Not much live around here to be found, but I know there's some. Last year, it seemed I just didn't have time when the games were running. Or, the games were a little too shady for me to be interested.
Last year, my interest in online dropped a lot for some reason. Just played forum games. Wife appears to have rejuvenated her interest in online however and this is inspiring me as well.
[] - Get back to the gym consistently and be in shape for summer again..
[] - Move to Budapest and grind out there (Late April I'm aiming for)
[] - Learn to value money and not spend tons every time I get drunk.
[] - Stop going out so much, and actually save some money
Now that it's the second half of 2013, it's a good time to track progress of poker goals posted, or set new ones for the remainder of the year, which is the case for me. Here are my goals while I continue to play live.
1) Continue cashing in the excellent tournaments at Casino Rama, Brantford and OLG Slots.
2) Increase my win rate in 2/5 &/or 5/5 cash games.
3) Find other strategy-oriented players that play similar games and learn from each other how to keep increasing our win rates. In case there is a lurker who has also been winning in the above games, please PM me.
4) Finish reading my poker books for a change, especially the ones I got from the authors directly.
5) If PartyPoker (former #2 down to #5) continues to be not worth using my online bankroll there to play, then become pot-committed to playing live: buy a cellphone, progressive lens eyeglasses, snow tires, etc.
6) I'll be baaack grinding the high-rake crapshoot satellites for Fallsview Poker Classic. Try to win a satellite to WPT/WSOP Montreal, WSOP BC, or Blue Water Classic.
7) Participate in a cash game study group, possibly including Skype.
1. Continue to improve new poker website. Ensure tournament database is up-to-date with current and accurate tournament details.
Unfortunately, a lot of personal matters have gotten in the way of keeping my first site up to date with all the current tournaments. Didn't get the traffic I was expecting so I may need to re-think my strategy for this site. Did start openfacechinesepoker.ca which is getting a lot more traffic and likely has a lot more potential if this game continues to grow on the tournament circuit and some of the major poker sites eventually offer it online.
2. Run three successful online satellites to major Ontario casino based poker tournaments. Work with affiliates to offer best tournament structures and options for players.
Failed on this front; did offer online satellites to Great Blue Heron and a Brantford tournament but couldn't get the required number of players. Winner Poker seemed to be the best option for running custom online satellites, and offered great signup packages for new players, but had a lot of issues with Canadian credit cards which made it difficult for players to get funds on the site. May give it another shot in the fall.
3. Achieve $10k+ profit from live cash games. Increase play at 5/5 and 5/10 levels. Also, do a better job tracking progress.
I was on track with this goal at the end of April with a $7k profit YTD. Now down to about $4k profit YTD and running at a winrate of approx. $15/hr. I have been playing more 5/5 and 5/10 (mainly on vacations in 2013, Bahamas, Vegas, Florida). Still this goal is achievable for 2013.
4. Achieve one major live tournament and one major online tournament cash in 2013 (>$5k).
Haven't really played any major tournaments in 2013 so far. Still some time to achieve this goal given the low rake electronic tournaments now being offered in Ontario!
Online I was used to having sessions automatically recorded, so it's been a pain trying to remember to manually record after every live session. For now, I'm just happy being a net withdrawer at Fallsview & Woodbine instead of a net depositor!
I think my goal for 2012 was to play more and make $40k. I actually played much less and made about 1/2 of that.
Goal for 2013 is simply to find some games I enjoy playing on a regular basis again -- the 2/3/5 $500max in Northern Cali just doesn't cut it. I am hoping that the 20 40 Stud at Commerce will be fun and am hoping for some 30 60 or 40 80 Omaha 8 at Commerce during some MTT series or in Vegas during WSOP. I'm kind of sick of NLH cash games lately and having some variety will help...Live at The Bike may be fun though.
I will start to play more MTTs for a change of pace and cut back on cash game hours unless there are games that are fun to play -- I seem to have lost the ability to grind at a boring table lately. I think that the nicer year-round weather makes it more difficult to sit inside with a bunch of degens at a poker table. If I'm not enjoying it I'm not going to play.
