Wednesday, December 29, 2010

New Year’s Day Approaches – Any Poker Resolutions?

Reflecting back on your poker year of 2010 is usually a good idea. As long as it is honest reflection.

My 2009 resolutions for 2010 were met – most of the time. I still did some dumb things, but they were at a much reduced rate this year. I give myself a solid B overall on the “improvement” list.

I gave myself a “C” for improved attitude when playing on line. Every once in a while the ‘old’ Faldo would lose it due to suck outs and bad beats, but over all, a great improvement. I am beginning to understand bad beats are GOING to happen. So accept it or don’t play. It’s sinking in slowly.

I also mentally handled the couple of "running cold" streaks I hit - very well. When you keep records as well as I do, you see that these downturns have happened before and will happen again. Overall, I get a “B” for SO-BB.

But I give myself a “D” for whining over the “shoulda, woulda, coulda”. This is where I fold (66) in middle position with a slightly small stack after the bigger stack UTG guy raised it up with (AJ) and the small blind calls all in with (33). And of course neither of them can improve and the small blind picks up MY much needed chips. And of course a [6] hits the flop………and the river!!!!

I dub this the “Of course I hit EVERY flop, turn and river AFTER I fold” syndrome. Now that I think about it, I may just have reversed where I directed most of my negative energy. The “hit” syndrome got a “C” last year and the “SO – Bbeat” got an “F”.

This new year I will work on reflection when this happens. Why - exactly - did I fold? And I better have a good reason. Was it the ‘right’ play or is this more of the “no guts” leak in my game? Did I have a line on the UTG player? Did I know the SB’s stack was in “do or die” mode? If not – WHY NOT?

This will be more useful than mentally accusing the poker site of dropping cards on the board - JUST TO TORTURE ME!!!!

Sorry, I digress. Or is that regress? So on average, attitude was a “C” grade.

Goal for 2011 is an “A” in SO-BB and a “B” in not whining over what could have been. I know me – an “A” in not whining is not possible until 2012. Talk about a stretch goal!

I gave myself a “B” for working on improvements. I graded myself harsh here but I am not giving + or – scores and I know I was not an A, as I should have been. Playing took up that study time and …that is not a terrible use of it. Hands played helps too.

I give myself an A on bankroll management and a B on game selection. I still play sometimes when distracted or not 100%.

So C (B+D), B, A, B = B

Goals for 2011:
1) Play more Ring Limit Play – should be most profitable
2) Play more SNG Play – most profitable (except on Tuesday night where I get slaughtered like a fish in a sushi bar)
3) Play less Big Tournament Play – the time for the other two has to come from somewhere
4) Get a final grade of at least a “B” next year
5) Win a Boother36 card protector

You may notice that “winning money” is not a goal, nor should it be. If I work on my needed improvements, making a little coin will be a side benefit.

PS: Faldo Health Update: Doing fine – going home today after final procedure and tests. God bless my NPP family for all the kind wishes!

PSS: Heads Up Tourney is up to date on the right side of the blog.

5 comments:

Brian said...

Haven't done this for a couple of years, but I'll do this (and repost on my blog) here.

1) Win a Dino's league final. No problem to make the top 10 in points during the year, but find a way to fukk up one or two hands and bust out.

BTW, new players always welcome to play, 8pm (or just after) Monday nights - 9 and Woodward area! Sorry, had to get my shill in for that game.

2) Play more live tournament poker at charity card rooms. Yeah, the rake can be a killer if you're not a winning player, but there is just sooooooo much dead money out there, too hard to pass up. With the Mrs working nights, should be easily attainable.

3) Try to lessen the boredom and actually make it through a 4-hour session of 4-6 tabling SnGs before calling it quits (no matter how I am doing) after 90 minutes because my ADD mind kicks in.

4) Satellite into a big tourney online again, only this time actually play in it. Satellited into the Sunday Million on Stars more than a few times back in the 2004-2007 era (when I actually had a legitimate bankroll before UIGEA fukked everything up), but always unregistered and kept the T$. Not this time.

That's all I can think of.

pre01 said...

My biggest problem is playing distracted. I have to quit fiddling with other applications and trying to 'multi-task' when I'm playing cards. Very tough early in a MTT or SnG when the action is much slower. My other issue is not playing for 'in the money' when I'm close. I end up going head to head with the chip leader and crippling my stack instead of playing for position. Sometimes you have to do that, I think I do it too often. We'll see how 2011 shapes up.

k9isadog said...

play sober

Anonymous said...

Congrats on doing well, Medical!!!!

Anonymous said...

2010 was a good year for The Punk.
On Pokerstars I posted a 105% ROI for the year in MTT. A staggering 476% in pot limit omaha. I doubled my bankroll, of which a healthy withdrawal got me a new 55" LED TV.

On Full Tilt, a modest 4% ROI for the year. But several bad ring game sessions left me down for the year overall there.

One of the thing that I feel I greatly improved this year is reading betting patterns. Another is using the semi bluff and bluff to take down pots. I was never a huge fan of either and it was a micro attribute of my game. This year I began using both more and more, for the most part it was positive results.

For 2011, its continual improving my play and hopefully more final tables.

Punk