Poker goals for coming year...

So as previously mentioned, I'm trying to set down to paper some goals I want to work on this year. I'm not sure "goals" is the term I should be using because it implies that if I don't achieve them that I have failed somehow. Poker in itself is one long continuous game - an accumulation of many hands, sessions and tournaments. I suppose the following is more of a list of things I hope to work on this year rather than "goals".
Last year I didn't set out any specific goals per se, but I decided that I would focus more on tournaments rather than cash games. Prior to last year I played mainly cash games, OLG Mohawk (prior to closing the poker "room") and Niagara were my usual places to play poker. I also played the occasional tournament at Mohawk and Brantford.
One of the things I wanted to do last year was to take more shots at bigger buy-in events. I have always tried to play within my bankroll as I know this is the only way to continue to play and have any success at poker. Buying directly into $1100 event let alone a $2500 or WPT main event these days is a substantial investment, ( a poor one at that! ), considering that roughly 80% or more of the time we will fail to cash.
Considering expenses and tournament rake, even by making a final table and say a 7th place finish, we can still end up in the hole at day's end.

To be con't


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Comments

  • For the coming year i have a very simple goal of wanting to cash in 11% of the tournys i play in. For me i try and play the $230 and higher events at OLG brantford and 2 of the events at the WPT Fallsview and will play the WSOP main event again this year. I am pretty sure that if i try and bluff a little less and reduce my opening range by 25% i would improve.


    Cash games i can only hope to run half as good as this past year. The one thing i need to do better at Fallsview is table selection. I know the kinda tables that my game works better against and some nights i will sit on a bad table all night and ask for a table change.


    Sidebar........
    does anyone know how to get OLG brantford cashes to show up on the hendon mob ?
  • does anyone know how to get OLG brantford cashes to show up on the hendon mob ?
    They used to do it for the first place winner, but they don't even do that anymore.
    So the final answer is: you & I go 50-50 on buying Brantford & run it like Playground Poker Club. :biggrin2:
  • BlondeFish wrote: »
    So the final answer is: you & I go 50-50 on buying Brantford & run it like Playground Poker Club. :biggrin2:

    get back to me with a price.
  • There is too much variance in live tournaments to have a goal like, "cash in 11% of the tournaments I play in this year." The skew is too high. Your sample size will be too small.

    I think it will be more useful to think about +EV stuff you can do. Or failing that, think about doing less -EV things.
  • I had been thinking of writing "Retire from poker" for my 2017 Goals, but changed my mind so I will try to check off as many bucket list items instead and postpone retirement for at least another year.

    1) Beat my previous records by going to as many poker vacations in 2017 as possible. So far this includes: WPT DeepStacks Calgary (March 10-20), DeepStacks Edmonton (March 31-April 10); King's Casino Rozvadov in Czech Republic (largest poker room in Europe); Dusk Till Dawn UK MILLIONS with £6 Million Gtd & £1 Million Gtd for first place.

    2) Fly to any non-US Seniors Event; buy satellite packages, or pay for half the hotel room. Sacrifice some $EV to maximize Life EV by sightseeing more, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites and national parks, instead of grinding every day.

    3) All ~4 festivals at Playground Poker Club, including the $5 Million Gtd and $1 Million Gtd for first place; try to win the most satellites for Playground in 2017.

    4) Have the best Canadian poker community group (Facebook). :wav:
    Over 330 members already after only a few days, with Matt Savage; TD staff of DeepStacks, Grey Eagle Casino, Deerfoot Casino, Great Blue Heron Casino, and three managers from Playground Poker Club all on board already. :cool: Invitations will be given to the new WPT Fallsview TD and as many Canadian TDs as possible. Please join and invite your local TD.

    5) Go for King of the Cards champion at GBH. This could be the most difficult if the first three goals above are being met and I miss too many games.

    6) Be willing to give up EV and play less online poker. Play mostly satellites that will help achieve the three goals.

    7) After luckboxing into my highest-ever 12 official HendonMob cashes this year, try to beat this in 2017.

    8) After achieving my goal of moving to the Top 60 of Ontario players in number of HendonMob cashes, try to make it to the Top 25.

    9) While no one will probably catch up to Pudge (U$669K), I want to move up to #2 in the Orangeville Poker Tour HendonMob list (after moving up to #4 this year).

    10) Pay for poker training. TPE or hire a coach?

    11) Do more meditation with my daughter. Hopefully, my travel-hating wife will eventually agree for the three of us to go somewhere on a -EV vacation (less poker and more family time), as it's not practical for my daughter to only go with me.
  • BlondeFish wrote: »
    2) Fly to any non-US Seniors Event; buy satellite packages, or pay for half the hotel room. Sacrifice some $EV to maximize Life EV by sightseeing more, including UNESCO World Heritage Sites and national parks, instead of grinding every day.