Overall, less grinding and more fun is the goal. Maybe 20-30k profit on the year.
So far I have just recently found some games that I find lots of fun to play again. It only took a long drive back to AB:)
I played a few MTTs, but I still love cash way more than tournaments.
Haven't gotten to 20k at this point given a long hiatus, but it is still possible if I find some more free time and avoid a downsowng.
Speaking as someone with a vested interest, I hope you make it.
Unfortunately, my current pace is of the tortoise...once I get my house and don't live a half hour from the casino anymore it will be much easier to get some sessions in
Here are some poker and non-poker goals i want to achieve. I like short term goals because it keeps me somehow more concentrated and under pressure to achieve.
1. Get a 4 GPA for this term in my Bio-Medical science major in University of Waterloo.
2. Win first place in a MTT online. I've had a 2nd place and three 5th place finishes but never won a tourny.
3. Grind the pca satellites to get a seat or package.
4. smoke less cigarettes per day from 7 to 3/day
Edit: tittle says poker goals then i wrote poker non/poker goals beh
Here are some poker and non-poker goals i want to achieve. I like short term goals because it keeps me somehow more concentrated and under pressure to achieve.
1. Get a 4 GPA for this term in my Bio-Medical science major in University of Waterloo.
2. Win first place in a MTT online. I've had a 2nd place and three 5th place finishes but never won a tourny.
3. Grind the pca satellites to get a seat or package.
4. smoke less cigarettes per day from 7 to 3/day
Edit: tittle says poker goals then i wrote poker non/poker goals beh
Play more 45man SNGs, you will eventually win one, easy game.
1) Continue cashing in the excellent tournaments at Casino Rama, Brantford and OLG Slots.
Check.
2) Increase my win rate in 2/5 &/or 5/5 cash games.
Fail. I was much unluckier in cash games than with similar hands in tournaments. Most of the time, getting a set will win you a decent pot which happened in my tournaments, but in my cash games, they usually lost in huge pots, such as the $1,700 pot I posted about. Due to my consistently much higher win rate for tournaments, my forum poker advisor has agreed that I should prioritize as many tournaments as possible instead of cash games.
3) Find other strategy-oriented players that play similar games and learn from each other how to keep increasing our win rates. In case there is a lurker who has also been winning in the above games, please PM me.
Fail so far, closest I found were Wetts1012 and ReefAquarium, but like almost all members, they're playing a lot less in casinos. I know I'm not a pro and nowhere at the level of the University of Waterloo pro posse, but hopefully I'll find somebody in 2014 to discuss hands from the same game and EV-maximizing strategies.
4) Finish reading my poker books for a change, especially the ones I got from the authors directly.
Finished reading three advanced books, but need to practice implementing the advanced strategies, plus a couple more books not yet finished.
5) If PartyPoker (former #2 down to #5) continues to be not worth using my online bankroll there to play, then become pot-committed to playing live: buy a cellphone, progressive lens eyeglasses, snow tires, etc.
Check, it will take awhile for ex-PokerStars exec and Canadian Jeffrey Haas to reverse the negative goodwill bwin.party created from the online player community, so I have bought all the items. I can see the board better than before, but still not easy from the table corners with the bad low-index small cards that casinos other than Playground uses. Also bought a Motomaster Emergency Roadside Inflation Kit, which came in handy on Christmas Eve when we loaded the car with gifts then noticed a flat tire. Will renew my roadside protection service this week.
6) I'll be baaack grinding the high-rake crapshoot satellites for Fallsview Poker Classic. Try to win a satellite to WPT/WSOP Montreal, WSOP BC, or Blue Water Classic.
Check. Despite being screwed out of a $5,000 WPT Montreal package when the PartyPoker crapware kept freezing me out on the bubble, I won satellites to BWC and WPT Fallsview.
7) Participate in a cash game study group, possibly including Skype.
I didn't play much at all this year... didn't really manage to find any enjoyable games in California as the games seemed to be populated by grinders with no personality. Accordingly, 2013 was my worst year for profit of my last 8... still managed to make lowwww 5 figures.
