anomaly16

The thoery of this one is simple enough - results for a given session, day, week, month, even year really don't matter. All that does matter is the long term and we shouldn't allow ourselves to be affected by results.

Personally, I find it really really hard to not look at results. Some will go to the extent of removing $ information from HEM/PT3, never looking at their online poker balances or graphs but I can't seem to manage it. In fact, I don't want to.

I've always been quite motivated/driven/obsessed by results and it is no different for me with poker. Its a bit of a cop out, but rather than try and look at them less I decided to try and work on the negative side-effects instead.

When results are going well it motivates me to play more, and I don't seem to allow it to affect my game in an adverse way.

However, when results don't go my way, especially after a 3+ day bad streak I find it much harder to put in volume and find the motivation to play. When I do play in this state, I'm aware that some of my decisions are not optimal and I'm probably a little desperate to turn things around and get back to "normal".

Next year I'll continue to try and improve when in this state rather than deal with the root cause. Especially in my early poker career when I need to prove to myself that I can make it work, results are rather critical. Perhaps in a few years and with a deeper bankroll to cushion any bad periods I can try and achieve a more zen-like state with regard to results.

This is another topic that I need to make progress with next year.

Grinding for a living is a pretty insular existence, working long and often unsociable hours alone. Talking with friends on AIM/Skype is good, but not a real replacement for the human contact you'd get with colleagues in a traditional job.

It's important for the mental side of poker to get away from the tables at times and obviously for your own sanity too!

As it has been my first year, I've approached it much as I would starting a business, in that its critical to put in a lot more hours than is probably good for you. I've probably averaged 7 hrs a day, 7 days a week at the cash tables and probably a lot lot more if you consider coaching, sweating, hh reviews, tournaments, live play, browsing 2+2, watching videos, studying and just talking and thinking about poker.

Its hardly a break from poker, but I try and get to the casino once a week to play a live tournament just for a change of pace and see some real people!

One of the great things about playing online poker is the ability to play anywhere and any time with only a laptop and internet connection. It affords great opportunities to do other things and travel so why not take advantage? Being able to go to Vegas for several weeks, even if it was a working holiday, wouldn't have been possible otherwise but more about that later.

This is another depressing fail for me.

Sleeping well, eating well and exercising can only be good for our stamina, concentration and brainpower. Unfortunately, sitting in front of a PC for hours a day doesn't lend itself well to a healthy lifestyle.

On the plus side, I can only get better at it next year!

This topic is a big fail for me.

Baz who coached me first religiously goes into "Do not disturb" mode in Skype when he is playing and may listen to music I think but nothing else when playing.

This is what I should be aspiring to, but I browse the internet, IM, watch TV and films and the truth is I can't be making the best decisions I can be when there are other things taking up my attention.

Again, as results have been good I haven't felt compelled to make changes, but I know I should be playing more tables (if I'm able to do other things at the same time) in shorter focussed sessions with regular breaks.

When I started out I planned to do a lot of studying. However, the past has shown me that I prefer to learn by trying things out rather than studying theory, and I haven't done as much this year as I'd hoped away from the tables. As results have gone well I haven't felt the need to apply myself in this area. However, as I move up it will become essential to have a greater understanding so I hope to establish a better routine next year.

Hand History Reviews

Reviewing hand histories is probably one of the best ways to learn, especially with input from others. Understanding what you did wrong and what you should have done can only make you play better in a similar spot another time. Many people advocate reviewing hands at the end of a session, but I haven't done this very often - usually only a quick scan after a really bad session to understand what I lost due to mistakes and what was lost due to general runbad. In the last couple of months I've started marking hands as I play and reviewing them weekly with El Nino and Perfection - with 2 other views to draw upon its really useful. Many post hand histories at 2+2, but I've avoided this as there is so much bad advice out there, and prefer to talk to friends on AIM/Skype instead.

