I am working on a new approach to poker and life over the last few months. I have been on and off with playing cards and really letting my ego get in the way alot of the time. I recently read an article about a poker players look back at his growth in the game of poker. The article was basically talking about how little your really know about poker and how people play for all the wrong reasons. This is something that really struck a cord with me and hit home about how i have just been spinning my wheels for the last few months. I know i am a good poker player when i play my a game but i let alot of things get in the way of actually playing to my abilities. I think back about when i first started learning the game and having some of my best results both live and online. I was completely committed and engaged in the learning of the game. I knew i had leaks in my game but didn't know how to plug them all but i figured with alot of reading,studying my game and not making the same mistakes was a great start. I fast forward to what i do on a nightly basis when i play and grinding my few hundred hands out is the start and end of my poker playing. I tell myself and everyone around me that i am a good winning serious poker player but i have done nothing more then become a slightly winning semi reg recreational player playing for beer money. I watch my cashier screen more then my tables sometimes and spend more time analyzing my downswing via holdem manager then i do looking at my problem hands from the session.
Now that we have finally come to the realization on what the issues or problems are what do we plan on doing to change them? First off my mind set and attitude has changed so much from this summer when i was still grinding with the expectation of going pro at some point. Truly i can say that i don't expect to play for a living but i sure would like to grind a serious secondary income to what i make now. I feel that in my mind is a great spot to start and to grow from. I have accepted the fact that i have been playing for money only and nothing more. My new approach is going to consist of playing the best game i can daily. I will not play any "quick" sessions as i call them where i just jump into a game or 2 with no plan or exit strategy. I will use a methotical approach like i used to which consisted of a warm up-review of things i do great and things i need to work on, review of any key hands from last session that i can learn from, decide and commit to a game and set session time before first break, and set a stop loss or tilt threshold. I know with my new approach that tilting will become less and less as i grow but setting a threshold will help me gauge where i am at in my session.after my session i will review all marked hands and all hands i have noted,i will post one hand from each session for the first 2 weeks and then i will drop the number to a more comfortable number min 5 a week. I will start my sessions as soon as i am done my day job after a small dinner break and grind up to 2 hrs before a break. I will then do a review of marked and noted hands. i will work in a work out in the gym or some family time depending on my work location just to break up the sessions as a marathon session is a leak of mine. upon returning to my game i will play 1-2 more sessions with reviews after each one. I do not plan on a $$$ goal just a 2 week goal not to check the cashier and just focus on the game and playing my best every single session. I would like to start playing 1 live session a week tourney or cash just to get my live legs under me again. i know my live game is a big strength for me and i need to start using it as a confidence and bankroll builder.
Outside of poker life has been going well with me reaching a professional goal which i set over a year ago. My family and personal life couldn't be better which i am very grateful for but it took alot of work and alot of commitment from me to make it work. I have been working on some remodeling projects which has given me a new outlet for some of my frustrations which is nice. I built myself a man cave to chill,play xbox,just get away. i am still in the process of putting my office together but by months end it will be 100% set up.
till next time
be good to yourself and everyone
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