Plan for 2014 is just to find enjoyable games. Seems easier so far in Calgary.
Here are some poker and non-poker goals i want to achieve. I like short term goals because it keeps me somehow more concentrated and under pressure to achieve.
1. Get a 4 GPA for this term in my Bio-Medical science major in University of Waterloo. Fail, will work harder next term
2. Win first place in a MTT online. I've had a 2nd place and three 5th place finishes but never won a tourny.got a 2nd and a 3rd no first yet, still got 4 days though
3. Grind the pca satellites to get a seat or package.tried as many sub sattys but didn't work out
4. smoke less cigarettes per day from 7 to 3/daycheck, I don't smoke regularly now, mostly when with friends 6-8/week
Edit: tittle says poker goals then i wrote poker non/poker goals beh
2014:
-play more MTTs and become a constant winner in low stakes MTTs
-win a package to play live somewhere
-keep reviewing and improving my play
Didn't put any here, but pretty much meant the same as 2012, as I didn't reach alot of them:
1.) Profit: Setting different goals for online and live this year:
Online: 40k
Live: 10k
Total: 50k
Online was +63k, so big pass
Live....fml....cash games -$4.4k (had a few drunken big losing sessions mostly)...Tourney's was -$1.4...but did have record buyin's of $27020.00
Need to stop bricking the biggest buyins imo
Total was a $57k profit....good year obv
2.) Events: Play at least one WSOP event
Play at least 5 VDSE (or similar Vegas tourneys)
Play one foreign event (EPT, WPT, LAPT, etc)
Played Main Event....pass
Played 1k Ceasars and 7 VDSE....pass
Played a 1k in YUL....gonna take that as a pass
3.) 5 Digit Cash: One online
One Live
binked the Stars Wednesday 300 for 20k, and 2 close to 5 dig cashes
Binked a live satty for main for 10k
4.) Chat Ban: Avoid chat ban on Stars (and overall tiltiness)
fack
5.) Win a $300+ b/i live tourney
Binked a PLO tourney for 3.5k
6.) Final table a major online tourney
Fail....did make final 2 tables of the FTP 250k....but not close enough
All said, was my best year online, and probly worst live (I'm a cash game fish I think).
Comments
Play more. Live and online.
Not much live around here to be found, but I know there's some. Last year, it seemed I just didn't have time when the games were running. Or, the games were a little too shady for me to be interested.
Last year, my interest in online dropped a lot for some reason. Just played forum games. Wife appears to have rejuvenated her interest in online however and this is inspiring me as well.
I need to do this as well lol
-No chat bans on Pokerstars in 2013. (Stole that one from T8's 2012 goals)
-Play in an WPT event in Montreal.
-Make it out to a few games hosted by PFC members.
-BR managment
-Only smash one computer mouse in 2013.
-Take anger managment course.
1) Continue cashing in the excellent tournaments at Casino Rama, Brantford and OLG Slots.
2) Increase my win rate in 2/5 &/or 5/5 cash games.
3) Find other strategy-oriented players that play similar games and learn from each other how to keep increasing our win rates. In case there is a lurker who has also been winning in the above games, please PM me.
4) Finish reading my poker books for a change, especially the ones I got from the authors directly.
5) If PartyPoker (former #2 down to #5) continues to be not worth using my online bankroll there to play, then become pot-committed to playing live: buy a cellphone, progressive lens eyeglasses, snow tires, etc.
6) I'll be baaack grinding the high-rake crapshoot satellites
7) Participate in a cash game study group, possibly including Skype.
Unfortunately, a lot of personal matters have gotten in the way of keeping my first site up to date with all the current tournaments. Didn't get the traffic I was expecting so I may need to re-think my strategy for this site. Did start openfacechinesepoker.ca which is getting a lot more traffic and likely has a lot more potential if this game continues to grow on the tournament circuit and some of the major poker sites eventually offer it online.
