Sorry for the lack of updates. I lost my username/password and it took me a fortnight to figure out how to get it back.

On boxing day I headed down to Melbourne to stay at Andy’s and go to the cricket. The first 2 days of the cricket were great, but the 3rd day was possibly the worst day ever, we arrived with South Africa at around 8/250 and we had hoped to pick up a few wickets and then get to watch Australia bat. We even made a couple of bets  on how many the openers would make. Unforunately it didnt work out as we planned, and we watched south africa get to 450 (or so) before losing their last 2 wickets. At the end of the day we were pretty sick of cricket and didnt attend the last 2 days.

Apart from the cricket we spent most of the time playing poker and  fifa 09, and going to the gym. Also Andy hosted a poker tournament for his 23rd birthday on the 30th which was great, and then we attended his mate Gordon’s new years eve pool party the next night which was fantastic. It was great to sit in the pool/spa drinking for most of the night. If anyone has seen my sunglasses and beach towel I left there let me know.

Last couple of days I have pretty much finished building all my furniture. Only had 1 drama, where I was struggling to put a really weird bit of the bed together. They sent out a guy and it was fixed in 20 minutes. Turned out I just wasnt banging the cams in hard enough, oops. All in all im very pleased with the work I have done, and im 90% finished buying furniture etc for the house in the short term at least. Im feeling very happy and settled in my new place now.

Telstra and TPG have been difficult and uncooperative in my attempting to get ADSL2+ hooked up. Telstra took 5 days to activate the phone line, and now TPG are saying it will be another 5 days before the internet is hooked up. Urgh. Im currently writing this on beagle dial up. Go beagle! As a result of my lack of broadband internet Andy has delayed his trip to canberra until Jan.

I didnt have the bright idea of using my dial up account until yesterday, So I had gone a grand total of 7 days without playing 1 hand of poker! I played my first session for a week yesterday, just playing 6 tables instead of the usual 14-16 because dial up cant handle that much. I felt really good and my mind was alert. I think it was a combination of the break, doing some recent hand analysis, and playing less tables - resulting in me actually thinking through my hands rather than just mindlessly grinding. I liked it, and I hardly made a mistake.

I played 2 sessions yesterday and 2 today, and I have hardly lost a hand (well, any big hands). I have played well and have avoided coolers. Today I decided to use up my 55k player points which I have accumulated over the last few months. I had enough for 16 $33 tournament entry tickets and 1 $22 tournament entry ticket. I decided to take the route of least variance and play nothing but the double or nothing single table tourneys (10 people enter, 5 losers get nothing, 5 winners double their money). I ran insanely good - I won 14 and only lost 3, shipping $820 in about 2 hours. All this just from player points! As much as people (and myself at times) trash-talk ongame/tower, they do have a pretty great bonus system.

I have decided for the new year I will stick with ongame for the nighttime games, and play full tilt in the afternoons when there are no ongame tables running. I am pretty confident this will work out and I should be able to get in at least 50k hands per month doing this, while still having time for fitness stuff and uni.

Reflecting on the year, I have by far exceeded all my poker related goals for the 12 months. Ive made over double what I had hoped to, mainly due to improving at a reasonable rate thanks to living and breathing poker every day for almost a month earlier this year in vegas. I have made far more from poker this year than I have from my real job, despite only playing it for roughly a quarter of the hours. When looking at the numbers it makes me feel like im wasting my time at work, as im effectively losing money by turning up. Its somewhat frustrating, but I guess its beneficial for my social life. I hope in 09 I can be as dedicated as I am now to poker and I am semi-confident I will be able to crack 6 figures next year.

The next couple of days I have to buy christmas presents, and do some more little things around the house, and then head to melbourne for lots of poker with andy + boxing day test cricket. Cant wait!

My home loan finally got approved and I was able to exchange on my house last week. The last 4 days of my life have consisted of nothing except moving furniture and organising stuff for the new place. Its been a long week. Im about 90% done with the major things, I only have little things left to buy that arnt absolutely necessary right now.

Putting together my fantastic furniture packages was brutal, im pretty useless at everything practical, and its been a huge learning experience. Have managed to put together all my stuff without too many disasters though which im happy with.

Havnt played much poker at all this month, as I have just been busy moving and havnt had the internet at my new place. Am looking forward to the end of this week, I will have most of the furniture set up and internet connected, and Andy is coming up for 3 days. We are planning to play poker most of the day, and do some poker hand/position analysis, and then hit the gym a few times. Should be good.

I went to Big splash the other day with Morgan and his girlfriend Naomi, and it was awesome. Big Splash is an outdoor water centre with 2 big slides and some short, “speed” slides. We had awesome weather, and it was great fun. It was the first time I had been on a water slide in 5+ years, and I had forgotten how fun it was. Thanks for the invite Morgs.

