Iam thinking about setting goals

[fasin8ing]

I was sitting here at work thinking to myself....I said self... For the last 3-4 weeks you have ate slept and shit poker. My BR started out at 150 bucks. The first week, I had about 240.00 bucks. Second week, I had about 110.00 , third week .. yeah you know the one with my posts were all kooky like! My BR was sitting at a hefty.. 25.00 dollars... LMAO . 25 bucks. Down to my last 5 games.. shit not even with the rake at party, more like 4 games. Ok so the next week .. BR is sitting at 55 bucks .. This week .. 94.50 BR.
I estimate I have played about 70-80 SNG's at the 5's on PP in the last 20-30 days . Single TBLng.

K folks. I have made myself a promise and set forth my first goal.
1. Play your best every hand.

Will someone please share if you wouldnt mind some goals that pertain to my situation ? I am very optimistic.. Ultimate goal - Move up a level .. properly. I work 8 hrs a day ... I have a wife, a house, a dog. How much should I be devoting a night to poker where I will be getting the best out of myself? Can anyone please share ???

Thank you . Fasin .

[Renton]

I think you should move your roll to Stars or somewhere that has Micro sngs (like 1/.10 and 3/.30) and work out your sng skills there until you have a bankroll. The 20% rake at party is ridiculous. That's if you want to do sngs.

It might do you some good to learn tight aggressive play by playing 5nl and 10nl full ring on party for like 20k hands or so. Its a quick rollbuilder too.

[Staresy]

you have identified the one main goal and one of the few you can actually control

Play your best every hand

[andy-akb]

I have been thinking about this a lot after Scuba Chuck said to only set "goals" that you have control over. This may be me being nitpicky about language choice, but I feel like goals are things you work towards and guidelines are what you follow to get there. I think it is important to have some goal in mind, like winning at a sustained 65% rate at HU SNGs , otherwise it seems like we are playing aimlessly. I think you have to ask yourself what you want out of poker, if its a certain amount of money, whatever, set that as your goal, then make guidelines thats you have complete control over that allow you to reach that goal. Say to yourself, "Im going to try to play my best every hand," "Im going to play X hours today, if I have a bad stretch I will take a break and analyze my play and either way at the end of X hours I will look over my play." So again, I dont feel like goals should be something that you need to have direct control over, otherwise it wouldnt be something to work toward because you would already have it. However, set guidelines and adjust those guidelines to make ti possible to reach that goal.

[fasin8ing]

My second goal would be to learn how to sustain a winning rate at the 5's ..
Can anyone help me with this goal ?

[Renton]

be less loose passive. I know you've gotten better in the last few weeks but it takes a while to get all the kinks out.

[GatorJH]

My second goal would be to learn how to sustain a winning rate at the 5's ..
Can anyone help me with this goal ?

If you attain your first goal this should be a byproduct of that.

The thing with setting goals is that you have to have an action plan to attain those goals. For example you can have the goal to "Play your best everyhand", however what are you going to do to achieve that goal? Are you going to calculate pot odds before making every call? Are you going to analyze every HH to see where you are NOT playing your best?

You can't just say you are going to play your best without defining that that means to you.

[chris_1069]

Wow, no kidding... I have been contemplating this very thing and in many ways am at the same point as you right now in terms of BR and such.
Personally I received a promotion through one of the readers on this site back in May 2005. Promotion was $75 free on Party assuming I could complete 500 raked hands at which point I received another $25. I then proceeded to learn the game, make mistakes, and read ALOT on this site... no seriously I would spend about a 2-1 ratio reading vs playing. I was fotunate enough to have a security job at the time where my full attention was not required 100% of the time (not unless someone entered the building) so I would read on avg 4hrs a day. I then went home and played for 2-3hrs a night (while reading on FTR which allowed me to play TIGHT.) I found that when utilizing advice and strategies posted on this site I was constantly winning. I quickly moved up to $100, $150, think I toped out around $167 by the time I had completed the promotion a month later. Keep in mind the whole while I was playin in ring games. I then lost a couple $$ and cashed out at $147 and moved to Absolute trying to take advantage of another promotion until I realized how horible it is to collect on a bonus through this site (with my tiny BR) I started to play some ring games out of my BR (not that I had ever considered this until then) trying to cash in on the bonus and variance took over. Lost a buy in here and there and eventually was sitting on nothing but some AR-points I had accumulated during my playing. At this point I was so frustrated and upset about the way I was playing in general I took 1-2months off poker. Reading, playing, etc. Then around October-November I was sitting at home on a Saturday afternoon and just got the urge to play. Loged on, played a freeroll of sorts (200ARP --> $100) got 3rd place and got paid $15. Since then it has been a little up and down... I went up to about $70 as a high and back to about $10 as a low took another break for a month or so and did it all over again. All the while playing ring games as that is what I had grown accustomed to. Which bring me to about a month ago... Started playing again with a $20 BR at this time I made a VERY IMPORTANT decision!! TOURNEY ONLY!! When I say tourney I am referring to mostly SnG(1,2,3,5 table on AP) with the occasional $1-5 MTT. Now the reason I found this decision so crucial is that SnG's and MTT's were my original goal. I wanted to play tournaments and not ring games but at the same time I was looking for the "get rich quick" which in my inexperience I thought was totally possible! WRONG! Sure you might get lucky... might even get lucky alot! BUT if you are playing "bad poker" you are not learning anything! It took me a long time to realise some of the mistakes I was making (who thinks QJs is a strong hand in early position with a large field and small blinds?)

