2011 Recap and 2012 Goals...

As the title may suggest - I've completed my goals with respect to 2011 and poker - Supernova Elite status, one of my goals since December of 2009, has finally been reached. It feels a little weird more than anything else to accomplish something I've been working toward for so long - I expected a feeling of relief, of satisfaction, of something good, but instead I'm left with this awkward feeling - like something I've pushed towards is now out of the way and I don't know whats on the other side... On the other hand I am happy that next year's chase will be an easier one - My bankroll can sustain the swings of just about any SNG I choose to play, and I have the confidence to jump into any of those games as long as I feel I have an edge and gamble it up!! I accomplished a good bit this year, even a little bit more than I would have guessed at the end of 2010...

2011 Poker Accomplishments -
-Supernova Elite Status
-2 Live NLHE Final Tables, resulting in 1 WSOP Circuit Ring from STL
-Significantly raising my Average Buy In (ABI for poker players)
-Adjusted/beat STT's both 6 and 9 max

That pretty much sums up 2011 with respect to poker, but looking toward 2012 is what I'm excited about and looking forward to! One of the primary things I look for in anything I do is development. I never want to be in the same place for long and I always want to be moving forward, that being said Supernova Elite is Pokerstars highest VIP status, and simply getting more VPP's next year, although it would mean more money, would leave me relatively empty if it were the sole feat for 2012. For this reason my VIP goals for 2012 will be simple - Maintain/achieve Supernova Elite status again. Once we step away from the VIP program - we can focus on what I'm excited about, balance...

2011 basically saw me neglect my health, my diet, and my exercise in the pursuit of VPP's. Now that my average buyin is much higher - and I have a much better understanding of what it takes to obtain Supernova Elite status, I feel much more prepared for the grind, and feel I will accomplish it with much more free time throughout the year. This time will not be spent watching television, playing video games, or sleeping, instead it will be spent focusing on those three very important aspects of my life. As a poker player, my typical routine (when I don't have my girlfriend over, or get hammered with my brother and co..) involves waking up at 9am, brushing my teeth, throwing on sweats, and stumbling to my grind station prior to eating... I will then sit there, sometimes until 3-9pm depending on how I feel before eating anything, and then (in pain) migrate to the fridge and consume everything I can.. Then, depending on the time, I migrate back to the grind station where I play until an hour or so before I go to sleep, when I eat for the second time and wind down with studying my play or watching half of a movie... Sooooooo, as you can see, I don't move around much, and hitting the gym daily doesn't exactly count as exercise, its more like catching up on the movement a normal person has that I just don't.. In addition to focusing on improving my health, 2012 will also see me shift one day a week to MTT's, as I believe that playing a variety of games not only will improve my play, but will also reduce the monotony that comes with grinding the same games with the same regulars day in and day out. The last adjustment to my grind schedule will be phasing an additional day out of SNG's and into PLO (Pot-Limit Omaha) cash games. The reason for this is the same as the ones above, but its also because I want to continue to develop and grow as a poker player, and I feel that learning the other poker games is a much better way for me to do that than earning an extra 1,000,000 VPP's. I feel the reward from learning and beating PLO will be much greater, and the demand on my time and monotony of the challenge will pale in comparison, making it (at least for me) a very superior option. This will be my primary focus for 2012 aside from the 1,000,000 VPP's for reaching Supernova Elite once.

2012 Poker Goals -
-Supernova Elite
-Dedicate Sundays to MTT's
-Dedicate Thursdays/Happy Hour days to PLO and Get better at it with Push
-Hit the Gym every day, to run or lift
-Play the WSOP Main Event
-Help Nick/Brandon (Frenzuh/Mazurite) achieve their poker goals in 2012 as I can
-Update my blog every Thursday
-Spend less than $50,000

That pretty much sums up my goals for poker during 2012 - My dedication to the game will remain the same, I'll still be playing seven days a week with very few days off (0 unless I'm puking and missing a Canucks game, something I managed to do in 2011..) unless I'm travelling somewhere... Going to try and spend more time with my brother and his fiance as well as focus on my relationship with my girlfriend... Beyond that I wish all of you the best with completing your goals in 2011, and good luck at the tables and with whatever you pursue in 2012!!!