Can't wait for 2010! (false optimism ITT)

Well 2009 was a cool year.

I feel at the start of the year I was a bit lost as to what direction and things I wanted to go but as fate had it I ended up playing poker once my final couple of half hearted job applications got declined. I’m in the fortunate position where my parents are happy enough for me to play and where there is nothing else in the world that I would want to do to win the bread.

After the honeymoon period in the south of France ended, it was time to get down to the real grind and after a final week of SNGs to see off the Paradise promotion I finally made the long awaited switch to cash games starting at NL50. I breezed through NL50 and it only took 55k hands at NL100 before I jumped in at NL200 which is where I am now. So far I am feeling incredibly comfortable there after 30k hands and even decided to punt off 5 buyins at a few NL400 shots. I’ve got some work to do there but that’s only if I can get away from my new crack that is MTTs.

I’ve been on and off with MTTs since I started playing poker but having had a +$28k December where my volume was almost entirely MTTs, I think at least for January i’ll give them a spin up since i’m off to Australia anyway.

Speaking of holidays, 2009 was another fantastic year for them. The Cambodia/Nam trip at Easter with Sweir/George was so fucking epic it was ridiculous. I don’t think I need much more elaboration on the also epic trip report I did after if you look under the April 09 section of this blog. In August I had the good fortune of organizing and spending a month in the ridiculously ballin’ Cote d’Azur which I didn’t blog about as much as perhaps I could have but needless to say the nights in Jimmyz/Palais/the house were all fucking brilliant. Estonia at the end of October and have 2 friends bink the tourney then get absolutely smashed in the club compliments of Stars was brilliant. Then to top the year off myself and Gwen headed to Edinburgh to join Tommo/Flash/JD+housemates+friends for a pretty awesome new years eve in the pubs, clubs, and casinos of the city. The street party was perhaps a bit overrated, but a tenner for the fireworks, atmosphere, and queueing for toilets was definitely money well spent, or as the casino regs would say “value”.

2010 has even more to offer on that front! I’m off to Australia on the 12th January for the Aussie Millions as well as Big Day Out and the Oz Open. I’m planning on playing 7 of the tournies at AM and Lily Allen is playing at BDO so lots more banter to be had there. After that we’re off to Hong Kong for a cheeky 10 days to check out Sweirs azn pad and probs hit up Macau. March/April the plan is currently to hit up some ski resort, possibly EPT Snowfest then over to Monte Carlo again for the EPT there. June 20th myself and George are booked in at the Rio in Vegas for 15 days of WSOP where we are gonna try and not do the lot off on craps. The Rio did have the good will to comp me 5 nights and discount the rest of the nights so it’s nice to be wanted. Then in September we are back to the south of France, this time Villefranche-sur-Mer where we have a villa for 4 weeks as well as the obligatory trips to neighbouring Monte. No doubt the odd trip to Estonia and Prague will be thrown in just for completeness.

On a personal front, Gwen and myself had some rocky moments over the year but things are looking really good right now. Although we’ve both been slacking on the blogging front, she’s searching hard for jobs and degrees to do but in the mean time is getting by with just a few hiccups in Stroud. There were periods in December where I was suffering pretty bad depression and even forced myself to take 2 days off. I thought it was cos I was living at home but I think i’ve found a new lease for life and I think it’s important to always have something to look forward to as a next milestone. For me it’s the holidays so that’s what i’m doing, constantly searching for some ridiculous hotel in an exotic location. Recommendations welcome (not Cuba or any of this backpacker nonsense though please). It’s also the reason i’m going to stay living at home. I reckon that to move out i’ll spend an extra £15k or so just on rent/food etc where as it costs my parents like £3.5k to have me at home cos they’d pay the mortgage whether I was there or not. While i’m very fortunate to have them not request any money for living, even if they were it just means I can take double the holidays with the money i’m saving! Bit of a shrewdie I am…

Anyway, onto the goals nonsense… I read a post on 2+2 that said goals shouldn’t be financially orientated because “thats kinda retarded”. None the less, the reason I play poker is for money not for EV so you’re getting a money goal.

1) $100k
2) 300 working days

So that’s it, nice and easy. Every year at university I wanted all my goals to be poker orientated but I put in the degree ones anyway. Now it’s guilt free grinding. If I make $100k tax free in my first full year as a graduate, I will be an extremely happy bunny. Who knows, I might just bink a tourney in Oz (BOKBOKBOK).

Anyway, happy new year

Rupert Elder : 01 Jan 2010 21:42 |  Tags: Emo Shit Poker |  Comments (3) |  Report a problem