I have been pretty lazy with setting goals lately, so determined to finish off the year well. I will be moving into my new house around the middle of the month, so im juggling doing the admin for that, keeping up with uni work, and getting in some hands. It looks like Andy will be coming up later in the month so looking forward to having a gym partner and to analyse hands with.

Poker
Play 70,000+ hands
Play 10,000+ hands at 400nl
clear at least $4000 in bonuses
Actively review sessions and hands
Open an Ipoker account
Life
Move into new house/get roommates sorted
Write letter to financial services and banking ombudsman
Finish Eric Clapton autobiography
Finish my tax return
Fix up blog links/categories, get more sites on my blogroll.
Correct my sleeping pattern (dont stay up later than 4am, get up earlier than 1pm)
Fitness
Run 3x week
gym 4x week
eat regularly and properly
stop sleeping through breakfast
get 8 reps of 40kg dumbells on flat bench. (been struggling with this for months!)

Pokers - October was a horrible month for me, where my hourly rate had basically been halved from what it had been the previous 4 months. Ive spoken to a few of the other regulars and they all agree that the 200nl FR games have gotten harder. The bad regulars have suddenly become decent, and every second hand gets 3bet from the blinds. Its very frustrating and im sure it has contributed to my running worse, and winning less, than usual.

November has been better, but still nowhere near as good as a few months ago. Ive also had to withdraw large amounts for my imminent house purchase. So ive been playing ok, but not strictly sticking to the standard bankroll requirements, and not winning at a great rate. This I can definetly put down to the general better standard of play recently, but possibly also to the fact that recently I have gone through some very stressful periods lately, due to some significant lifestyle changes and battling with trying to do the conveyancing on my house. I cant complain about everything though, the falling AUD has been very very helpful to me. Its great withdrawing a certain amount of money, and then finding a bonus 40% when i visit the ATM.

Further info on my house - Although my offer was accepted over 4 weeks ago, its basically gone nowhere thanks to the National Australia Bank (NAB). They take the cake for the most incompetent organisation I have ever dealt with. After stuffing me around for over a month and making me redo an application because of their mistake, they declined my loan because apparently I couldnt service it. This is absolutely rediculous, as I submitted statements to them from my roomates detailing that I will recieving $420 a week in rent, and that the repayments are only around $550 per week. Apparently I cant afford $130 per week? So I have had to put the loan through my mortgage broker under a different structure, so it should be all good now. Anyway enough about that, all I can say is to anyone considering getting a loan, an account, a credit card, a mortgage, or anything from a bank, avoid NAB like theplague. Actually dont avoid them, throw a brick through the nearest branches window, and then go to another bank.

The good thing to come out of this is I have negotiated another deal with the Vendor, which is basically if settlement is delayed until after the holiday period, I will move in on the 16th of decemeber and simply pay him rent until the settlement day. This works for both of us as I will get to get all my crap moved in, and he will have his interest covered over christmas. Am really looking forward to it, have had many offers from friends and relatives wanting to give me furniture. I will probably get a package deal from fantastic furniture (they have 13 peice packages for around $2000, pretty good) and pretty much try and accumulate the rest.

End of year plans - Ive got a few more rounds at work, then I should be pretty busy with house crap, then I will be heading to Melbourne which will be awesome, will be going to the boxing day test for the 3rd year running and will also be up for some intense poker analysis with Andy. From there I will be going to the south coast for new years celebrations and then back to work on the 7th of january.

Roh

My blog has moved as I have been hooked up with a domain name. Now I have no excuses for writing 1 blog per month. Latest news is that im still having troubles with my house, NAB are the worst, most incompetent bank I have ever dealt with. If I had my time again I would have never gone with them, my advice for anyone buying a house is to avoid them at all costs.

In other news in the very near future I will be getting windsurfing lessons, which im really looking forward to. Also been regularly running, going to the gym, and of course playing poker. I wish I could concentrate on that all a bit more but really the only thing on my mind lately has been the house dramas. Hopefully (fingers crossed) it will all be sorted out this week and I will be able to move out there in a matter of weeks, am kinda sick of looking at the same 4 walls for the last 3 years. Its depressing to have these little frustrating problems holding me back from moving, but im trying to stay as positive as I can with everything.

Sorry for the lack of blogs, ive been trying to keep it in mind to blog more but things just keep getting in the way. Will make it a goal for next month to do 10+ blogs or something.

