Mid 2009 review

Thought i'd better have a look back and see how i'm tracking for the year so far.

If I examine my goals from the start of the year:

Maintenance goals: (a continuation of what i'm doing now)

• Results: Average approx $1k per month total return (inc rakeback). I will be more than happy with a bankroll of $26k by the end of 2009, with half of that offline in some income earning investment. Ideally it would be good to produce this result with fewer hours played at higher stakes. Result: Not a single month has returned $1k although I am playing fairly significantly fewer hours than last year - probably 15-25 per month rather than 30-40. A relatively poor year on the tables with 4 losing months which were made profitable by rakeback/bonuses.
• Discipline: Only play on loose tables where I have good position on either a fish or maniac. Result: 100% achieved. I can't recall the last time i've stayed on a table where it's turned poor, or even sat in on a poor table
• Discipline: Play within my bankroll and keep tracking results. Result: 100% achieved - although i'm still not tracking Cake as I understand it is against their conditions
• Bonus chasing: Find at least one other long term site to play on (even if it a site I currently use on an irregular basis). Result: I probably should have recorded which regular sites I was on at the time of making this goal .... Now on Cake, Bodog, Fulltilt, and Pacific somewhat regulary. May add Microgaming to the list in the second half of the year
• Bonus chasing: Continue to research and take up the best bonus deals to maximise my return. Result: Have been a bit slack here as i'm a bit more settled in regular rakeback deals. That being said I still take up all added bonuses
• Research: Continue to check 2p2 and other forums a minimum of weekly for bonuses or specific site news and play advice. Result: 100% achieved
• Research: check out other's blogs. Result: 100% achieved
• Motivation: Maintain motivation through occasionally mixing it up with freerolls and double up sitngos. Result: 100% achieved although I am finding now that playing a lower volume is resulting in me staying motivated for as many cash games as I can get into
  Motivation: Do not push myself to play when I don't feel like it. Result: 100% achieved

Specific site reload goals:

• Play the Bodog monthly reloads until conditions change making them not worthwhile. Result: 100% achieved - still playing them
• Play the interpoker monthly bonuses until crypto is no longer EV+. Result: Unfortunately crypto is basically no more from my perspective
• Take up the cake reloads whenever offered. Result: 100% achieved - still clearing although clearance rates have halved, MGR deductions have also disappeared
• Pray for a fulltilt reload bonus .. I mean come on .. once every couple years sux. Result: My prayers go unanswered

New Goals from January 2009:

• Tournaments: Finally tabling at least two freerolls (mainly for the practice). Although having this goal probably won't change whether I do or don't enter tourneys. Affiliate tourneys always appear to be good value. Result: Fail - although haven't had too many to enter this year so volume is a problem. Not a priority
• Reading: Have a read of the harrington tourney books so that I can at least see the reasoning of why i'm making particular moves and apply it consistently. Result: Fail - and still not a priority
• Stakes: Get back into more $3/6 tables and at least take a couple shots at $4/8 on Bodog (and with any luck stay permanently there!). Result: Achieved. Have played a bit of $4/8 on Bodog where i've run super cold. However, am also playing $5/10 when the tables look good and results have been exceptional over a very small sample size
• Results: Improve my BB/100 by focussing more on seat selection than I did last year. Result: In theory successful. In practice - fail.
• Other: Am I going to get into no limit cash games? Doubt it. Result: Haven't
• Tracking: Get round to converting my PT database to SQL ... Result: oops. one day.

So ... apart from not actually having the best of results on the tables, i've still eeked out a bit of a profit every month which is somewhat reassuring. I've achieved or mostly achieved most goals that are a priority to me, so am happy with that as well.

Is there anything that I want to add for the last half of the year?

Well, not really. I'm hoping that my table and seat selection will start to show through in some more positive results on the table, and would like to also play a bit more at the $5/10 level, but those goals are both really encasulated in my goals from the start of the year.

Current bankroll: $18,950
Year to date profit/(loss): $3,150