Setting Personal Goals and the Sit N Go Challenge

About two weeks ago, for whatever reason, I got incredibly excited about this random idea I had. The premise was basically playing in a preset number of sit n gos for various games and tracking the results much more closely than usual. I decided that 10 was a good number to experiment with. For someone like me, who goes into swings on playing sit n gos, I felt that 10 was a good number for getting my feet wet. I also feel that 10 is a good number to show consistency. You can win 1 sit n go fairly easily, you can cash in 5 sit n gos if you're running well, but 10 sit n gos is a solid way to show how things are working for you. I also decided that since I'd be playing different games, the buy in should be something fairly small that I can easily afford (remember, this was just an experiment). I came to the conclusion that the $2 + .25 games would be perfect for the test. Finally, I logged into FTP and checked out the possibilities. I knew that I wanted a variety of games, as well as 1 table sit n gos. I also figured that since No Limit Hold'em is my best game and the one i'm most comfortable with, most of the games should be Hold'em variations. So here is the list and the results:

• 6 handed NL Holdem: 2nd place=$4.20
• 8 handed HORSE: 1st place=$8
• 9 handed PL Omaha H/L: 2nd place=$5.40
• 6 handed Turbo PL HA: 4th place=$0
• 8 person heads up NL Holdem shootout: 1st place=$10.40
• 8 person heads up Turbo NL Holdem shootout: 8th place=$0
• 6 handed PL Omaha Hi: 5th place=$0
• 9 handed NL Holdem: 2nd place=$5.40
• 9 handed Turbo NL Holdem: 1st place=$9
• 9 handed PL HA: Didn't play because the game never filled up!

So, all in all, it was 9 sit n gos. After this experiment was over, and even during, I realized that these results were amazing! I had already made back my FULL investment of 9 sit n gos by the 4th or 5th match! After it was entirely said and done, I'd spent $18 on the sit n gos ($20.25 with entry fees included) and I'd made out with total prizes of $42.40 which made a net profit of $22.15. Needless to say, the results exceeded my expectations. I was realistically expecting to come out even or a little better, maybe like $30 total at the most. While my results were super impressive, there were various factors to consider when thinking back on this success. One of them, and maybe most importantly, is I was playing well and avoiding bad luck. This was essentially the key to the whole thing. Playing well can only do so much for you, but this was a combination of running good and playing well for the majority of the hands played throughout all 9 matches. Also, just as I assumed when constructing the plan, I avoided boredom by playing different types of games. Most players that I can think of play ONLY Hold'em and cringe at the thought of even playing a new game. I feel that the other games have made me enjoy poker as a whole way more, and have helped my Hold'em game by developing the skills the other games teach. As of right now, I have a list of 10 new sit n gos and I'm ready to repeat with a few different games. My approach, however, is still the same. I still plan to come out even or slightly ahead. After two sit n gos, I have $0 for one and a $9 win at the other, so things are starting off kind've where they left off, but it's still early in the process.

On a broader scale, this is maybe the first time in my poker life that I've set goals. Reaching those goals and going above and beyond was almost as fulfilling as a big tournament cash. In some ways, it could be more rewarding than it appears. Since it worked once, I'm likely to try it again and see if I can come out on top again. This process has also taught me about the huge value of patience in poker which leads to not destroying yourself over short term success. For example, I basically got crushed in the 6 handed PL Omaha Hi sit n go taking 5th place. I was getting some decent starting hands and some good preflop situations. However, the flop would either bring nothing or some backdoor draw that wasn't worth chasing. My thoughts were like "How can you completely miss so many flops in Omaha?" After my elimination, I was upset, felt outplayed, felt stupid. But, in retrospect, I couldn't care less about that sit n go, and I don't even remember too much about it. My other results (long term results) overshadowed that Omaha table five times over. Everyone has bad days in poker, and if they didn't, then you personally would never have good days (think about that one). You just can't allow yourself to get down on your play, even if you have a losing day, you're maybe just losing what you WON last week. Even when you're upset about poker, there's two sides to every coin, and when you're running bad, your side never falls. It's about keeping your head up, focusing on the game, and the ability to move on from one hand to the next.