenny, $3,125.50

Congratulations, Ladmigvaere, and to all the players for making it to the final table. Remember, qualifiers for the $300K Guaranteed Sunday run all week on PartyPoker.com.