I've been playing poker about 1 year now. I am looking to improve and get better at the game. I am trying to set some realistic goals for myself as poker is a hobby for me. I am not trying to make a primary or secondary income from it but I do enjoy it and by far it is my #1 hobby.

I play online on bovada and as many live games as possible. I built my bankroll up to about $2,000 all from live cash games and tournaments. I focus on cash games right now and haven't played many tournaments. Don't think I want to focus too much on tournaments right now. I enjoy playing cash games and hope to stay there online and live as well. Online I have been a losing player the first 6 months but the last 6 months I've gotten to where I am winning at 8BB/100 at 5nl and 6BB/100 at 10nl. I have played some 25nl but not sure my skill level is up to the challenge just yet.

It's really tough to build a bankroll at 5nl and 10nl where I can't get too much volume in as I work full time and have a family. At most I probably get about 10-15 hours a week in online playing 2-3 tables. I'v played about 85,000 hands online over the last year. To me I view the online games as training for the live games where I can play a higher stake with players that aren't much better than what you see in a 5nl&10nl online game.

I try to get to my local casino, about an 2 hour drive away as much as possible, I play 1/2 cash games there. I think the games are fairly soft, I can make a decent profit there. As I mentioned I've made my whole bank roll from live games. I realize I am probably going to make more playing 1/2 live than micro stakes online as the stake is higher and players aren't really much different in skill level than at the micros.

I spent alot of time this past year reading and studying the game. I purchased some coaching sessions from a poker coach. This really helped my game. I also read the Micro-small stakes forum and post hands there. This also really helped me.

Any advice on what I should look to get out of this hobby? Are there monetary goals I should set for myself? Given the volume I'm playing, how much time should I be studying the game vs. playing?

Goals I've thought about have been to get to where I can beat 25nl at maybe 5bb/100 and maybe have the skill level to play the 2/5 nl game at my casino. I probably need to increase my bankroll to play that game. I am thinking I need to get it to $5,000.

Are these goals too ambitious?

I am at a point where I am asking myself, "What's next?" I've learned a ton this last year. I think I have improved quite a bit but still have much to learn.

Also quality of life is important. I want to have balance in my life and not just think about poker during free time. I have a bit of struggle not letting my hobbies consume me. It's been that way in the past. I typically get burned out or lose interest after a few years and start looking for the next thing. I don't want poker to become this way.

Key words ... hobby, goals and balance ... I think you know the answers to your own questions, it's just a matter of implementing and disciplining yourself.

Before wife and kids I played lots of golf, basketball and softball ... I was lucky to find poker as a replacement to those activities that would've taken me away from my family. I (you) can play poker once your other commitments (balance) are taken care of.

Having both goals and balance can be an issue since you want to reach your goals but yet may not be seeing the progress due to time constraints ... or in your case, geographical issues.

I don't play online anymore and I'm not sure if I could handle playing 'for so little' $$ if it were to become more readily available/accepted.

If poker is truly a hobby you enjoy, then any profits along the way 'should' be considered a bonus and used to enjoy the hobby that much more in the future (move up).

Golfers have limitations, but that doesn't keep some of them from playing the back tees 'just because' once in awhile even though their score will suffer. It's a choice as to how to 'enjoy' their hobby.

I still struggle when my bankroll is going up. (Weird statement) I play looser and then things tend to go sideways and I have to go back to 'good' play again. It's the battle between wanting to be 'successful' at my hobby and just taking part of my hobby. I used to really struggle when I knew I was playing a short session, trying to force the action in an effort 'to fill' the session with all my expectations of any session.

As I said, you already know the answers to your questions. It's just being able to hold yourself accountable to those answers without excess mental anguish. GL

I am very similar to the OP in life and in poker.

I think the OP is doing very well and has the right attitude towards poker and life outside of poker.

There is no need to change anything!

What the OP needs is goals and challenges, to keep his interest and enjoyment at the fullest.

My advice: SUPER DUPER SOLID BANKROLL MANAGEMENT.

OP has the skills to succeed. Don’t be surprised when a downswing happens, and don’t suddenly change your game because of it.

When making that close decision for stacks, it is always better to be relaxed about the amount of $ at risk.

This is also a skill that most of your opponents, live and online, do not have.

As for a goal, I have chosen to pick a large monetary expenditure and devote my hobby towards eventually paying for that. It could be a car for one of the kids, starting a college fund, something big.

It *could* pay off the house mortgage. Poker scales up quickly to amounts that can pay off mortgages.

But NOT if you get bored and take shots at games you are not properly rolled for.

Answer and Robert, thanks for the responses. I appreciate the feedback.

Robert, I've seen alot of your posts in the micro-small stakes forum hand analysis. They have been a huge help to my game. Keep up the good work.

There are lots of bad bets out there. If you’re willing to put in some serious study time, poker can be a good bet.

I think you've gotten good advice. The only thing I would add is that poker is a game and a game should be FUN. If every time you sit down to play, or study, or watch a video, or post on the forum, or review your hands, you feel like you're having FUN, you're in the right place.

It's really really really really hard to honestly tell yourself you're having fun when your aces get cracked five times in a row or you lose 5 big pots in a row due to making a tough decision and making the wrong one, but if you follow robert_utk's advice of following super solid bankroll management those downswings will be nothing but a few grains of sand on a beach.

Also, the more and more you study and play the more you'll realize that getting aces cracked 5 times in a row is totally normal. I've only been playing for about 6 years myself and I'm pretty close to the point where so-called bad beats barely even faze me.

DaltxcoltsFan, you bring up a good point, I've been thinking about the "fun" aspect of poker recently. I think I get caught up pressuring myself to move up in stakes and get better and that makes me lose sight of why I am playing in the first place. I am playing to have fun as a hobby. Usually when I start pressuring myself the games starts becoming stressful and I start playing my B&C game.