Good evening all,
                        My name is Michelle and I am by no means a card shark, I would consider myself a beginning Texas Holdem player with an intermediate skill level. I've been playing card for around 10 years now, mostly family games in the kitchen and have always done very well.

 A few years ago I started playing on line at poker stars and have learned to control the quality of hands I play and the importance of premium hands. In Michigan you can not play online poker for money any more (at least not at poker stars) which leaves cash games in the casino.

For the last couple of months I've been going to the casinos to play Texas Holdem cash games at the $1/2 blinds, high stakes they are not but I've got to admit the pots can get nice and juicy at times and for a beginner, cashing out $300.00-$500.00 after a $100.00 buy in, makes me feel good and wanting to play even more. It might take me 3-5 hours to get there (lol) but, I am just a beginner. Don't get me wrong I've left after loosing my $100.00 buy-in empty handed and I control myself to not re-buy chips because I don't have that kind of money to throw away, oh and important side note or motive for playing right now, I lost my job a few months ago and my house and we have to move out in just 16 days, with no money saved up and bills taking a big chunk of my unemployment and my husbands check, I had the brilliant or stupid idea to make the money we need and save my family from moving into my mothers.

Which bring me to the title of this blog 3 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN 3 WEEKS PLAYING TEXAS HOLDEM. I've gone to the casino to play around 8 times now over the last couple of months and I'm about even. I practice on poker stars (play money) and I research over the internet constantly and I can tell you something with absolute certainty you will NEVER be done learning when it comes to Texas Holdem.

My goal is to become a tight aggressive player the definition of a TAG player seems simple, she/he is the  type of competitor who folds often, but plays hard when he does enter a hand.  Universally recognized as the most profitable approach to hold'em. I do recognize premium starting hands in or out of position ( your 2 hole cards dealt to you pre flop) that I would raise- re raise or depending on the bet, call.

Understanding what starting hands to get involved in is key to your success (or failure). and this is where I've noticed my weakness or mistakes in play are. I need to learn to control my boredom and keep my plays to premium hands and understanding whats cards are playable from which position. 

I'm trying to grasp the concept of position and which hands are playable from my different positions and hell, what position am I even in right now. I find my self sometimes looking for the button and trying and figure out am I middle or late position right now. I do know when I'm early position, that easy to figure out I'm either SB(small blind) BB (big blind) or UTG (under the gun, which is the seat to the left of the big blind) and I now to only play quality starting hands from these positions, unless I'm BB and everyone limps in , I'll get to see the flop and if i get lucky I'll bet if not I'll just fold to a bet.

Premium starting hands in early position are (from my research) AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010, AK and AQ, and If i'm playing these pre-flop, I should be looking to raise it up, and the lesser the players in on the action the better more me to win.
Middle position cards are a little looser than starting hands again according to my research those cards could be, the cards from above with a raise and High Suited Cards: Ace-10, King-10, Queen-10,High Unsuited Cards: Ace-Jack, Ace-10, King-Jack, etc. and Middle Pairs: 10-10, 9-9, 8-8
Late position, even looser playing all above plus Suited connectors, such as 9-10, 7-8, etc.small pairs all the way down to 2s and Ace-littles: A-8, A-6.

I learn every time I win and loose and I make sure I learn every chance I get, if its asking questions at a table research and reading and of course actually playing and practicing, so with all that said I'm going again tonight and tonight is the first night that I counting and keeping track to get 3 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN 3 WEEKS..

Wish me luck and I'll post tomorrow with the results, Oh and maybe say a little prayer too !!!