    And I thought Trump winning the US election was the biggest shock of 2016, but it's BF willing to sacrifice $EV for life/fun EV
  • I learned that from you when we were roommates in Las Vegas and bet on our luggage roulette with neutral EV! :o
    I deposited that luckbox win online and the rest is history, thanks to westside8. :)
    westside8 wrote: »
    And I thought Trump winning the US election was the biggest shock of 2016, but it's BF willing to sacrifice $EV for life/fun EV
  • So last year I set out to play more tournaments and take a few shots at bigger buy-in events. One of things that I did that helped me considerably was joining OPT and playing in some their MTT's and satellites. I knew there were some good players in their group, and playing there would challenge me to improve my game. I ended up playing my first WPT main event, the $2500 Fallsview Classic and the Hollywood Poker Championship in Las Vegas. The first two by OPT satellites, and the HPO thru a Rama tournament.
    I also just had my best year in poker, with close to 70k in tournament cashes.
    This year I will be working on a few things...

    Poker Roll - I've tracked my cash game results in a spreadsheet that I created a few years back. This year I want to get a dedicated app that will help me track my cash and tournament results. Including tracking expenses for trips such as WPT Montreal.

    Cash games - as mentioned, I use to play a lot more cash. I want to get back to playing more sessions with the hope of building my bankroll to offset the high variance of tournament play.

    Stakes - most of my cash sessions have been at the $1/$2 level at the casino. I have played some $2/$5 but this year I want to play more at this stake if my bankroll allows. I've had a lot of friends ask why I'm still playing at $1/$2. I don't have a good answer other than I've managed to have a win-rate north of $30/hr (s.d. = tbd)

    Poker training - this is will be my priority for this year. I don't know if it will be a coach, online training, or a combination of both.




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  • building my bankroll to offset the high variance of tournament play.
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    As I don't get to play as often I like, I would be interested in BAP for tournaments or satellites you may enter to offset your costs.
    Post in the form or send me a PM.

    Good luck to all of you with your goals in 2017.
  • Thanks for your support - I will be posting more BAPs in 2017!


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  • Don't really have anything to add myself, at least at this time, but enjoying reading posts from fellow members on their own goals.

    I'm also like 0/ lifetime with bap'ing so running better in that sense would be a good goal if I could choose. I love sweating friends / other forumers making deep runs.
  • BlondeFish wrote: »
    I learned that from you when we were roommates in Las Vegas and bet on our luggage roulette with neutral EV! :o
    I deposited that luckbox win online and the rest is history, thanks to westside8. :)

    Makes me wonder what would've happened to BF if I had won that luggage roulette

    FWIW, poker is a hobby for me. The only goal will be winning satellites to tournaments and thus allowing the luxury of being able to travel and play
  • [QUOTE=westside8;The only goal will be winning satellites to tournaments and thus allowing the luxury of being able to travel and play[/QUOTE]

    I'd say that you are well on your way with your goal!



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  • In order to accomplish my challenging 2017 goals, I will start off by buying a 2016 poker book through Amazon.ca. Do any of my friends happen to want any book before I place my order?
    10) Pay for poker training. TPE or hire a coach?

  • Poker training - this is will be my priority for this year. I don't know if it will be a coach, online training, or a combination of both.

    Might be a little pricey but Run It Once is selling their elite membership for a year for $960 right now, 20% off the regular price.
  • westside8 wrote: »
    Might be a little pricey but Run It Once is selling their elite membership for a year for $960 right now, 20% off the regular price.

    Thanks for this - yeah I was considering 'Run It Once' already, I may opt for the cheap bastard plan first to see what it's like. Someone also recommended TPE - Tournament Poker Edge site. I'm still doing some research before I join a training site.


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  • Enter probably one Brantford Thursday a month, spread the time out from there and see what materializes, hoping the olg casino sale actually increases no limit betting at sarnia soon which would create a quick soft bed there as the regulars wont be used to such stakes.

    I plan to win my league hopefully tomorrow night and play in the 1k WSOP event in vegas this year, plan to save my own funds take 7-10ish days and play with somewhere around 100% of myself in 2 of my own events as it might be the only time I zip down so why not just burn up my bankroll!
  • For those who are really serious in keeping their New Year's Resolutions this year, try out the free online course by Dr. Tricia Cardner. We can post our answers to her action items, or we can just wonder next December what happened to our goals.
  • Thanks for this - yeah I was considering 'Run It Once' already, I may opt for the cheap bastard plan first to see what it's like. Someone also recommended TPE - Tournament Poker Edge site. I'm still doing some research before I join a training site.


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    If you want a cheaper option, buy the "irunit4times" webinar on how to charge 10:1 MU in BAPs.

    Pays for itself the first time you apply the principles. :D
  • Card Dead wrote: »
    If you want a cheaper option, buy the "irunit4times" webinar on how to charge 10:1 MU in BAPs.

    Pays for itself the first time you apply the principles. :D
    #hurtful

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  • pkrfce9 wrote: »
    #hurtful

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    My apologies Mr. Pot,

    but comedy has its price.

    Best regards,
    Kettle
  • Dr. Tricia Cardner has volunteered on Facebook to answer any questions about how to design our best year ever. As one of my action items, I contacted Mike Leah on what training he recommends for me.
    For those who are really serious in keeping their New Year's Resolutions this year, try out the free online course by Dr. Tricia Cardner.
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