A Clean Slate
January 17, 2008
If you’re a regular reader you will have noticed that all my old posts have gone, disappeared, vanished or fucked off, which ever term you prefer. If you’re a first time visitor then thanks for stopping by! Don’t worry I’ve not been hacked and there hasn’t been any computer errors, I just fancied a clean slate for my new poker state of mind. Just before Christmas I was going to bin the whole blog and stop writing about my micro-stakes exploits and concentrate on just playing poker but a few people emailed me and said they didn’t want me to quit because they enjoyed reading the stuff I spew on here so I decided to keep it going. I was then going to stop writing here and start a new blog just for myself to read and reflect on but then realised that, for me anyway, a big part of blogging is the comments you receive and the feeling of being part of a community which I wouldn’t get had I gone solo so to speak. So I’ve made the decision to wipe my blog clean and start afresh.
I’ve not turned into Martin Luther King but I have a dream! This dream basically consists of me being able to earn £30k ($60k) per year doing something I love, all from the comfort of my own home. I want to have the freedom to work the hours I want, take days off when I like, earn twice what I earn now and get to spend more time with my family and I think, in fact I know I can do this through the medium of online poker. I know I have what it takes to make a half decent living from the game I love but I am currently a million miles away from having the necessary skills to become pro but I’ve by wiping the blog clean I can now use it to document my rise from poker wannabe to poker pro.
In order to achieve my goal I need to develop and train my mind to think like a professional player otherwise it doesn’t matter how skilful and knowledgeable I become I will never succeed without first laying some solid foundations on which to base my game. Here are a few things I need to change in order to become successful:
Proper Bankroll Management - Apart from being shit, the main reason players go bust in poker is poor bankroll management. There is nothing wrong with taking the occasional shot at a higher stakes game but I’ve recently being playing the $4.40 180 man SnG’s on Stars with a 25 buy-in cushion which is ridiculous. I’m unsure on what my bankroll requirements are going to be but I’ll document them as this blog develops.
Observation and Note Taking - Being a cash game player who regularly played 4+ tables I came to rely on using PAHUD, and the stats it overlays, to base my plays on. This is weak as piss and I’ve found I struggle to form any real reads unless I’m really looking for something and even then I go on gut instinct a lot of the time. I’m going to ditch most of my software, delete my old notes and get back to basics by making sure I observe the table when playing and watch TV or surf until it is my turn to act.
Learn To Multitable Properly - I’m going to play one or two tables until I can comfortably take notes, make reads and plays and beat a level before adding another table. Who cares if RainKhan plays 24 tables at once, fucking Bully for him, this is a time for laying foundations and if I do this properly then I too could be doing the same one day.
Stop Bonus Chasing - Yeah it’s a good way to build a bankroll but a bonus is exactly that, a bonus for playing at a site. They should be something extra to your bankroll and not the focus of my play. If I clear a bonus whilst playing my games of chose then great, if not, tough titty. All my accounts have rakeback on them and that is good enough for me.
Play When I Want Not When I Can - This is a big problem for me. I often play half drunk or tired just because I have the opportunity to and not because I really want to. This leads to bad play which over the course of a year really adds up to a lot of lost equity.
Do Not Tilt - I’ve got over the majority of my tilt issues so this needs very little work. I accept that I am going to get sucked out on and also realise I will get revenge by sucking out myself too.
Focus Long Term - My biggest problem. As I know I have some game I get it into my head that I should be playing higher and often lose track that it is one big long session. I lose 5-7 games on the spin and lose confidence and think about stepping up stakes to chase my loses. This has to stop right now!
Blog Because I Want To - I often play just so I can blog and sometimes feel the blog adds pressure to me by having to have results to report to my readers. My readers will continue to read whether I am winning or losing, as long as my blogs are funny, true and informative.
Learn ICM - Up until the $11 SnG’s you can probably get away with not knowing ICM but it is something I will need to learn as I progress through the stakes
Session Reviews - I need to dedicate a few hours a week to going through hand histories and posting hands on forums for discussion. This not only helps me but helps my online buddies too!
So those are the main goals for me. I have some figures and dates in my in my head of what I want to achieve but they are staying there for now as I already have a lot to focus on. I know how much I need before I can think of going part-time and then pro but there is no point aiming for this figure until I can get over my other issues and weaknesses. Progress will be slow to start with but should continue to build the better player I become.
I’ll be back using my usual accounts (all some form of Yorkshire Pudding spin) to stop me chasing bonuses etc so keep your eye out for me. I’m withdrawing my money from Stars and will be playing on Full Tilt as their tournaments and SnG’s are more suitable for my current bankroll.
I hope you stick with me and enjoy the ride from broke to balla!
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