January Results

One month in and so far things have gone very well. I ran fairly good for most of the month although I ran in to some variance in the final week where I pretty much broke even and ran approx $2k under all in EV. This trend seems to have continued into February as I've just completed my biggest ever losing session at about -$600. On the plus side I also had my biggest ever winning session this month at over +$1k.

Unfortunately I didn't manage to meet my volume goal, finishing at 784 games according to sharkscope, although my HEM has it at 827. Room for improvement. I was also lucky enough to achieve 3 gold stars on sharkscope, although I don't expect to maintain them throughout the year and it won't be on my list of goals.

[  ] Play at least 1000 SNGs
[  ] Maintain an average stake of $35 (nearly)
[X] Join the gym and go at least 3 times a week (16 times)

January Goals

I am focussing on 6-max SNGs on Pokerstars:
1. Play at least 1000 SNGs
2. Maintain an average stake of at least $35
3. Join the gym and go at least 3 times every week

At the moment my goals for 2011 are as follows (these may change):
1. Play at least 10,000 SNGs
2. Achieve Supernova by June
3. Achieve an average profit of at least $4
3. Earn at least $40,000 before bonuses

Going Pro

It's January 1st 2011 and it's my first day as a professional poker player.

So how does it feel to be a 'poker pro'? If you enjoy player poker then there's a good chance you've day dreamed about doing it for a living. You can be your own boss, work whatever hours you choose and, if you're good enough at it, make a lot of money. What's not to like?

Certainly for me the word 'pro' in the context of poker has long carried a certain romance. You see it plastered on the covers of poker magazines and thrown in your face by articles about teenage poker-made-millionaires. But for me the appeal really boils down to a single word. Freedom. Freedom from the 9 to 5; freedom to make life decisions on my own terms; freedom to spend time with friends and family and invest time in hobbies and interests; and, hopefully, freedom from most of my financial worries.

Sound too good to be true? It probably is. Will I really be free, or simply a slave to a new master? Can I really continue to enjoy the game now that I've turned a hobby in to a job? Most importantly, is it a good way to spend my life?

Not easy questions to answer, hopefully time will tell. This blog will document my progress as I give 'going pro' a go.