Update On My New Year’s Resolutions
My last article consisted of my New Year’s resolutions pertaining to poker. They included bankroll issues, (bad) preflop calls, reading and studying more, the length of my sessions, and tournaments/live play. For what it’s worth, here’s an update on my progress so far.
Bankroll-
2005: I stated in my last article that “I have violated (bankroll) advice many times in 2005.” This meant having less than 300 big bets available for whatever limit I’m playing.
2006: Thanks largely to a few timely loans and running very well, I have built up a 300 big bet bankroll for the limits that I normally play (anything up to and including 5/10). I occasionally take shots at a 10/20 limit game here and there, but I have been able to stay away from playing over my head for the most part. I think the key for me was finally realizing that no matter how good of a player you are, being under bankrolled is a sure recipe for disaster.
Playing tighter-
2005: Last time I reported that I had made a $50 bet stating I would not play any (unpaired) card lower than a ten for a month.
2006: After realizing there was no real way to monitor this bet, my friend and I called it off about halfway through. Since I play a lot of shorthanded poker, this bet was also unrealistic. It actually made me play too tightly in 3 and 4 handed games. However, at full ring games I honestly did fold hands like A9s and 78s even for one bet on the button. So there was definite progress made there, even though our bet was unsettled. And that was the main point of making the bet. I just wanted to force myself to play tighter, and I thought that avoiding the ridicule from a good friend when he caught me playing A9 would be more than enough motivation to simply muck and see the next hand.
Reading more-
2005: In 2005 I seemed to improve my game due to discovering a few new forums, and by reading many new poker books. However, I could have improved more if I had simply read and took in new knowledge while I was winning. It seemed like I would only take the time to open a book while I was on a horrible downswing or on massive tilt. I vowed to change in 2006.
2006: I have been booking consistent wins since I wrote my last article, and I think part of it has to do with the fact that I have continued to seek out new books, articles, and forum posts even while winning. This proves that I am realizing a very key factor in becoming a long term winner: You can play horribly and win (short term) and you can also play near perfect poker and show a loss (short term). Long term, however, playing optimally will always get the most money and show a significant profit. I think in late 2005 and into early ‘06 I have finally realized this and started to adjust my play accordingly.
Shorter sessions-
2005: This is probably tied into the bankroll issue, but it still was a leak in my game that needed to be fixed. Every time I would accumulate any amount of money (say, from working or winning in live games) I would almost immediately deposit into my poker account and jump into a game, and not leave until I passed out or until I lost nearly all of my stake. I just had that overwhelming urge to gamble, and eating dinner could wait a few hours. Well, habits like that are only going to separate me from my money, and I just had to control it on my own to become a winner.
2006: I’m happy to report that, although I play an insane amount of poker, I have been able to space it out and make time in between sessions to eat, shave, and interact with the outside world. I’m not proud of my old habits, but the only way to change them is to face them head on and accept them for what they were. In 2006, I’m finally making the effort to get away from the table more and it has helped my overall lifestyle and my poker game.
More Tournaments/Live Play-
2005: Contrary to what my last article might have you believe, I played a ton of tournaments in 2005. I played sit n gos, multitable tourneys, and loads of freerolls. I also played a lot of live poker. However, near the end of 2005 I started to waver from live play and tournaments for a number of reasons, including lack of bankroll and availability of live games. In 2006 I’m trying to keep myself fresh by incorporating more live games and tournaments back into my game.
2006: I have played a bit of live poker in the new year, and it has been a mixed bag. I can’t really book consecutive winning sessions or concentrate because there are so few hands per hour compared with online play, and the limits I am playing live ($1 / $2 No limit) aren’t really too enticing to me, especially after logging tons of hours in a great $5/ $5 No limit game in 2005. As far as tournaments, I have done a few freerolls and I might explore the idea of playing sit n gos more regularly. Who knows, by the end of 2006 I might play mainly sit n gos and scrap cash games altogether, although right now that idea seems pretty crazy.
Overall:
I feel like I have made some good progress so far in 2006. Although it’s early, I have been able to identify and fix holes in my game while making the transition from being mostly a No limit player to playing in fixed limit cash games. Since last year, I have learned some new games (Razz, Stud hi/lo, 2-7 3D Lowball) and improved significantly in others (fixed limit Hold Em, Omaha hi/lo). There is still a lot of work for me to do, and a bunch of ways I can improve further, but that’s precisely what makes poker so fun and challenging: Trying to find and fix your own flaws and weaknesses.
