Solid first year in the books. Really was only 8 months playing time as I started March 1st and had 2 other months with pretty much no volume. Was nice to prove to myself that I can make a living from this game. It was by no means perfect but am very happy with the overall results. Looking forward to 2025, I have some clear areas to focus my attention on:
1. Study study and more study. Getting better at strategy will forever and always be high on the priority list. If you aren't improving you are falling behind the guys putting in the work.
2. Increased volume while still maintaining a high level of gameplay. My volume this year has been quite low. In order to increase my bottom line, I need to play more games. Playing well at a higher table count has always been tough for me but i'm slowly getting there. This year has seen a marked improvement in my multitabling skills and I aim to progress even more this coming year.
3. Maybe one of the most important things for me for 2025 will be Mindset. I have been digesting a ton of content regarding poker mental game lately and now realize I have a massive leak in this department. Self sabotage is something that effects a bunch of poker players and i'm definitely one of them. I'm trying out a few different strategies to improve my mindset right now and even looking into hiring a hypnotherapist to help work through some of the issues I have while playing. I hate to admit it but I often go off in chat berating other players and really don't understand why I do so. I'm willing to invest a lot of money to fix this issue. I have already reached out to Eliot Roe's business to see if I can work with him or one of his coaches. Things like feeling anxiety during gameplay should not be an issue for players but it is for a lot of people. It's only a game but when somebody 3 bets you 2 hands in a row, emotions start to come up for a lot of people and they may respond by acting irrationally and making sub optimal decisions. Maybe it goes back to some form of bullying from my past and that's why I feel personally attacked when things are going against me or facing aggressive actions. Anyways I think the important thing is that I am now very much aware of it and am willing to put in the work to make things better.
4. Meditation + Breathing Exercises. This has been my best year yet in these areas and I aim to continue these practices for the coming year.
5. Fitness + Diet + Quality Sleep. These are so important for a pro poker player. They all tie in together in the sense that, without any one of these, you're energy levels will be off while playing culminating in sup optimal results and poor decision making. Not being physically fit will mean being fatigued at the latter end of your session. Eating the wrong foods during a session will make you tired/sluggish. Not getting enough sleep/quality sleep is a huge deal. There is no way to play at your best after a bad nights sleep. So i'm actively working on all these to ensure I can bring my A game to the table as often as possible.
Bucket List Items/ Goals for 2025:
1. 6,000 mtt entries
2. 50 sessions of one on one or group coaching
3. Go to the WSOP for the first time
4. $80,000+ Profit
5. Post a 5 figure score
6. Try to enjoy the process as much as I can and not be hard on myself or others around me. Life is meant to be enjoyed.
March 2024- Year End 2024