2007 Poker Review, 2008 Poker Forecast

First of all thanks for all your cards, telegrams of support and wearing of good karma bracelets – the downswing of last month is over. I started to “run good” and play good again and I’m making my way back. It helps when you have hands like the one I had last week where I flopped a full house, my opponent turned a bigger full house and I rivered quads (a first in my memory of 11 years of cash play); I guess there is such a thing as running good I’d almost stopped believing.

As I write this it’s almost the end of the year. Don’t know if that applies to when you’ll read it as I’m basically date dyslexic i.e. I have no idea how time relates to itself; this is a particular problem in remembering birthdays, cookery and when running a bath. If I have to recount anything from my childhood I’m always 13 – this is not always accurate and is inappropriate in some instances just plain illegal in others. Anyway seasons greetings and happy new year regardless.

This is a time for reflection, contemplation, good tidings to your kith and kin, mellow fruitfulness and tiny baby gods in golden diapers. Poker in 2007 for me has been a game of two halves. Off the digital tables I’ve had a very lucky year. I’ve met a lot of my poker heroes, done a lot of the work in poker I’ve wanted to and – critically – danced in Doyle’s hat. On the tables it’s been frustrating. I’ve managed to make money but it’s been a grind. I’ve battled against a horrible downswing and having limited time to play due to other commitments which has definitely affected my play.

At the end of each year I ask myself two questions. First did I make money and did I make as much as I should? Of course poker is all about the long term and mathematically a winning player can have a losing year but it’s really not something that should be happening – especially if playing online and seeing so many hands. In 2007 I made money from poker but definitely not as much as I could or probably should have.
The second question I ask is – am I a better player than this time last year? This one I can answer a more emphatic yes to. I definitely have a far deeper understanding of the fundamentals of no limit and my 6 max game (this time 3 years ago I was playing full ring online) has come on a huge amount. I have faith that if I apply what I’ve learned in 2008 the results and cash will follow. Hope you can answer yes to both those questions for your poker year.

So that’s 2007 out of the way – done and done. Welcome 2008 the year of some random mammal assigned by the Chinese – I’m gonna guess Chaffinch.

I’m not into New Year’s resolutions. The chances of anybody changing an ingrained behaviour just because the calendar’s flipped over into another year seem pretty remote. Particularly as they’re trying to improve themselves January the month that’s best endured under a duvet with a bottle of scotch. However seeing as how this column isn’t going to write itself (I’ve tried that and no luck so far) here – for the record – are my new year’s resolutions. They’re mainly poker based with a few others thrown in an attempt to suggest I have a life beyond the felt (which I do not)….

I will keep the caveman in his box for all of 2008. Goodbye positive tilt – hello calm rational decision making when in front.

I will not cancel meeting friends because I’d rather play poker

I will not start smoking

I will play in the world series of poker main event. Having contributed enough in satellite entry fees over the course of my poker career to make it necessary for me to win it to break even it’s about time I actually sat down in the thing.

I will not miss work deadlines because I’d rather play poker

I will exercise more. Not because it’s good for me but because apparently I’m running the London Marathon in April (to sponsor me go to www.justgiving,com/nickandkj – it’s for the kids) and at the moment I can run 3 miles. Apparently the race itself is longer than that.. a lot longer.

I will not cancel dates because I’d rather play poker

I will quit sessions when I originally planned to and not carry on into the small hours and definitely not through the night and well into the next day. I will especially not use the argument I used to use on my parents that if I miss my bedtime it’s in the past so it doesn’t apply and I can stay up as long as I like – or at least until the next bedtime comes round.
(this one will be lucky to make it out of January)

As we all know most people’s resolutions are like a player that suffers from tilt. He starts out with good intentions every session then gets a good hand cracked and is lost in the red mist of haemorrhaging chips. Most resolutions start out with good intentions and are done by mid February. Good luck making some good 2008 poker goals of your own and I hope you manage to exceed every one – unless, of course, you’re sitting at my table.

Originally published in Poker Player magazine.

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