Veni, Vidi, Got Carried Away: The Continuing Challenge of VeniVidi1993

Start of $1,000,000 Bankroll Challenge

On January 23rd, 2023 VeniVidi1993 posted an announcement on X (ex-Twitter) about his new challenge with a goal to raise his bankroll from $66,641 to $1,000,000.  

In the comments he answered a few questions, for example:

• Q: Why don’t you go from a milly to 0?
• A: Been there, done that.
• Q: 67 to 1m? Estimated timeline?
• A: End of the year.
• Q: Could you do daily/weekly updates?
• A: Will do at least a weekly update on my progress here on Twitter.
• Q: Is GG cash beatable pre-rakeback?
• A: Rake for 6-max is around 10-11 bbs/100, so it’ll be a close one based on my earlier results.
• Q: What bankroll management will you use on the PLO cash games?
• A: 1kPLO and 2kPLO and mix in some soft 5kPLO

Was The Challenge Streamed?

When fans suggested streaming this challenge online, Dirk promised to consider it but postponed the decision for unknown reasons. However, he started regularly streaming only in 2024 after becoming a part of the CoinPoker VIP Cash Games promotion.

Dirk use two primary channels for streaming. As of August 27^th, 2024, the number of followers counts:

• vvv1993 on Twitch — 1.1K followers
• @thevenividi1993 on YouTube — 908 subscribers

His streams have a cozy vibe of an evening at friends’ house, especially when Dirk isn’t alone. 

Why Didn’t the Challenge End in 2023?

From the first week Dirk started to lose bankroll — his first report included information about a total loss of $23k:

• Cash games: -$23,249
• Tournaments: +$575
• Rakeback: +$7,427
• Rake: -$13,549
• Hands played: 9,928
• Grand total on account: $46,144

Dirk had been losing for four weeks straight, when GGPoker, where he was playing most frequently, decided “to lock” his account for a peculiar reason:

“Poker has never been for the faint-hearted. Got absolutely rinsed in the last two weeks. GGPoker locked my account, because I lost too much money, you can not make this stuff up.

I will continue my journey on ACR for now. Will be great to play in an environment without extremely high rake. Will keep my head down, grind hard and give you another update next week!”

After 12 weeks, Dirk’s bankroll dropped to zero and he restarted the challenge:

“Sharp observers will see that the bankroll dipped just under 0 for a moment. Obviously in the spirit of a bankroll challenge it would be over now, but I’ve been enjoying building myself back up, so I will come with a decent solution.

One of the first thoughts I had was to top up the bankroll by $33,200 so that the starting point is exactly $100,000. The renewed challenge will be from $100,000 to $1,000,000 and the $33,000 will be donated, with receipts, to charity at the end of the challenge (either reaching the goal or dipping under 0 again)..”

Almost immediately after this moment VeniVidi1993’s bankroll started to grow. He ended the 14^th week with $69,523 on account after making +$30,782 in cash games including rakeback.

His upswing continued for 24 weeks. On August 20^th, 2024 after 38 weeks of almost regular play he shared the latest results:

• Total on account: +$850,154
• Cash game results including rakeback: +$36,334
• MTT results: +$3,469

VeniVidi1993 also slow down his race a little, spending more time without poker:

“Volume has been a bit lower lately because I’ve been enjoying life—friends visiting, birthdays, and celebrations. This will continue over the next few weeks, but despite the slower pace, we still managed to book a solid win. At the moment we are $250,000 short from our $1,100,000 goal.

The action at the tables has been a bit slow, so I’m thinking about sharing some stories from when I first got started in poker and the rollercoaster ride that was the early part of my career.

I’m super happy with the results over the past few months and incredibly grateful for all the support. I’m in a great place mentally and I’m excited to continue providing value and entertainment to keep everyone engaged.”

It is quite possible that Dirk will manage to finally end the challenge in 2024. We continue to follow his results on X — feel free to join us.

Three Lessons Taken From VeniVidi1993’s Challenge

1. Extra money for bankroll can save the day. Even if you lose your entire bankroll in one room, your emergency poker savings can help you to continue pursuing your goal and not to give up.
2. Poker is not everything in life. This game can be a source of both income and enjoyment but it can’t replace friends, partners, family and new experiences available in real life. So, take breaks, spend quality time with loved ones and let yourself enjoy your life in the first place, returning to poker with fresh eyes and a good mood.
3. You don’t need to reach milestones to help someone else. VeniVidi1993 “charity statement” when he renewed his challenge wasn’t just a bunch of words: on March 24^th, 2024 he reported that donations were already completed even though the challenge had not yet finished. Dirk chose four charities to donate $33,000: The Special Social Club and Big Brothers Big Sisters — $11,000 to each, KLABU Foundation and Do voedselbank — $5,500 to each. We all can use his actions for inspiration to donate extra money to help someone in need.