A Simple Question With No Simple Answer

[UOPokerPlayer]

I’m posting this in both No-Limit forums.

After finishing a pretty substantial bonus run which involved doing almost the entire Bonus Whoring 101, (except for cryptological.) I got to thinking of where I want to go in poker. Whether or not it’s just a hobby, or if it is something I can consider doing professionally (in the short-term). The bonus whore run swelled my bankroll substantially to the point where I can realistically commit 4k to poker, and be essentially even. Back in January, that number was $500. This may not be that great of a jump, but I just didn’t play that much. Nevertheless, I’m pretty confident I’m a winning player. My biggest detractors before that I still (much less often) suffer from are mental breakdowns. The kind where I make a call or raise and after say, “why the hell did I do that?” It’s more boredom than tilt, and oddly enough, it doesn’t happen the few times I’ve played up a level. I’m pretty sure this is because I have a more overall focus on the game; it means more to me. Those sort of breakdowns is what I’d say is my biggest leak.

My poker stats: I was 15ptbb/100 at 25nl over about 30k hands. After that I’ve played about 20k hands at NL50 and am beating that for 12ptbb/100. I feel good overall, and I did have struggles at 25 and 50 which have been overcome in my mind. After about 10k hands at NL25 I was 7ptbb/100 and after 5k at NL50 I was 5ptbb/100. I see improvement in the stats and in observing my play.

So, right now I have 4,000 dollars and am ready to put that into the Party (and skins) NL100. I only play 6-max. My goal is to beat that for 10ptbb/100. I’ve played up there before and did exceptionally well. I ran well also, so my 1k hands don’t really have any substantiality. I felt comfortable at those tables and my reads were right on for the most part. Also, I was excited and engrossed in the game, something that I’ve lost at NL50. That’s the short term, though. Long term; I want to play 1000NL, and I want to beat that game. It’s as simple as that.

A little more about me. I’ve always done very well at math, I finished calculus in high school, don‘t plan on taking math in college. I scored a 1570 on my SAT’s. I’m going into my second year of college and all signs point to law school and a profession of that sort. I’m living in a house next year with three friends, and will likely stay there over the summer, (pretty empty when schools out=lots of poker). I live about 90 minutes from my parent’s house. My poker reading hs included TOP, HPFAP, Pot-Limit and No-Limit, HOH 1 and 2, TPFAP, Caro’s Book of Tells, Winning Low-Limit Hold-em, and a whole lot of 2+2. I use PT and Gametime plus. I play some MTT’s to kill the monotony (party (10-30), lots of runners) and have final tabled twice (5th and 10th) out of I’d say 30 tournaments. When I play cash games, I usually two table, then three table, then 4-table, then move up.

The real question behind all this babble is what do I have to do to get where I want to be? I’m doing very well, but I’m still playing small stakes poker and getting paid by fish playing terrible. I want more. Is the key to just play a lot? I feel like that’s the only think I’m lacking, but I’d like to hear from people who have done this. All advice greatly appreciated.

UOPokerplayer