Poker And Other Goals for 2K5 (OT)

[GrunchCan]

First, thanks to everyone. Although I probably still suck, I suck less now at poker than I did before stumbling upon twoplustwo.com. If you are reading this post, then I have you to thank.

I don't make resolutions at New Year's. I make a list of goals that I intend to meet in the next year. In many cases, I'm trying to finish a long-term task. In others, the journey is the important thing.

But it's hard for me to make a list of goals and actually persue them if I have no accountability towards my goals. If my list is secret, locked away in my brain, I am accountable only to my guilt and not to people who might actually kick my butt for sitting on it.

So here I'm posting my goals for 2005. I hope maybe you'll share some goals of your own. I hope maybe you'll kick my butt when I get lazy with mine. Even if this post falls off the bottom of the page without a single reply, Iv'e still accomplished my first goal.

Share and Enjoy.

POKER GOALS 2k5
<ul type="square">[*]Build BR to 300 x BB @ 3/6 and play 3/6 full-time[*]Play 10 live tourneys at local casinos[*]Become better at reading opponents' betting patterns[*]Improve W$SD through better play[*]Get better at estimating EV of postflop decisions[*]In NL, have a fundamental understanding of when to bet how much[*]Win a buy-in to a live tourney $1000 or more[*] Win daily tourney at Binion's Las Vegas[/list]
NON-POKER GOALS 2k5
<ul type="square">[*]Accomplish goals[*]Ride 2000 miles (bike)[*]Publish 2 more articles (one on Algorithmic Programming)[*]Apply to at least 7 PhD programs [*]Lose 10# body fat[/list]

[meep_42]

Goal:
Finish 20k hands at .5/1, with a winrate that could be termed as "crushing." (currently 15k @ &gt;3BB/100)
Move full time to 1/2 when that is complete.
Finish 15k hands at 1/2 with a 3.5+BB/100 win rate or 25k hands @ 2.75BB/100.
Play 10k hands of 1/2 (6 max) with a &gt;3.5BB/100 win rate to learn shorthanded play better, or 20k hands with &gt;2.5BB/100
Move to 2/4 full time by May.
Get a rakeback deal.
Become enough of a winning player at 2/4, 3/6, or 5/10 (6m) to be able to support myself decently in '06 if I get into school full-time (akin to a part-time job, not a full-time one)
Play in more MTT and SnG.
Learn $25NL.
Play 60,000+ hands (all levels)
Earn enough $ to buy my gf prezzies (though she really wants a bankroll for .5/1 limit, go figure)

Non-poker:
Enroll in classes at random_local_university with the intention of clearing the memory of a crappy undergrad GPA and securing recommendations for Grad/Law School.
Go to the gym an average of 2x a week.
Return to playing hockey at least once a week.
Find a job I actually like.

-d

[Cardzy]

Good luck on your goals. I have 2 myself. Make over 10k and be playing 3/6 by Dec.

[_Kevin_]

Good luck on your goals.

My goal is to make 2/4 my regular game and try out 3/6 this year. I'm not sure that I will be happy with the large swings in the bankroll. I'm having a hard time getting into 2/4 because of the large swings. I had a similar problem getting to 1/2 so it may just be an adjustment for me. I'd like to clear at least $10K this year playing part time in addition to my full time job.

On a personal note, ake sure you know why you are getting a Ph. D. After going through all the pain and suffering, I wouldn't do it again. My reasons for getting it really boiled down to the following

1) I thought I might want to teach
2) I didn't want a real job (getting a Ph. D. was worse)
3) I thought it would be cool to put Dr. in front of my name (I know this is egotistical)
4) It was a logical step after my master's and I thought it would open some doors.

I now know I don't want to teach (being a TA during my Ph. D. taught me that). For whatever reason, I hate being called doctor and don't let people know I have it and admonish them if they do know and call me Dr. I wouldn't have my current job without the Ph. D. but I still could of gotten a good job without it.

If it is something you truely want, by all means pursue. I'm just suggesting you really examine your reasons before just falling into it because it's the logical next step. Make sure you get a good advisor. That makes ALL the difference in the world. Too many profs view Ph. D. students as slave labor and will abuse you. If you can find a good one, it will be fine.

[GrunchCan]

Thanks for the advice; it's well-recieved. As for me, my resons for wanting a PhD are:

1) I may want to teach. Part of my real job is to be a mentor to new programmers, showing them the ropes, and turning them in to productive programmers. I very much enjoy this part of my job, and programmers who have gone through it with me tell me I would make a good teacher.

2) I want to pursue basic research as a profession.

3) I believe that software generally sucks becasue of how software is written. I think I know why it is this way, and I have an idea how to make it better, but I need to research and develop my ideas. I need more knowledge.

I don't feel like pursuing a PhD is just the next step in my career. I certianly don't need the degree for my job - in fact, I didn't even need a bachelor's. Although I'm sure it's impossible for humans to make unbiased decisions, I feel like my decision to get a PhD isn't so biased as to be invalid. It doesn't seem like it.

[VBM]

best of luck on your PhD. if i might offer the other side; for a variety of reasons, i regret not pursuing education further after my bachelors.

--oj.