Ok now I am rambling and have done a pretty good job highjacking your thread... sorry... back to the point!!

I have set a couple.. ground rules.. which I have been trying to follow lately and have had a great deal of success. As I mentioned I had only about $20 a month ago and since then I have been playing exclusively the $2 1 table, 2 table, 3 table, and 5 table. Now the payout is not large but it is a tourney I could afford to play... Got a couple 2nd and 3rd place moved up to about $30-40 kept grinding away at it and now I am getting at least 1 1st or 2nd place every night (playing about 4 tourneys) and sometimes more... Last night for example I got 1st in a 1 table, 2nd in a 2 table, and 1st in a 5 table (about $40 profit after buy-ins) to bring me up to $99.

Ok right.. my story ends there now for the rules! lol

These are simply what have been working for me.. and it is not a long list but definately something to consider.

Stay patient! I can't count the number of times I busted out of a tourney early because I made a stupid play that I had no business making. Lately I can attribute at least 1 1st place and 1 2nd place to patience alone, waiting for the right hand/position to make my move rather than pushing with the first Kx I get(in usually BAD position) and getting busted by a Ax caller with 5x my stack.

Stay focused! Some people need to watch every hand, others listen to music, or like me reading poker strategies to keep me thinking about how I should be playing while I am actually in a game! For the most part I am still watching everything that is going on in the current hand but I am keeping my mind on GOOD poker habits...

Stay within your BR! Any new player will say yes I understand it's so easy... NOT I said the same thing but still found myself uping the limits of a tourney to make up for the last 3 losses... AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS

Take Notes! Online poker has 1 great advantage over live play... you can write down everything if you want too... PLUS you can keep notes on players through the site itself for later use. Just last night while playing a 5 table I had notes on 3 people I ended up at the same table with and can't begin to describe the diference this made! I just started this but I think it is a higly under-utilized tool that alot of people are not considering.

But most importantly HAVE FUN! This is a game after all... sure there is money involved but why do anything if you don't enjoy it? When poker starts to become a chore or unenjoyable past time it is time for a break... trust me I have needed at least 2 over the last year, and only year, I have been playing online.

Anyways I'll stop here... take it for what it is worth. I am no expert. These are just a few BASIC skills that have helped me to become a more concentrated poker player over the last couple months! Plus give credit where credit is due.. THANK YOU FTR! You really are the best poker forum on the internet!

[chris_1069]

I guess I should also say my initial goal when I started was to make as much money as posible without ever having to deposit any real money. So far over 1 year I would say it has been a success.... lol

But more importantly a learning experience

[drmcboy]

Learn BR mgmt

Stop paying 20% rake

[fasin8ing]

Learn BR mgmt

Stop paying 20% rake

I asked.
Will someone please share if you wouldnt mind some goals that pertain to my situation ? I am very optimistic.. Ultimate goal - Move up a level .. properly. I work 8 hrs a day ... I have a wife, a house, a dog. How much should I be devoting a night to poker where I will be getting the best out of myself? Can anyone please share ???


Then I asked.
My second goal would be to learn how to sustain a winning rate at the 5's .. Can anyone advise on this?
Can anyone help me with this goal ?

I do not see how the rake pertains to the second goal. Good advice . I will eventually move.. How do I sustain a winning rate at the 5's?

[fasin8ing]

My second goal would be to learn how to sustain a winning rate at the 5's ..
Can anyone help me with this goal ?

