Lookback at 2005 and Objectives for 2006

Hi,

I needed to do that post because this will help me do what every poker player should do : Have obejectives.

But first let's look at what I have done last year.

I bought a computer for Christmas to playing Poker and other obvious reasons!

I started on PS with a BR of $50 playing $5 SnG. I lost it in a couple days (I was thinking that my Queens should always hold-up and I was excited when I had Jacks - I now understand the value of each hand). So I put another $50 and managed to win a seat to a $215 in a $3 rebuy satellite, I cashed out of the tourney and used it to play more SnG. I play a lot of different games (trying cash, Turbos, 1 or 2 tables, tourneys), I was doing good in the 2 tables turbos at $6+0.5, so I played this for a while and increase slowly but surely my BR to 500 in 6 months. I started playing MTTs a lot around that time.

This was the beginning of MTTs :

I was paying my entry-fee with my winnings of SnG. I was playing $1 - $5 tournaments, with some $10. I was rarely making the money, so my BR stayed the same (decrased slighlty). Then I mangaed to win a $1 with 970 players, I was proud but disapointed that I won a $1 tourney not a $10 tourney. I didn't realized the difference in skills in these two levels (and I may not understand the difference between the $20 I now play to the $215). I also won a 30 FPP tourney (2 players got an entry in a 3000 FPP tourney). Even if there's no money involved, it is nice to know that you can beat a field of 200-300 players.
By September my BR was over $1200, and I started to play only $10 and $20 MTTs and started loosing a lot maybe 20-30 in a row out of the money so my BR decreased to less than $400 after a while and I was pissed (first real downswing). I finally started making the money after that in the 180 players on PS and on other tourneys. I registered on PP and UB to have acces to more tourney at my level. Since then I won 1 touney at $10+1 for almost $800, and I made a couple of FT at the $20 tourneys finishing 4th, 5th, 8th lately, so I have my BR over $1000 now.

What also helped is that I started posting in June or July I think, I moved from a 1 or 2 to a 2 or 3 (see MLG's post).

I read a lot of books in 2005 : Cloutier Tournmanet POker, McEvoy same kind of book, 2 or 3 Slankys books (including TPFAP), I also read the Super System.

This has been my poker accomplishement in 2005.


What are my objectives in 2006 :

I want to improve my play : How and how will I measure it?

1-I have to start tracking all the games I play. I am now playing to have FUN AND to improve my play to have a chance to become a Poker Player. I am not thinking about playing poker full time or as pro. I like my job and won’t quit. I would like to eventually play big tourneys on the week-end and play the higher buy-in on a regular basis, this is my long-term goal (have a decent amount of money coming from poker, as a side-line) but Poker will always be there to have FUN. The day I won’t enjoy anymore playing Poker, I will quit.

2-I want to add some moves to my arsenal : Re-steal, suited connectors, bettor play from SB,... I want to improve my reads also and be able to lay down monsters. One last and very important thing that I have to improve is not to go on TILT anymore...

3-I would like to play 2 or 3 Big Sunday MTTs (maybe more if I make the money), as well as a couple of Deepstack tournaments to improve different skills.

4-I want to play once a month live tourney in a near Casino.

5-I want to re-read all the books I read and also read HoH 1 and 2 (hope I’ll get’em for Xmas or I’ll buy them). Also, I now receive Card Player magazine once a month.

I also want to post more. I want to participate more in the post I do (and in others), not only given my ideas but really debate why such and such approach is bettor/worse.

I will have to read and think about it but I will set a certain ITM% (around 12%) and ROI (around 20% - not sure about this one) that I want to achieve at the end of the year. Tracking my stats is very important because this is how I will be able to know how I improved from last year and from year to year.

I think that if I play poker seriously and I play each and every time the best I can, I should have decent results in 2006 (like Rizen - just joking - but it could be a long-term goal).

I don’t know if anybody is still reading, but I think that helped me set goals and understand where I want to go and how I will get there.

Hope I will be a recognized 2+2ers by the end of the year!

Any comments or a summary of your own goals are welcomed!

Nic

I think that looking at your accomplishments and setting new goals is key to becoming the player that you want to be. I just finished my first full year of online poker and I have come a long way...

I bought on for $30 as a broke student in Dec 04, I started at the $25 NL tables and learned more in my first 3 months of online poker than I had in my previous 4 years of playing.

Currently my total earnings from poker is about $3500. I have won a MTT, gone up to the 100NL tables and can hold a 45% ITM rate in SnGs. I would say that the past year has been successful...

My goals for the next year include winning a major MTT...at least a few k for 1st hopefully, move up to the 200NL, and pay my tuition next year. I have a trip to vegas in a few days and hopefully it will be the start of a great year...