Obligatory 2008 goals post
As far as I’m concerned, a new year really only means I have to buy a new planner and calender. However, it seems like as good a time as any to set some poker goals for 2008. As people around me were making their imminently broken resolutions, I realized that I have never actually made any “goals” for poker. I have played because I enjoy it and because I like getting better and learning as much about the game as possible. Now seems like a good time for some legit goals.My first goal is to be a competent tournament player.
Since I began playing online about six months ago, I have played micro cash games almost exclusively (aside from the occasional SNG). The Harrington on Hold ‘em books have been gathering dust on my book shelf for a couple of months. Those will get read as soon as possible. I have realized that tournaments are a heck of a lot more fun than grinding in the cash games, even if it is comparably more difficult to be consistently profitable. I will be sure to update my status in tournaments as often as possible, as this will be my main goal for the upcoming year.
My next goal is to be better about tracking my results. After every session I record my winnings/losing, number of hands, amount of time I spent playing, what game I was playing, etc. I think it would be beneficial to subscribe to a website such as Poker Tracker or Poker Office. If anybody would like to suggest a site, that would be great. Keep in mind that I use a Mac which could make a difference. In addition to tracking my results, I should study my hand histories on a more consistent basis. I do it every once in a while but in order to get better I need to identify my mistakes and figure out how to alleviate them. I do it occasionally but nowhere near as often as I should.
The next one isn’t so much a “goal” as something that I want to do more of. I happen to be a big poker fanboy. I love following the updates and keeping up with the progress of the well-known players in various tournaments. For some reason, I just can’t get enough of CardPlayer’s live updates page. It’s actually pretty sick.
Finally, I want to build up a legit bankroll. I won’t get into specific figures but my current roll is less than impressive. I mean, I play micro stakes for goodness sakes. This may result from being a more consistent winner in cash games or becoming a solid tournament player. One way or another, I would like my bankroll to be something I am actually proud of. I want to be able to comfortably move up from micro limits to mid limits, possibly event $1/$2 no limit. Ok, I have identified a living, breathing, tangible goal. By the end of 2008, I want to comfortably play at $1/$2 no limit. I want to be a solid NLHE player, a consistent winner in cash games, and a reasonably profitable tournament player. All while dominating a double major at the University of Oregon. 2009 will probably be the year I try to diversify my poker skills (stud, split games, etc.). For 2008, it’s going to be about NLHE cash games and tournaments. Bring it on!
So what are some of your goals? Do mine seem reasonable? Is it too much to just suddenly become a solid tournament player having never played a MTT before? Can you suggest any tracking software? Thank you much!
RipCity
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Go with PokerTracker (and PokerAce HUD). Just the ability to review your hands and to track your results is well worth it. On top of that you get statistics on other players… I would not be a winning online player without Poker Tracker.