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2010 is going to be the year that makes or breaks my \”career\” as a poker player.  It is going to be the test of whether I am capable of playing poker for a living.  If I can prove to myself that I am capable, I will be leaving my job, and from January 1 2011 I will be a pro-poker player.  If there is any doubt, I will be confined to my office, and I may even quit poker completely.

Before I look ahead to the challenges that I have set myself for the coming year, I must look back to 2009.  It wasn\’t a great year pokerwise.  I struggled to manage my bankroll, played when drunk, took ridiculous shots, and let my ego get the better of me.  I think the ego was the thing that killed me.  Every great poker player needs to believe that they are the best player in their particular speciality.  But one must also recognise that you must work hard and be fully prepared and focused in order to bring that A-game to the table.

On the positive side, this was the year that I really discovered how to beat Heads-Up NLHE cash games, something that had eluded me in the past.  I think to play professionally, this is going to be a key form of the game.  It continues to grow in popularity and, crucially, you can win money at a faster rate with the correct table selection.  I just have to stop the ego telling me that I can take on anyone in the world, and look to play the weaker players more.  Along with HU NLHE, 6-max PLO is going to be a game for me to play seriously in 2010.  PLO in 2009 was a disaster, but I\’ve studied the game a little more now, and feel comfortable, at least at low stakes.

So, the target for 2010 is to play 500,000 hands of online poker.  250k HU NLHE and 250k 6-max PLO.  I will be starting fairly low – $0.25/$0.50 – but as my bankroll builds I\’ll be moving into the midstakes, $2/$4, $3/$6 and maybe even some $5/$10.  I think it\’s going to take about 2hrs/day HU NLHE (2 tables) and 4 hrs/day PLO (4 tables) , playing 250 days of the year.  That\’s 5000 \”table hours\”, 1500 actual hours.  Hard work, but crucial to determining my future.

Not the most exciting blog post ever, but important to set out my goals for the year.  Next up, I\’ll outline my motivations for wanting to turn pro.