If you attain your first goal this should be a byproduct of that.

The thing with setting goals is that you have to have an action plan to attain those goals. For example you can have the goal to "Play your best everyhand", however what are you going to do to achieve that goal? Are you going to calculate pot odds before making every call? Are you going to analyze every HH to see where you are NOT playing your best?

You can't just say you are going to play your best without defining that that means to you.

Gator.. Your action plan was ??????????????

[drmcboy]

have you read the BR mgmt thread? That's step one.

Are you asking for a one sentence answer to "How do I win at poker?"?? I think you know better. We're all helping you every time we reply to a post.

[Warpe]

Ultimate goal - Move up a level .. properly.

Learn BR mgmt

Stop paying 20% rake

[Scuba Chuck]

Here are a few basic things I specifically see absent from your goals. What is your ratio of playing to studying? I mean, if you don't want to study, then poker is really more of a leisure activity, and should just be approached like gambling.

Next, how and what are you going to study? I seriously do not think that reading FTR should be a component (or at least, should only be a small component) of study time.

At this stage, IMO, you should have a 1:1 ratio of playing to studying. That being said, anything worse than 2:1 is poor.

Final note: This is very very common. Often times while studying you will make mistakes trying to apply new concepts. Don't let that discourage you, these mistakes are part of your learning curve. Also, I am not so against playing the $5+1s on Party, but recognize, this is not a bankroll builder. Playing breakeven on the $5+1s consistently should minimally be considered a success. If you have a 10% ROI, that translates to a potential 20% ROI when you immediately move up. The only reason to move to PStars is because you want to play their games long term. Since I think Party has more stocked fish along with a few other things, I would prefer to be there long term.

[GatorJH]

My second goal would be to learn how to sustain a winning rate at the 5's ..
Can anyone help me with this goal ?

If you attain your first goal this should be a byproduct of that.

The thing with setting goals is that you have to have an action plan to attain those goals. For example you can have the goal to "Play your best everyhand", however what are you going to do to achieve that goal? Are you going to calculate pot odds before making every call? Are you going to analyze every HH to see where you are NOT playing your best?

You can't just say you are going to play your best without defining that that means to you.

Gator.. Your action plan was ??????????????

Actually, I have not set any goals for my poker playing, however I have set goals in life many times.

[biondino]

Do you just want us to tell you how much money we think you should aim to make? Because I don't think you're yet a winning player. You say your aim is to become, one, well yes, that's great. But to have a thread outliing the eways in which you do is effectively asking us to incorporate the whole of FTR into this one thread for your benefit!!

Read poker books, read FTR, and use the concepts you learn about in low-stakes games. Clearly you've been doing a lot of reading - great, start putting it into practice. There is no magic formula to making you a better player - only YOU can do that by selecting the best bits of advice you receive and using them.

[biondino]

Oh, and you should be ensuring poker fits into the rest of your life, not the other way round. Don't neglect family, friends and responsibilities for what is, effectively, a feckless and selfish hobby.

[Renton]

Play micro ring. Learn the discipline to play 10-12% of hands. Most new players (and I am not saying you do this, but its possible) have EXTREME trouble laying down hands like AJ and KQ preflop. Learn to make laydowns like this. Be super-tight with your starting hands, and super aggressive with the hands you do play, and you will kill ring.

These skills transfer directly over to early stage SNG play. Learn how to play ultra tight and use this tight image to steal pots during the mid-late sections of the SNG. Read Harrington on Holdem I and especially Harrington on Holdem II to get your endgame SNG skills up to par.

You will then be a winning player.

[Warpe]

Goals:

Don't do this:

For the last 3-4 weeks you have ate slept and shit poker.

Instead, pay more attention to this:

I work 8 hrs a day ... I have a wife, a house, a dog.

Which will then give you the balance in life you need to answer this:

How much should I be devoting a night to poker where I will be getting the best out of myself?.

Unless you are planning on becoming a pro at some point , keep the game recreational and only devote the amount of time to it that you would any other recreational activity. It's only poker.

[FlyingSaucy]

Send me your hand histories and I'll go through them and PM you exactly what I would do in those situations, and why. It is a good way to learn. I admit I am not a pro or anything, but I have the $5's conquered looking at my stats from before I moved to the $10's and eventually now the $20's.

[ProZachNation]

I say move to Stars and play the 5.5s or the 6.5s(turbos)

Single tabling playing A game poker and actually contemplating hands you will come out ahead. I have seen your posts you know how to play poker. Just keep your head in the game and actually have a checklist for every choice you make.

