2012 New Years Poker Resolutions

Well, 2011 has come and gone, and now 2012 is upon us. As is usual, it's time for that annual rite known as banging one's head against the wall, New Years Resolutions. Yes, most resolutions end up getting tossed by the wayside within the first few days of a new year. We've all been there, done that. This time around, however, I believe it's important to take some "get better at poker" resolutions seriously and make an honest effort to implement them. Why? Because the whole fubar of legalized online poker looks to be coming to a head this new year. When--hopefully not if--online poker becomes safe and legal in the USofA, I predict there will be a huge influx of new players. Another way to say this is: Fish, and lots of them. So it's important to prepare. Let's all sharpen our spears and bait our hooks in preparation for the fish returning to the pond.

So in the spirit of preparing for a big future fish fry, and without further ado, here are my top fifty 2012 poker resolutions, presented in no particular order of importance. I hereby resolve to:

1. Cold call less.
2. Put my opponents on hand ranges before the flop.
3. Narrow my opponents' hand ranges after the flop.
4. Steal more.
5. Steal less.
6. Continuation bet as a function of board texture and ranges.
7. Not play above my bankroll.
8. Play more MTTs.
9. Embrace the Zen of Folding.
10. Play more SnGs.
11. Fold in Omaha.
12. Memorize in Stud.
13. Focus in Texas Hold'em.
14. Watch at least one full poker training video per week.
15. Listen to at least one full poker podcast per week.
16. Not focus on results.
17. Think of poker decisions in terms of Equity and EV.
18. Use a "preflight" checklist before playing.
19. Play in position more.
20. Play out of position less.
21. REDi, REDi, REDi.
22. Learn how to run Hold'em Manager filters.
23. Use HEM LeakFinder regularly.
24. Configure my HUD pop-up to better match my LAg style.
25. LAg it up more-- when appropriate.
26. Play more live poker.
27. Restart/attend weekly poker lunch/strategy meetings.
28. Post more questions on 2+2.
29. Post more answers on 2+2.
30. Spend less time reading useless 2+2 threads.
31. Think before acting.
32. Be more aggressive.
33. Coach other players.
34. Bet/Fold the River more.
35. Win my way into a 2012 WSOP event.
36. Write poker how-to's.
37. Read poker books.
38. Tilt less.
39. Produce 12 poker training videos.
40. Build online bankroll enough to play comfortably at $200NL.
41. Pick my spots better.
42. Do post-mortems after each session.
43. Balance my range against thinking opponents.
44. Value bet against fish.
45. Don't bluff fish.
46. Play fewer, but better session.
47. Take more notes during a session-- and use them.
48. Post on this blog two or more times per week.
49. Remember to enjoy the game-- even the bad beats.
50. Fry some fish.

Hope you and yours have a safe, happy, healthy, and profitable 2012. And remember what Aristotle said (presumably after his aces got cracked for the third time in a row by Plato and those damn two-outer suck-outs of his): "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."

All-in for now...
-Bug