Failed on this front; did offer online satellites to Great Blue Heron and a Brantford tournament but couldn't get the required number of players. Winner Poker seemed to be the best option for running custom online satellites, and offered great signup packages for new players, but had a lot of issues with Canadian credit cards which made it difficult for players to get funds on the site. May give it another shot in the fall.
I was on track with this goal at the end of April with a $7k profit YTD. Now down to about $4k profit YTD and running at a winrate of approx. $15/hr. I have been playing more 5/5 and 5/10 (mainly on vacations in 2013, Bahamas, Vegas, Florida). Still this goal is achievable for 2013.
Haven't really played any major tournaments in 2013 so far. Still some time to achieve this goal given the low rake electronic tournaments now being offered in Ontario!
What kind of winrate do you think is reasonable?
So far I have just recently found some games that I find lots of fun to play again. It only took a long drive back to AB:)
I played a few MTTs, but I still love cash way more than tournaments.
Haven't gotten to 20k at this point given a long hiatus, but it is still possible if I find some more free time and avoid a downsowng.
Unfortunately, my current pace is of the tortoise...once I get my house and don't live a half hour from the casino anymore it will be much easier to get some sessions in
Not like.... Encourage him to get back to work for us Milo...>:D
1. Get a 4 GPA for this term in my Bio-Medical science major in University of Waterloo.
2. Win first place in a MTT online. I've had a 2nd place and three 5th place finishes but never won a tourny.
3. Grind the pca satellites to get a seat or package.
4. smoke less cigarettes per day from 7 to 3/day
Edit: tittle says poker goals then i wrote poker non/poker goals beh
Play more 45man SNGs, you will eventually win one, easy game.
Poker isn't real life?
Fail. I was much unluckier in cash games than with similar hands in tournaments. Most of the time, getting a set will win you a decent pot which happened in my tournaments, but in my cash games, they usually lost in huge pots, such as the $1,700 pot I posted about. Due to my consistently much higher win rate for tournaments, my forum poker advisor has agreed that I should prioritize as many tournaments as possible instead of cash games.
Fail so far, closest I found were Wetts1012 and ReefAquarium, but like almost all members, they're playing a lot less in casinos. I know I'm not a pro and nowhere at the level of the University of Waterloo pro posse, but hopefully I'll find somebody in 2014 to discuss hands from the same game and EV-maximizing strategies.
Finished reading three advanced books, but need to practice implementing the advanced strategies, plus a couple more books not yet finished.
Check, it will take awhile for ex-PokerStars exec and Canadian Jeffrey Haas to reverse the negative goodwill bwin.party created from the online player community, so I have bought all the items. I can see the board better than before, but still not easy from the table corners with the bad low-index small cards that casinos other than Playground uses. Also bought a Motomaster Emergency Roadside Inflation Kit, which came in handy on Christmas Eve when we loaded the car with gifts then noticed a flat tire. Will renew my roadside protection service this week.
Check. Despite being screwed out of a $5,000 WPT Montreal package when the PartyPoker crapware kept freezing me out on the bubble, I won satellites to BWC and WPT Fallsview.
Check.
Plan for 2014 is just to find enjoyable games. Seems easier so far in Calgary.
failed. played way less this year.
2014:
-play more MTTs and become a constant winner in low stakes MTTs
-win a package to play live somewhere
-keep reviewing and improving my play
Online was +63k, so big pass
Live....fml....cash games -$4.4k (had a few drunken big losing sessions mostly)...Tourney's was -$1.4...but did have record buyin's of $27020.00
Need to stop bricking the biggest buyins imo
Total was a $57k profit....good year obv
Played Main Event....pass
Played 1k Ceasars and 7 VDSE....pass
Played a 1k in YUL....gonna take that as a pass
binked the Stars Wednesday 300 for 20k, and 2 close to 5 dig cashes
Binked a live satty for main for 10k
fack Binked a PLO tourney for 3.5k
Fail....did make final 2 tables of the FTP 250k....but not close enough
All said, was my best year online, and probly worst live (I'm a cash game fish I think).
Now let's crush 2014
There are some good PLO cash games down here...just make sure to text me when you are on your way:):):):)