Nice blog! Read the last few pages and it seems like we have a lot of common interests. Irish Poker Open and Campione are my favourite poker trips 
Always at the end of October is a great bitcoin conference in Lugano called "Plan B Forum" and it's perfect to combine that with tournaments in Campione.
Also a nice trip for you could be Montreux in Switzerland when there is a poker festival. It's a beautiful small town at the lake and you can practice French.
Hi chopfi, welcome to my blog 
Not surprised to hear about bitcoin conference in Lugano, Switzerland really likes wealth 
I have never been in Montreaux, but saw last year PokerStars had some festivals there. Hopefully they will run some satellites again 
I will have to add some numbers, but seems like my bankroll challenge could finally be completed.. 
Bankroll Challenge 2025
Week 90
Weekly profit 28 801 €
Starting bankroll 10 000€
Last Update 31 038 €
Current Bankroll 60 197€
Goal Bankroll 60 000€
I guess I broke the record of the longest bankroll challenge on PokerStrategy but finally my mission is complete!
I thought that this huge win was enough to finish the work, but after converting dollars to euros, the prize melted from 29 566$ to roughly 25 573€. Luckily I had couple of more nice scores last week 
I mentioned in the Monthly review about bubbling the Cyprus package and getting a consolidation prize of 2451$. Interestingly, if I had won a package, I wouldn't be able to play that WSOP-SC Bounty Hunters event as I would be on the plane that day
This tournament's prize might not be the biggest one, but every result counts and it really helped to reach the goal. Lost Heads-up here with 4♠:4♦: to A♦:K♥: in the last hand preflop, but my luck turned back in another one 🍀
The one that not only completed my Bankroll Challenge, but marked one of my yearly goals - ship major online event. WSOP-SC for sure counts as a trademark event and now I will be able to try some WSOP tournaments online where the Rings are awarded. To soon for 10k Main Events, but I saw Mini Main is 250$ and this is right in my bankroll allowance
That is amazing, finally the hard work is paying off!
Did you have any decisive moments in the tourney beyond winning the flips in the correct moments?
What's your plan with the bankroll - does anything spill over into the family & holiday budget or is all going into greater things for the Bankroll?
Your wife and kid must be very happy with all the travel they are getting out of Poker, too!
But I also have to disappoint you - you are not the one who is longest in the challenge: djalber182 joined in 2021. What we can agree probably is that you were the most succesful one!
Thanks Sven!
With two tables left, I was last in chips, with 3 Big blinds left in the stack. Then I hit one outer on the River when my jam with 4♦:4♣: was called by A♣:4♠: and Ace appearing on the flop. Luckily, 4♥: was gifted on the River Some more big hands and I met Final Table in 2nd place, soon took chiplead again and maintained it until we were 3 left. At that moment it was rollercoaster, chips moving from one player to another, and finally they all flew at my stack
For holidays it's a bit complicated. In two weeks I'm going to Irish Open, so not much time to organize the voyage. Then there is a gap between this festival and PokerStars Monte Carlo, the event that I would like to participate the most this year, so potentially we could squeeze a trip to somewhere warm like Cyprus, but with the situation being hot not only by weather in this region, I'm not sure it would be a good idea 
That counts as my 3rd seat for Irish Open Massive satellite, although 25 seats guaranteed, it surpassed the number with 35 seats. I have a feeling the fields will be huge in Dublin as well..
Huge congrats on smashing that challenge! You’re honestly such an inspiration to so many of us here looking to level up our poker game. ♠_drink:
How am i only now seeing this. Congrats on finishing the challenge, brilliant work mate
Thanks for the nice words, guys! I never thought that my story could motivate others, but if it does, then I am happy even more
Unfortunately my online hotrun didn't continue to the live tables. The trip to Irish Open was the one to forget, not cashing in any events I have played.
On my warm-up, I registered into 350€ side event and it was going fine until Late Stage. But then I got dealt A♥:K♣: twice and got punished With two players until the money, Chipleader made an obvious open from UTG and I found A♣:K♠: once again on the button. I only had 6 BB so it was very unlikely that the opener would fold to my jam, so it basically meant if I want to commit my stack to this hand or not. Eventually I pushed my chips and unsurprisingly got galled by A♦:3♦:. Also unsurprisingly I was not able to win this hand and had to stand up when 3♣: appeared on the board. "At least it was a side event", I was comforting myself
But the Main Event didn't go well either. My first bullet collapsed on the last level of the first day when my A♥:Q♠: was smashed by A♣:J♣: preflop.
2nd bullet - my squeeze jam A♣:Q♦: of 30BB was called by 9♣:9♥: which held. 3rd bullet - everyone folded to the SB who had a big stack and put me Allin for my 14BB stack. I made a call with K♣:J♠: but could not find any help versus A♦:8♠:. With my 4th bullet I qualified to day2, bet with 100 players to the money I commited my last 10BB from the SB with A♦:7♠:. Unfortunately I was called by J♣:J♥:, which could have turned into unexpected success when I saw another Ace on the board. But runner runner straight just confirmed that I won't find my lucky clover in Dublin this time
So I flew home and after some break, hit online tables again. Interestingly, the best result I achieved was Irish Open 1st tournament online edition I finished just outside the silverware in 4th position, but not bad investment from 55$ Buy-in.
