reviewing 09 and looking forward to 10.

I haven't really been playing at all over Christmas holidays. I decided it was time just to a break from it and get ready for having a big 2010. Earlier this month I was pissed off things weren't going my way this month but i hadn't had really bad month for a long time so maybe it was due.
Looking back at 09 I have come along way and learnt so much about Poker and what it actually takes to make a living from Poker. In the jan-feb I was playing $27-$38 18mans and doing ok but i realized that hadn't built a my career on solid foundations.I then went looking for a coach for some advice and found Vers. Vers got me playing $6,$12 45mans and was making good money. In August i managed to a win a live tourney for £1300/$1800 which then paid for my holiday to Florida. When I got back from Florida i want to play 18mans in the morning as the $45mans weren't making enough money for me and $12 weren't filling up. This is when I got introduced to reasons14 and he has also taken my game to another level.With coaching from this two very good players/coaches i have seen an amazing transformation in my game.(theres still plenty of room for improvement). The only downer this year was i wasn't really happy with the results that I either wanted or showed the true reflection of where my is atm. The result were just ok.

2010. targets:

To make +£30k for the year.
To get up to playing $27,$38 and $60 18mans
Start staking on PTP
To win a live tourney in Europe +£100 buy in
Travel Europe more overall
To have my own place buy/rent.
retain Supernova status on Stars
(I want to add to list but yet decide what)

bye notts..hello vienna

Well i have decided against playing Notts this weekend and instead I am going to tackle 3 tournies in Vienna,Austria in Jan. Two 100euros and one 200euros which i am selling stakes off. At the moment I have sold 35% of the 50% planned. I'm really excited about it because its not just a chance for me to play 3 tournies abroad for good money but its also going to a be great adventure/holiday to a new country. I want to start to conquer the live tournaments in Europe and England more in 2010. 2009 was a good year for me playing live so I feel this is another form of income. I am trying to win a seat at the moment for the European masters in Gran Canaries for the end of jan. The sat's are playing so soft its ridiculous. Most of the players are sat winners as well. So I should have a good edge going into the tourney.

Online this month has been shocking. I guess everyone has bad months and this is my first month down since feb. Ok i know i had months where i haven't made much but thats been because of my volume or holidays etc. I guess i have to be patient at the $16/18mans as it has been to a slow start on them. I can kill the $6/18mans but if i am to improve my game and make good money I must play the $16's. I'm playing well at the moment and I am just getting ridiculously unlucky.

Happy Christmas!

looking forward to Nottingham

This month to put nicely has been the worst month for a long time for me. The Only thing that I have got to look forward to this month poker wise is the £100 Nottingham that I ft last month. I might do some other smaller buy-in live tourneys as well but with Christmas coming and the need for a new laptop I know i can't go mad.

I'm still being staked but I have been moved down the $6/18mans due to my bad run. I have always been someone who likes to be moving forward so going back the $6/18mans is liking banging my head against a wall. Trying to make a living at the $6/18man is possible if you get in a good volume and on your own bankroll but if you are being staked its like playing $1 or $3. I think the most frustrating thing atm is I know that I have the game and confidence to beat the $16's and I was so determined to break even this month which is coming harder to do at the $6's.

I'm looking for to my xmas traditions this year with my friends. we all go to this massive shopping center this weekend, xmas eve is a Chinese meal and boxing day with have big party which is always awesome.

I was planning to play football/soccer this weekend but its now snowing so maybe not.lol

At least I have Supernova rackback.

I pretty sure that December is going to a be write off. I am in a bigger downswing that I ever thought was possible at 16s/18. I never understood the saying with sport teams "they have forgotten the winning feeling"..I do now. I think i have only had the one winning session all month and its become the norm that I finish a session down. I am delighted atm with a break even session.. You don't have to a be a poker expert to see that i playing well and getting bad beats in most tourneys. The only motivation for playing this month is getting the Supernova rackback. I think otherwise I would want to top of myself. putting in volume is so hard when running so bad.

I am trying to set goals in my life that don't involve poker at all. I have always been guilty of getting tunnel vision on something and forgetting other important things. I really want to learn a language but I haven't decided which one yet and I been watching a sport on tv for a couple of years which that looks really fun,cheapish to take up with funding and you don't need to playing the sport from an early age. which is the case with most sports. I don't want to say the sport because it i don't do it then I look like an idiot.lol

regroup and start again

Well I started the month with the biggest downswing for the amount of games played in my career. Its really strange, its almost like everything you have learnt and studied means nothing. When your AA's,KK's,QQ's etc are losing more than winning along with losing when you have people crushed and then losing every coin flip. I don't think anyone can plan me for not wanting to put to big sessions in.I know people will say "play more and get out the swing" but it can really suck the motivation out of you and then you just end up playing not focused. I have taken the day off to forget about it and do something completely different. I am staying positive and confident as much as possible in which is probably my biggest test so far.Since I turned pro I have realized it's not all about turning on laptop and firing up a couple of tourney and seeing how it goes. What makes a pro is someone who stay focused and motivated through the downswings,plus be able to pick themselves up day after day of sick beats. Along with the fact that one month you may not make hardly any money at all.

I watched the World Cup draw today which is always exciting. Its funny watching it and seeing what it means to so many countries and people. Its the only sporting event in the world that can be every country involved to a stand still...apart the US. England drew US,Algeria,Slovenia. I'll take that.