Villain Analysis

Taking some time to examine the players you play regularly against can definitely pay off once you have a reasonable number of hands against them. At the most basic level, I'll review some of their ranges (EP open, MP open ... , 3bet, 3bet calling etc.) and then look at how they play sets and draws. On occasion I've tried to look into some more detail including cbet sizing in an effort to find a really exploitable leak, but with only a limited number of your hand samples going to showdown I'm not sure how much data you need to make this worthwhile. I meant to do this weekly when I first started this year, but it is only recently that it has become a more regular occurence.

2+2

Although some of the advice/strategy on 2+2 is a bit suspect, there are also some wonderful pieces of information: from the occasional inspirational post to the generally solid Concepts of the Week in the micro stakes forum, so it is definitely worth taking some time to read.

Watching Videos

I had planned to watch a lot of videos, perhaps 1 a week or more, but I've probably watched less than 10 this year. I'm not sure exactly why this is, but I know there are some great ones out there and I really should take advantage. Again, something for next year.

Pokerstove

For someone with a maths degree I really should understand some of the general theory better. I think with experience I have a pretty good feel for what is correct, but on the few occasions I've used pokerstove to check out the details I've found myself quite far off the mark. Pokerstove is a great tool for working with ranges and equity and I need to do this much more next year.

Coaching

Coaching is obviously a great way to learn in itself, but a coach can often help identify areas of weakness where study can help. Make sure you ask your coach for advice!

Thinking

Particularly for the mental side of the game, taking time just to think away from the tables can help. I often find myself thinking about a hand while driving (and still concentrating on the road obviously!) or listening to the Eightfold Path to Poker Enlightenment while in the bath.

As I mentioned ealier, the UK is a pretty good place to play poker from as you don't need to pay any tax. The Inland Revenue class you as "non-employed" which is a status no-one else has ever heard of. I think there will be some need to keep up with national insurance contributions but the research I did when I started suggested it wouldn't be for at least 2 years, and they certinaly haven't come after me for anything yet.

The only other thing to note is that banks (and probably any other finance company) won't recognise your poker income at all so don't expect to be able to get a loan/mortgage/remortgage no matter how pretty your graphs are. Even if you don't think you'll need it, circumstances can change, so it is worth thinking about what you would do.

If you are planning to play 9-5 then you need to be aware that these won't be the best hours for poker. Personally, I keep a pretty odd schedule and like to stay up late so it isn't a problem.

I don't think there is a huge amount to say about Game Selection, other than it is very important you get it right: from the poker site you play at, to the actual game and limits right down to the seat you are sitting in. As to which ones you pick (within Bankroll Requirements), its a very personal choice. You also need to be aware of the effect of the day of the week / time of day on each game and limit you play.

I colour code players when at the tables which makes it easier to select the good and avoid the bad tables. Simply, I just try and pick tables with as many bad (and preferrably deep) players as possible. There are tools out there to help with table selection, but playing as few as I do I don't normally bother with them - the only one I use on occasion is Table Scan Turbo. I tend to ignore the players/flop and avg pot stats in the lobby, although if you don't have any more information to go on, it can point you towards the better tables.

If you can't find tables then starting them can be a great idea, especially when the waitlists are full and there aren't many/any short tables running. Bad/casual players don't like to wait so you often find it filling with them as soon as the table gets going and you are in the best position to take advantage.

I seem to be a little more aggressive with seat selection than most - a luxury afforded by playing fewer tables, but picking the correct seat can make the spots you get into much easier to play and potentially more profitable. Ideally you want tight players on your left, and bad players on your right. It is pretty rare that I'll leave a table due to my seat when there is a bad player, but sometimes the conditions mean that it is going to be very hard to win pots or you'll have to be playing oop a lot. If it does get really bad I'll sometimes leave the table and rejoin the waitlist in the hope for a better seat.

If you consider the situation where there is one bad player at the table opposite you with no seats next to them, but there is an empty seat to your left I will often swap to that empty seat. It makes no difference regarding the fish at the table, but think how much better it will be if another bad player takes your old seat and sits to your right. Sure, it will often be filled by another reg, but for the times a fish sits, why wouldn't you want position on them? Being aware of the empty spots at the table and how it will effect things if filled can definitely help you make the most of a table.