Also, I am starting another bankroll challenge. And this time the threshold is set at 100k€. I hope to get it done by Christmas of 2027, but I wouldn't be surprised if this expands for 2028. Anyway, I am for a long ride here so such a period is not frightening me
Bankroll Challenge 2026
Checkpoint 1
Starting bankroll 20 000€
Goal Bankroll 100 000€
See you at the tables!
Originally posted by Mantelo
Also, I am starting another bankroll challenge. And this time the threshold is set at 100k€.
Yeah
Good day
Last week I achieved something what I was thriving from the first days of 2026.. A Rat!
With first avatar of twelve, I can move now to Ox. More expensive tournament of buyin around 40€, which unfortunately attracts better regulars as well. But it starts an hour later than Rat so I can register from early minutes.
Surprisingly this was not my biggest score of the week. The last tournament of Sunday brought a 4 figure score in Mystery Bounty. It includes one prize of 1200$ WSOP satellite, so I have an option now if I wish to enter the last step of WSOP Main Event qualifier or simply convert it to tournament money. Not gonna lie, in the past I would for sure go for a chance of Las Vegas, but lately my passion to visit USA again is declining a lot. So most likely I will choose an increase in my bankroll
A $100 tourney and for knocking out 4 players you got $1.340 bounties? Tell me that you are lucky without telling me that you were lucky!
Originally posted by SvenBe
A $100 tourney and for knocking out 4 players you got $1.340 bounties? Tell me that you are lucky without telling me that you were lucky!
At that time there was still a Gold chest worth 30k, so I don't call it being lucky
Bankroll Challenge 2026
Checkpoint 2
Starting bankroll 20 000€
Current bankroll 19 550€
Checkpoint loses -450€
Goal Bankroll 100 000€
Small dent into my bankroll but that's what usually happens after a big score
But I got through one satellite into a 555€ Live event, so on paper I consider this period as a breakeven one
Couple of good results last week:
Got my second avatar, this time Tiger made a roar 🐯
And another stop of Live Poker confirmed Two seats already won for Malaga for late June. Hopefully I can run as hot as the weather in that time in Spain 
Oh, maybe this time you've got the chance to come around to Gibraltar - will be leaving for a trip though on July 1st.
Good day Grinders First day of the summer, the perfect timing for my monthly review.
1. Have 10 trips outside Lithuania, at least 1 country new to me
January - Campione D'Italia, PokerStars Open
February - Kings of Tallinn, Estonia
April - Irish Open
June - Malaga Pokerstars
July - Belgium, F-1 Spa
Could be a busy summer with two trips already planned and possibly Barcelona on August. But now all plans for Malaga, PokerStars open festival. Gibraltar is still on my bucket list for this trip, but it hugely depends on my performance in tournaments. I Don't mind enjoying Spanish sun in the beach anyway
2. Extend Trophy board or ship Major MTT online event
3. Collect all Zodiacs on GG Network
Alongside the Rat, I now have a Tiger. Still only two zodiacs from the group, with Ox now the next on the list
4. Reach Final Table in Sunday Million, GG Masters or any 1 Million Guaranteed event
Unfortunately I can't make a deep run in those prestigious tournaments and the one in January still stands as my best this year 
5. Study poker 360 hours
January - 31 hours
February - 28 hours
March - 18 hours
April - 17 hours
May - 17 hours
Only 111 hours from 150 projected. Not the numbers I would like to see and I'm not sure the summer is the best period to do the chasing. Nonetheless, I hope to paint the numbers in green again.
6. Visit 10 famous places/objects in Lithuania outside Vilnius with my family, 3/10
Gurakalnė swamp in Dubingiai
Longest Lithuanian lake Asveja
Probably Top playground for kids in Lithuania, Širvintos
7. Foster our Homestead
Lots of green color in our homestead now. Some flowers have already bloomed, some on the way. Luckily some creatures still visit at night.
8. Collect all Monthly badges on Duolingo
Steadily on track
9. Help Top Kickers team avoid relegation and have 10 attacking returns
Sitting comfortably in the middle of the pack with roughly one third of the season gone. Best defense in the league, attack one of the worst, but scoring almost 3 goals in a match usually is a good result Personal data - 2 goals and 4 assists, getting closer to target
10. Read 12 books
Leonardo da Vinci by Altaev
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
Mein Name ist Maryte by Alvydas Šlepikas
Dubliners by James Joyce
The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World by Chris Scarre
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Extra point 1/10
Watch Live reputable football match in a stadium
So this is a progress of my goals this year. With some I'm happy, with some I need extra effort. My next update should be after my trip to Malaga, so hopefully I can share good news after that
