Since this is my last blog of the year, it seems fitting for me to make goals for the new year. Generally I’m not that big on New Year’s resolutions but this year is different. There really are so many things I need to improve on but first this past year was my best year ever.
January started off with my usual trip to the Bahamas for the PCA. I didn’t fare so well in the tourneys but it’s the freakin’ Bahamas. I mean, how bad can it be? In February I had my biggest score ever (2nd in the $5k FTOPS for $475k). Pretty surreal score. Granted I was on the stake but regardless it was amazing for me. Went to Gasparilla, Tampa’s version of Mardi Gras, and then moved out to Las Vegas towards the end of February. Enjoyed living there for a bit, playing my first $25k main event at Bellagio, and then jaunted off to Monte Carlo for an EPT. This was the first time I ever experienced serious jet lag and I was on an atrocious sleep schedule. Didn’t fare well and was planning on leaving the day of the $5k 6max when Amak convinced me to stay for it. Consequently, I final tabled it and took a nice chunk out of my makeup for $65k in the literal last tournament I would play before the World Series started.
The World Series didn’t go well. I went 2/19 and both cashes were for the minimum. After that I was a bit dejected and took time off from poker in general. In August I moved to Los Angeles, got back on the grind, won the $50r for $40k and regained my confidence. Played well at Legends but bubbled that. In September I grinded the WCOOPs and had 6 cashes in 21 events with my deepest run a 24th. Definitely would’ve been nice to final table one of these events but you can’t have it all. Shortly after, it was time for the awesomeness that is Aruba! It was a blast. There are so many memories from this year and last year’s. It just keeps getting better and better. After I got back from Aruba, I went to Las Vegas for the Caesars $5k and got 12th. Having gotten the live bug again, I flew across the country to Foxwoods Casino and final tabled that event getting 9th for $75k. Another solid cash. In December I went back to Las Vegas for the Five Diamond Poker Classic and really enjoyed myself. I didn’t do well pokerwise but City Center had just opened so it was like a vacation within a vacation.
After that, I flew home to Fort Lauderdale for the holidays and that brings us to now. I’m ready for 2010. Bring it on! I’m looking to outdo 2009 as the best year ever for me. Here are my goals for 2010:
-Play at least 20 hours of online cash games a week. I really slacked on this one this year. Cash games are the truest form of poker and in order to get better at poker you have to be well versed in cash games. I am not, but I will be next year.
-Eat better. Work out more. Live an all around healthy lifestyle. This year I really tried harder than ever before and that still isn’t remotely close to what I actually could be doing. Eating good is by far the toughest thing for me and I am really going to have to buckle down to do it.
-Win a bracelet, WPT, EPT, or main event of a big tournament series and final table 3 major events. 2008 was great to me in live poker but 2009 was lackluster and I still managed to almost break even. I’m looking for big things in 2010!
These are my goals and it’s the first time I’ve really set goals for myself. Guess it’s the new decade approaching. Oh, and for what it’s worth, when I say 2010 I say after the PCA. The PCA is basically the end of the year bash for all poker players even though it’s at the very beginning of the new year.
Alright, well guess that’s it for me in 2009. See you in 2010!