CARDRUNNERS

I often marvel at the diversity of approaches and results in poker that CardRunners member's take. All CR members have the ability to make money at poker because of the strategy and skills taught on the site, but thats where most diverge. Some members go on to great riches within poker while others go busto. What defines what direction they will go?

I think there are 4 factors that influence what direction you can go:

1. What are your goals?
2. How disciplined are you?
3. How do you handle adversity?
4 How important is it to you?

The reality is its hard to get somewhere if you don't know where you are going. Defining clear and specific goals are a first step to achieving them. Sometimes the goals you lay out aren't the ones you achieve, but the act of attempting to achieve them have gotten you farther than you ever imagined.

Factors 2 and 3 are heavily related to one another. Once you have identified concrete goals, how disciplined are you about achieving them? If you encounter resistance on your path to achieving your goals, how do you respond to it? Some players will develop clear goals but deviate as soon as they hit hard times or get distracted by other goals.

Lastly, how important are your goals? How much does it matter to you that you achieve them. What are you willing to give up to accomplish them? This is a matter of motivation and prioritization. I must admit that when I was 18 or even 24 that I didn't have any clear goals laid out. I was just taking life one day at a time. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. But as a result, my expectations were also low. I didn't get frustrated too much with where I was because I wasn't really investing too much in getting anywhere in particular. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Today, I have clear goals before me. While life and poker can be complicated and throw lots of twists and turns your way, being disciplined and focused will help tremendously. I don't always know exactly how I will achieve them but I work at them every day. I have a good sense of my strengths and weaknesses and tailor my goals accordingly to those limitations. I have found simpliflying my objectives has made it easier to focus and get things accomplished. As I get older, I don't have the luxury of starting over so I cherish what I've built and look to protect it.


I'll use this blog as an example of what I'm talking about. In the background, I had been trying to influence other blogs. When that didn't succeed I determined to start my own blog. My goals for the blog were simple. I would post something significant every day. My posts would be a reflection of who I was and my perspectives. I would be interactive with those interested in posting comments. I am not competing with another blog on poker content or describing lavish lifestyles.

Some of my CR friends gently joke that my blog is too serious or filled with gandhi like observations. The subject matter may not be hip enough for them. But I am resolved to explore those subjects that most resonate with me. If that interests you great, if not thats fine too. Our goals don't have to be the same.

I respect the path each CR member chooses in their poker journey. If I can assist in some small way along that path, I feel honored.

I wish success to each member of CR. Those that succeed generally will have laid out clear goals, worked hard, and perservered to reach their goals. Obstacles may come up along the way, but they adapt or shift course and continue on their path. They don't get distracted along the way. They have a drive to stick with their plan no matter what. So what is your plan?

   Someone asked me what my new years resolution was, and I realized I haven't put much thought into it.  My goals are certaintly changing quickly.  After finding a few months of rapid success, I thought my goals would be to work my ass of to be the best and wealthiest poker player that I can be.  Now, I just want to be financially secure, and have fun while travelling around and playing poker, and of course working for CardRunners.  I am looking to move up in the stakes, but for now, I plan to stay in the midstakes for a long while, and eventually work hard to become better.  I am quite happy with $200/hr, and I want to work the low variance route until I have my "back-up plans" in tact. 

   My back up plan's mean: money in the stock market, starting a retirement fund, 10k in cash in my safe, and 10k in my bank account.  I think I can accomplish this pretty fast now that I am out of college.  Financially I am shooting for 300k, which I think is a bit low, but with the variance I seem to always hit, who knows.  A car and boat are absolute goals of mine.  I wish I could believe I could own both by June, in time for wakeboarding, but I'm really not sure about that.  I should have both by December no problem.  Owning a boat while being in Vegas would be off the hook, but obviously I need a car first, to tow it.

Lately my blog posts have been subpar, my most important resolution is to improve my blog quality.  I could easily do a daily or bidaily update, with hand histories, pics, and more exciting personal life stuff, but I have just been less motivated in posting here, and more motivated in playing (because I am in a tense downswing).  Once I am back on top I will certainly post frequently.

For CR, my work goals are:  Getting in touch with marketing people from casino's.  Making a CR pamphlet, which will sit on the magazine rack next to CardPlayer in local casino's, help host CR get togethers in LA and Vegas, and most importantly, to truly become one of the team and be excepted as a coworker by "the greats" (Taylor Andrew Ezra Brian Brian CTS and Mike).