*What do I need to do now?(Your position in the tournament always be aware of where you are)
*What do other players need to do now?(I have lost presicous chips many times putting in a raise on the bubble where I am 80% sure a guy is going to push knowing I wont call his push. This is a leak)
*What position am I in?(SnGs rely on the use of position more than cards. You dont play enough hands in a SnG to rely on cards coming you need to make chips using your position)
*Your hand
*What your oppenent could have
*How the board effects your hand
*How the board effects your oppenents possible hand
*How the board looks to your oppenent.

I may have left a few things out, Im tired so I might edit it later. But if you can go through a checklist like that before you make a decision you WILL be able to beat the 5.5s on Stars(or Party for that matter)


Good luck man

[fasin8ing]

Send me your hand histories and I'll go through them and PM you exactly what I would do in those situations, and why. It is a good way to learn. I admit I am not a pro or anything, but I have the $5's conquered looking at my stats from before I moved to the $10's and eventually now the $20's.

What told you you have the fives conquered?

Could you go sit at a 5 right now and win?

[FlyingSaucy]

I can not absolutely guarantee that, of course. However I could sit at a 5 right now and safely bet you 1:8 that I would win, and 1:2.5 that I would be ITM. My ITM% from the 5's is 44%, and my 1st place is 13%. My sample size is about 200 games, so that is limited, but that is only because I moved up to the next levels and haven't looked back.

[FlyingSaucy]

OK, just got home and checked my stats. I'm wrong about the 44%., and other stuff too. I must have been thinking about my 10 stats, not sure where I pulled that from.

Anyway, here's the actual run down.
First off, I'm talking about UB sngs, which are 10 player, not 9 like stars, and the blinds progress slower, so I favor patience.

1st 18%
2nd 9%
3rd 13%
4th 7%
5th 10%
6th 15%
7th 9%
8th 6%
9th 7%
10th 6%

so itm is only 41% there, and also, my 1st place was much higher here than at the $10's. The $10s I struggled badly with 4th place finishes, which is the opposite of my 5s. Could be variance.

Another fun option might be to log in to a game at a given time, and i can IM you my hands real-time and you can watch how i play them. not that I am the best or anything, but it might be interesting.

[fasin8ing]

Do you just want us to tell you how much money we think you should aim to make? Because I don't think you're yet a winning player. You say your aim is to become, one, well yes, that's great. But to have a thread outliing the eways in which you do is effectively asking us to incorporate the whole of FTR into this one thread for your benefit!!

Read poker books, read FTR, and use the concepts you learn about in low-stakes games. Clearly you've been doing a lot of reading - great, start putting it into practice. There is no magic formula to making you a better player - only YOU can do that by selecting the best bits of advice you receive and using them.

Define a winning player.. I have won .. a few times..

[fasin8ing]

have you read the BR mgmt thread? That's step one.

Are you asking for a one sentence answer to "How do I win at poker?"?? I think you know better. We're all helping you every time we reply to a post.

No No Drmc.. I never said you werent.. I was saying.. My BR is what it is .. Because when I lost 3 in a row.. I quit for the night. I never risked more than 10% on a given day... I have read the thread. I go balls out though and play 30-35 single table SNG's in weekend period.

[midas06]

A winning player is one whose total profit eclipses their total buyin (for SnGs and MTTs).

[Laeelin]

Stay within your BR! Any new player will say yes I understand it's so easy... NOT I said the same thing but still found myself uping the limits of a tourney to make up for the last 3 losses... AVOID THIS AT ALL COSTS

Can NOT be stressed enough.

Unless you are planning on becoming a pro at some point , keep the game recreational and only devote the amount of time to it that you would any other recreational activity. It's only poker.

Even with the goal of turning pro, you still would need to keep it it down simply because of all the other commentments in your life...

Family > Work + School > Poker ... It's just that if your planning on going pro one day then Work and Poker will become the same thing.

Read Poker Books

Buy HOH1 and HOH2

Skip lunch for a week if you need to

[fasin8ing]

Alright, I am traveling on business for a week.. I have 1 week no poker playing.. Only studying. Recommend something I havent read and recommend something else to make me a better at poker the following week. I have lots of free time. Please dont recommend something that is already covered in these books. I have read them a few times.

Sklansky ALL.
HOH vol1 and 2.
Caro Fundamentals of winning poker.
Tournament Poker Mc evoy.