Decisions, Decisions

-- Status Update --
2009 VPPs:	361,658
SNE Pace:	57,518 AHEAD
Currently Playing:	TBA

To start, Shaw and Telus both suck very, very badly. Shaw apparently thinks that consistent packet loss issues are acceptable (been going on for over two weeks), and Telus can't even seem to turn on the damn ADSL.

With that out of the way, I've been slacking in the poker department lately due to connection instability and playoff hockey. Thankfully I put in a somewhat high volume session today, and despite running kinda poorly (3 KK vs AA - 0 wins; 1 AA vs KK - 0 wins) ended up taking $500 off the tables.

More importantly, Stars launched a new promotion today. Along with a 20% up to $600 deposit bonus, which I have already taken advantage of to net a free $120, there is a far more interesting portion. Any player whom obtains a World Series of Poker Main Event Package from Stars (retail value $12k) and agrees to the Terms and Conditions to wear Stars gear at the event, receives 100k VPPs (no, you do not receive the FPPs you would normally earn from generating these VPPs). What this essentially boils down to for me is that should I choose to play the WSOP Main Event this year, I would essentially earn myself an additional month off on my way to SNE. Of course, it also means I would generate $5.6k less rakeback in addition to what I would have taken off the tables in that month or so of playing.

However, given that I'm actually pretty good at poker, I am very likely +EV (or at worst, even EV) at the ME. If I was to cash, I'd book a nice tournament score along with a month off. It's just such an amazing deal. Should I fail to cash, it's $12k I don't pay tax on ($10.3k buyin, $1.7k travel expenses), a Vegas vacation + tourney experience, and still an additional month off. I'll have to think on it for a bit, but my gut feeling is that this is too good an offer to pass up. Plus, if I don't feel like slacking for that month, I could put in whatever volume I want with SNE God-level rakeback.

Finally, I finished Suikoden Tierkreis tonight. It was a very solid offering, though it was severely lacking in the difficulty department. I definitely feel like I got my monies worth though. Not certain what I'll be playing next... maybe Chrono Trigger DS?