Anyway running is great. I havnt run for about a year but because of an upcoming fitness test I have been going for lots of runs, anywhere from 2-6km. I really forgot how great it makes you feel while your going and after you finish. Its very very therapudic and lifts your mood alot, especially if your running where there is scenery. Ive got a great spot going around the lake which is never boring and a really solid run, and I have done it at least 5 times over the last week or two. Im feeling much fitter and happier. If your ever feeling a bit flat, I highly recommend getting out and going for a run to totally change your state of mind.

Ok, so I bought a house (yes, another one). Its for me this time. Heres some photos.

Anyway im very excited and all that, but jeeze im having issues with what Im entitled to/what im not entitled to in the way of entitlements. Heres my post on propertyinvesting.com forums asking for advice…if anyone happens to be reading that knows anything about this id love to hear from you.

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Hi, Really need some clear advice on my current situation….

I Purchased an investment unit in NSW in 2006, and purchsed an investment property in NSW in 2007. I have never lived in either of these - they are purely IP’s and I have not claimed the FHOG or any type of concessions.

I am about to exchange on my first property to live in (my first PPOR) in latham, ACT. I have lived on ADF service accomodation previously. Now my question is, am i entitled to the FHOG AND stamp duty deferral?????

I want to get the stamp duty deferral because then I can afford a 20% deposit and avoid mortgage insurance, and simply pay the stamp duty at a later date. From the people ive asked (mortgage broker, solicitor) I have not yet got a clear answer. I am confused because on the act revenue site (http://www.revenue.act.gov.au) It says this under the eligibility paragraph for the deferred duty scheme…..

To be eligible for the deferred duty scheme:

• the applicant must meet the eligibility criteria for either the relevant Home Buyer Concession Scheme, or the First Home Owner Grant; and
• the property must be priced at or below the upper property threshold under the relevant Home Buyer Concession Scheme; and
• the duty deferred must be $1,000 or greater (DI2007-248).

So, thats fine - I clearly meet criteria 2 and 3…So all i need to do is make sure im eligible for the FHOG right?

Here is the FHOG eligibility criteria…

A first homebuyer, who fulfils the eligibility criteria listed below.

• At least one of the applicants must be an Australian citizen or have permanent residency in Australia. A New Zealand citizen who holds a special category visa under section 32 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cwlth) is considered to be a permanent resident and thus qualifies.
• None of the applicants can have previously owned or currently hold an interest in a home anywhere in Australia.
• Applicants must occupy the home, purchased or built, as their principal place of residence for a continuous period of at least six months, beginning within 1 year of settlement or completion of construction.
• Applicants must be at least 18 years old.

So, criteria 1,3 and 4 - no problem. Now - criteria 2 uses the word “home”. I havnt owned a “home”, ive only owned IP’s. Surely the definition is referring ONLY to a PPOR, not a “house” for other people.

So im pretty sure I am eligible for both of these, if my definitions are correct. Can anyone confirm this and put my mind at ease??

Thanks,
Rohan

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Anyway so thats the situation, the revenue office dont make ANYTHING easy. Will hopefully get all this sorted out this week and exchange on the property. Then settlement should be early dec and the property will be mine….

oh, and if you are looking for somewhere to live in canberra let me know!

September was a pretty swingy month, didnt really get much momentum and was no where as near as good as August. Getting slightly more comfortable at 400nl and the swings that come with it, which is a good thing. I didnt play for the first week of October which delayed my goals post, but here it is.

Review of September -

Passed
Kinda Passed
Failed

25k hands of 200nl
10k hands of 400nl and finish my current staking deal

played all the hands I wanted, didnt run as good as I hoped though.

Start working on my new uni subject

yep, just finishing my assignment today.

Do my (fucking) tax return

Realised ive gotta do some other stuff before I do my return, like get some depreciation schedules done etc…didnt get around to it.

Finish watching “Mathematics of Holdem” DC Videos and rewatch some FR ones

Was lazy with watching videos and didnt finish the maths videos.

Go see my mortgage broker

Done, now all I need to do is find a suitable house in my price range.

Fitness stuff…
Go to the Gym 8 out of the next 9 days, and 3 times a week from then on.

Kept it up for most of the month, but havnt been for a week or so.

Get a new gym program (because im bored with the old one)

didnt get around to it, but ive been enjoying gym for the most part.

Make sure I eat 3 meals a day and have protein shakes

Still in the cycle of getting up late, and skipping breakfast

October goals

finish the september goals
- Do depreciation crap/tax return.
- finish mathematics on holdem DC videos

Play 30k hands overall, not too fussed about the limits, ill just play whatever tables are good.
Review sessions/share hands with friends/2+2
Look for houses to buy
Start using holdem manager/Idleminer
Do Video poker bonuses
Finish my second uni assignment
Go to gym regularly/pass my fitness test