Opening Week of 2026 !!!

   A New Year and a New Poker Journey unfolds. Poker is a lot different than years past. When I started playing 7 Card Stud ruled the poker world, then Texas Holdem and Chris Moneymaker took over and the Poker "Boom" took place. Then Poker online:  PokerStars,  Full tilt ...etc... what a time to love poker.  However,  All good things come to a end and poker is no exception.   Online Poker was shut down by the government. Poker rooms started closing and started charging High Rake. Then Covid Hit in 2020. This shut all the Poker Rooms down,  some for years.   

In 2022 Poker began to come back but not completely,  Poker needed a change and change began Games became harder.  Holdem was mathematically solved  by computer nerds,  cheating scandals were outed and Poker took a turn for the worst. However some light immerged. The WSOP got popular in Vegas again. People began moving past Covid and the East Coast starting spreading Pot Limit Omaha.   Florida and Texas became poker hotspots. The Cheaters of Poker were outed and we started seeing a small poker turn.  Although Casino Poker rooms are not as Big as they once were,  they are thriving.

  I am Starting this year in 2026 with a Poker Bankroll of $4,000.  I'm nervous and starting Day One at Mohegan Sun in CT. It's crazy because this will probably be one of the busiest poker days of the year.  The Promotion running on Day 1 is a High Hand Every Hour for $2,026 (Every Hour for 10 Hours)(Noon-10pm) I arrived at the Poker room at 9 am only to wait 2 Hours for my name to be called on a 1-2 NL table. When I was seated 300 people were on the waiting list and all the tables were filled...it was a little busy.   

   As soon as I sat down it was business as usual, I made a nice squeeze play with JJ to take down a pot right away but then became card dead. Missed with 88 to a raise and then had 33 two times and missed the flop both times. My profit slowly was leaked back to the table.  Suddenly my stack that was over $200 is down to $130.  Then,  I hit Two Big Hands.   My First hand was with a Ad Qd Near the button. I raised to $12.  1 away from the button and got 4 callers to a Flop of Ac Jd 6d.   We all checked the flop and The turn was GIN for me, the Kd. First position bets out $15,  I call. Others fold.  The River is a 2c  The Villain then checks to me and I make it $35 he calls and I show the NUTS !!!  I then Made a great Play with QQ to a fish who when I flopped Top Set Pushed All-In on me,  I doubled up and had a Stack of about $450.  However to end My 1st Session I made a bad laydown to a over new aggressive player.  I only found out he was over aggressive later and I lost some of my Profit on this bad read. I ended the session after 4 Hours and 30 Minutes up $116.

I then Played a short Session of 1-2 NL when waiting for my Low Limit High Hand Chasing Game where I flopped a Set of Tens and won $105. After about 50 minutes I finally got Called for the 3/6 Limit Game.  This is a game I only play on High Hand Days as you can Chase High Hands pretty Cheep. I played the 3/6 until the end of the $2026 High Hand Promotion and won $34.  Overall a Profitable Day. 

We returned to Mohegan Sun On Friday and Saturday because both days were High hand Days and the action was attractive.  On Friday we made $71 and on Saturday we Made $74 dollars all playing 1-2 NL to end the week with a 5 Session Win Streak and a Profit of $400. Our Bankroll is now $4,400.00 to End the First Week of 2026, And we got to see some MMA in the arena on Saturday Night as a treat for having a good start.  Talk with you all next week !!