Let me first introduce myself. I am Michiel, 35 from the Netherlands. Since 1998 i love playing poker. Besides snooker it always have been a big hobby of mine. When i started playing, i started like anyone else with playing freerolls. I got through some +3000 fields, reached some final tables and getting a couple of dollars. Grind it up to $25,- then playing way over my bankroll and losing it all.
Eearly 1999 i wanted to change this, and i got a couple of books, about Limit Poker. Small Stakes from Sklansky & Ed Miller. I really stuck to the knowledge teached, and, still young and living alone, i started playing Limit Hold'em every night. Not sure what my results were, and no hand histories present, but i was succesfull and build up a roll from $100,- starting money to $1000,- in probably half a year or so, just playing/grinding 0.5/1 & 1-2 dollar Limit Hold'em.
Then i started playing No Limit, and ofcourse i lost it all. Since that time to problably early 2010 i played about 500.000 hands. Depositing, winning, grinding STT succesfully for some periods, and losing it again on playing bad No Limit, eiter full ring or 6max. I bought loads of books, read and still own the best of them (Think Harrington on Hold'em) and i started using Hold'em Manager.
But the conclusion was, i am still a losing player, and what started with the dream of easy money, has now shifted to just a hobby where i want to grow in, get better in, but i do not want to put money in it, or spend a lot of time on it, every evening so to speak.
So to cut things short, time for a fresh start, to see if i can improve my pokerskills.
Since i am working as a manager, i can benefit by treating my poker as a bussiness as well.
You start with a bussiness capital. In this case i subscribed to BadBeat, where you can get a $20,- starting bankroll.
Next we do a SWOT analysis:
Strenght: I like to talk/think/read/play poker. I always go over hands i played after i played a session.
Weakness: I get tilted/irritated when i receive bad beats, and i have difficulties handlings the swings of your bankroll combined with playing well.
Opportunities: Because i start on a rather "unknown" site, i expect the level of play, especially on the low levels, to be easily beatable.
Threats: Easy, throwing away my bankroll because i don't keep to the rules of bankroll management, or by tilt/bad descisions.
I can also do a SWOT on my poker play:
Strenght: I can play tight without any problem, and using position, or mixing up my play by for instance 3betting air to counter stealing by the CO/Button.
Weakness: My biggest weakness is that i to often call a 3bet, out of position, with problem hands, for instance K10s.
Opportunities: My agression, in position, can be much higher. more raising of folding instead of calling. I know this depends a lot on opponents/board texture etc, but it is something i need to be aware of.
Threats: I often call the flop to bluff the turn when i sense weakness from my opponent. Especially on the lower levels this is a waste of money. There are better spots to get money.
When i get hands under my belt, i will write more blogs, going into more details in the SWOT.
Ultimate goal -> a bankroll of $1000.
This way i can play what i like, when i want to without risking my whole bankroll on 1 table/tournament/stt.
Subgoals:
- On average play at least 100 hands a day.
- Play 2000 hands and reach Top Up #1
- Play 4000 hands and reach Top Up #2
- Reach a bankroll of $50
- Reach a bankroll of $100
- Reach a bankroll of $150
- Reach a bankroll of $200
- Reach a bankroll of $250
- Reach a bankroll of $300
- Reach a bankroll of $350
- Reach a bankroll of $400
- Reach a bankroll of $450
- Reach a bankroll of $500
- Reach a bankroll of $550
- Reach a bankroll of $600
- Reach a bankroll of $650
- Reach a bankroll of $700
- Reach a bankroll of $750
- Reach a bankroll of $800
- Reach a bankroll of $850
- Reach a bankroll of $900
- Reach a bankroll of $950
- Reach a bankroll of $1000
