[Paxosmotic]

POKhER,

While I think your idea is a romantic one, I feel it's a bit misguided. Poker is a game of the here and now, of making the best decision on this hand, against this opponent, with this pot size. Your poker career is the same way. I can't feasibly sit here and plan to win 5 WSOP bracelets anymore than I can plan to play 15/30 by the end of the year. That's why you very rarely see me posting a serious answer in a monthly goals thread.

What you should concentrate on is identifying leaks and learning as much as you can about the game. You seem to want to become a pretty serious player, so I'd recommend wearing out SSHE and TOP. Read them until you have every word memorized, and that's when you'll start to fully grasp the concepts found therein. This'll tip my hand on what my degree is in, but a good example of the path you should take is found in Bloom's Taxonomy. I'll outline it and give some examples, and you can find where you're currently sitting, and go from there.

Bloom's Taxonomy was originally used as a method of teaching which has since become thought of as too restrictive. I agree with that, as it teachs to you rather than begins a two way dialogue. However, the levels of learning that Bloom enumerated are very valid, and that's what we'll concentrate on. Bloom listed 6 levels of learning, which I'll give with hold'em examples. Don't answer these questions, as they're just a guide, but think of where you fit on this scale.

1. Knowledge (demonstrate ability to recall basic facts and concepts)

If I'm in EP, which of these is a good hand to play? J5s, A7o, KK.

2. Comprehension (organize and interpret data)

You flopped a four-flush. How often will you hit it by the river?

3. Application (apply acquired knowledge to new situations)

Your second pair is check-raised on a two-flush flop with a small pot. Your action?

4. Analysis (identify motives and causes)

A particularly aggressive and thinking player open limps from middle position. The table has been increasingly tight lately. What is his intention and what is a likely range he'll do this with?

5. Synthesis (combine previous elements to produce alternate solutions)

Revisiting the scenario from #3, you've seen Villain check-raise dry flops with any pair or a four flush. What is your equity against his given range, and how can you ensure you win the most from him while losing the least?

6. Evaluation (present opinions by making judgments about information)

I don't think a scenario is valid or needed for evaluation. I consider this complete and total understanding of a given situation. Far less people are at this step than think they are.

I am currently working my way through step 5, trying to gain a fuller understanding of equity, not only as it pertains to hold'em but all forms of poker.

To tie it back in with your challenge, your revised plan should be:

1. Learn a fact.
2. Recall that fact.
3. Use that fact.
4. Study that fact.
5. Analyze that fact.
6. Understand that fact.

Do this for everything you learn in poker. As an example, I'll apply it to the simplest of all poker decisions : raising AA preflop.

1. SSHE preflop chart says raise AA preflop.

2. I know to raise AA preflop.

3. While playing a ring game, I'm dealt AA and remember to raise it.

4. I notice that when I raise AA, fewer people call, while those who do are usually drawing slim, and I win bigger pots more often.

5. Given the protection and equity advantage I have with AA, I should raise preflop with other hands with an equity advantage. While people are unlikely to call at all if I only raise AA, if I extend my range, I stand to be a favorite over most hands, while still protecting my hand against hands that people might play for one bet but not for two.

6. The enormous equity edge I have with AA has taught me to push equity edges preflop, slightly increasing losses when my opponent's cards catch up with me, but greatly increasing wins when they don't. Whenever I perceive an equity advantage, be it strictly card based, or a weak opponent, I should raise to increase my expectation.

That's only one example, but you should be able to think through every decision in that way. There's not a poker player in the world who can think through every decision at the evaluation level, nor should you strive to. Your goal should be to build the strongest base of knowledge possible on the various topics in hold'em. How you do that, that's a topic for another thread.

To pull it all back together, you shouldn't be thinking in terms of "20k hands at this level, 10k at the next." What you're looking for is an edge over your opponents. If you have a signifigant edge over your opponents and the bankroll for the next limit, it is time to move up. You are doing your game no service if you are able to play ABC poker all day and win. You need to be put in scary situations against TAGs to grow. Everyone can value bet a calling station. Success in this game comes from moving beyond the application level of learning, which is all that is used to beat .5/1.

If you intend to move up, you should begin working on analyzing and sythesizing various situations. Find a hand posted in micros where the next action is almost universally agreed on. Then decide why we've agreed on that. Determine a hand range for the villain given every act in the hand, then determine our equity against that. Make that a normal activity. Start yourself on the path to understand why it's correct to 3-bet A4o in the SB if the button opens, or why you should go clear to the felt holding AA on a board of T77T3 against a preflop raise.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Paxosmotic