Limited live options

So I put some $$ on Carbon Poker and last week more poker sites were shut down. Doyle's Room shared the same payment processor of some sports betting sites and then Carbon announced they were not allowing players in New York, Maryland, Missouri and France (huh?). New York was the state that busted Full Tilt and Stars and Maryland busted Doyle's Room.

So...I'm probably going to cash out of Carbon now. So frustrating!!! This basically means I'm limited to live play. So my options are:

1. Play the high rake/fast structure legion tournaments
2. Start running games on a regular schedule
3. Play more live cash

I'll probably do some combination of all three, but #3 is tough because the people that I know that run games, typically run mixed games OR want to start running 2/5 games. Trust me, I would LOVE to play 2/5 games because I feel I have a great edge and can make some good money playing. The only problem is bankroll. It's funny because most people that play around town wouldn't even understand the concept of having a separate poker bankroll. They might use the word, but they don't actually manage a separate poker bankroll.

For me, managing my bankroll is very important. I'm still at a point with my business where I'm certainly not rich and I can't replenish my roll with ease. Keeping my poker money separate from my life money has been something I've been proud of as I never want poker to interfere with my family's financial well being. So now I have a dilemma. Many of the cash games have moved to 2/5 and I don't know anyone who runs a 1/2 game. I'm sure they are out there, but I would need to be invited. I would personally rather play with people I know. Of course, I'm sure at any given game I would probably know someone, but I guess I'm a bit uncomfortable with seeking out a game.

The other thing is that I'm a little embarrassed that I'm not rolled for 2/5. I really shouldn't be since MY definition of being rolled for it is way different than most people who play the game. For me, I would feel much more comfortable having $10k - $15k. But the reality is that I'm still hovering around $2,500. That's only 5 buy-ins at 2/5. Yes, there are lots of people who will buy in for $200 and $300, but to play optimally I can't be worried about losing a couple of buy-ins. To me right now, losing $1,000 would be devastating. Not in terms of the value of the money, but in terms of the percentage of my bankroll. I'm already handicapped with what games I can play as it is.

Now the other side of me that wants to justify playing says "you can crush the game, don't worry...the money you start making playing 2/5 will build your roll up". Is this potentially true? Sure. But at the same time, I could hit a nasty patch of variance...or worse, I could nit up and make overly cautious decisions causing me to play bad and lose money that way. Now...am I a chronic worrier and overthinker? Yeah, at times. If I just stay confident and play a little lower variance style I could grind out some small winnings in the beginning. I may not have as much fun, but I could be profitable. I could also just give myself a 1 buy-in stop-loss. That certainly isn't optimal but it's a way to play.

OR I could talk to the house about buying part of my action. This would reduce my bankroll variance and allow me to play more comfortably. The down side of course is that I wouldn't make 100% of my winnings. But the profits at 2/5 will be greater than 1/2 and it would help me get started. I think they would be open to this as they already talked about staking me to be a house player if they started a 5/10 game. I've already had them stake me for things, but I also hate to always ask for money. We'll see. Maybe I'll float the idea by them to see what they say.

Anyway...that's enough rambling for now. There is a game tonight, so I'll report back as to my decision.

DP