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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Looking Forward to 2014


On this last day of 2013, and in keeping with the PokerBug tradition of overly-ambitious New Years Resolutions, here are my ten poker-related aspirations for the year that will be 2014:
  1. ABC Poker Training. A little more than a year ago I registered the web domain www.ABCPokerTraining.com. Haven't done much with it yet, nor is it anywhere close to being live (and, frankly, I'm not sure what I'm actually going to do with it), but the plan most likely involves a more formal collection of training articles than this modest blog affords, some videos, and maybe even a podcast or two. Probably a collection point for gathered technical information for a newbie book I'm putting together as well. Dunno why, but I continue to be fascinated with the process of teaching a new player this simple/complex/crazy/frustrating/rewarding game, and ABC is someplace I hope to get a little better organized in this regard. Therefore, the resolution for the new year is to poke at this puppy a bit and see if I can get something actually launched.
  2. The Blog. I feel I've done a reasonable job posting regularly herein, and the resolution for 2014 is to continue doing so. I would like to post more hand histories, plus keep up the technical articles I've been doing. More Bug Tips, too, along with another running diary of the build-up to [spoiler alert] WSOP 2014.
  3. WSOP 2014. Yep, I'm resolving on going back to Vegas. (Duh!) This year there will be no stated hard results goals (I'm not even resolving to min-cash), but I do hereby resolve to do the following two things:
    • Play the best tournament and cash poker I possibly can; and,
    • Have fun doing so.
    • A third possibility is to drag a friend or two along for the adventure (Mr. Multi? Helicopter Bob? Flyboy? GolfPro? Bueller? Anyone else reading this...?? :-) )
    • Finally, if it looks like Vegas can't work out for some reason in 2014, I'm going to make a concerted effort to at least play in the Arizona State Championship game up in Phoenix...
  4. Plug da Leaks. My two biggest leaks (as mentioned in last year's resolution number two here) that I resolve to work on in 2014 are:
    1. Impatience. This is really just a basic trait buried in my DNA; I can't sit still, I have a really hard time waiting for things/people/results. This means I get impatient with things like slow-moving MTTs.
    2. Bankroll Management. This is not a real problem per se (i.e., my life bankroll is more than adequate for the stakes I play at), but my actual online poker bankroll is not technically adequate to play where/how I do; this is exacerbated by taking money out on a regular basis (which is probably a result of getting burned by Full Tilt and the US Government). 
  5. SnG and MTT play. I want to play more of these (see resolution #8, below), but I need to get better at them. The name of the game for me in this regard needs to be stay ahead of the blinds AND accumulate chips. I think this (along with impatience (see above) and focus) is one of my biggest leaks, and therefore I hereby resolve to win, on average, more than one set of blinds per lap in all future SnGs and MTTs played. Seriously. No, seriously!
  6. Fitness. The one word that comes to mind about this perennial, impossible, ill-defined resolution is: sigh. The sad truth is that 2013 was not kind to my body, and I really need to find a reliable means to get my fat ass back in shape. This means a lifestyle change, especially given how much I travel (and what a horrible effect that has on my health). Diet, exercise, better sleep, stress reduction, flexibility... hell, they all need improvement. I therefore resolve to find and embrace a healthier lifestyle in each of the aforementioned categories. Seriously. No, seriously!
  7. Poker Videos, Podcasts, and Books. My 2014 resolution to actively learn/improve my poker skills is to: a) watch at least two full poker videos per month; b) listen to at least one poker strategy podcast per week; and c) read at least four poker books over the course of the year. And just watching/listening/reading ain't enough, either; the resolution is to actively study each, including taking notes, reviewing, and on occasion blogging about said topic.
  8. Practice Makes Perfect. I hereby resolve to play at least a) three perfect sessions of online cash per week; b) one perfect MTT (live or online) per month; and c) 3-5 perfect online SnGs per month.
  9. PLO. I'm currently having a lot of fun playing/learning PLO cash games, and while I'm still just a break-even player at this devilish enigma, er game, I believe that there are enough juicy situations (read: bad players online) that with a little work I could be beating the $25PL games for a tidy profit. Therefore, I resolve to become a profitable PLO player in 2014.
  10. Have Fun On and Off the Felt. As usual, the last and most important resolution is to keep on keeping poker fun. I still love this game, and I love even more the learning, writing, pondering, talking, and discussing of it. I also really enjoy receiving and answering emails from readers, and I sincerely hope that continues. Poker can be profitable, but that's not the (main) reason I play; the bottom line is that poker is fun for me, and I hereby resolve to keep it that way in 2014.
Well that's it. Another list, another year. Unfortunately, 2014 promises to be another hectic, travel-laden year for this Bug on the job front. Lots of family stuff also in the offing for the new year, plus a honey-do and project list that have fallen seriously in arrears...  ...but the truth is that's the way I like things. I can always sleep when I'm dead, right? Right.

Anyway, I sincerely hope all of your collective New Years are fun, safe, relaxing, and profitable. Cheers all!

All-in for now...
-Bug

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