Hey TPE!

As 2016 has now started it’s time to set some goals for the upcoming year as we all do at this time!
Last year was not the best for me by a long stretch, bricked every live tourney (around 8 so small sample) and an online downswing. The live tourney results were the biggest disappointment after the results I had in 2014.

I’ve taken some time this year to think of my goals and how they fit into my overall life and what I want to achieve in the bigger picture. Ultimately that is to provide a secure life for my family. So how to achieve that?

This breaks down into 2 fundamental parts for me – Financial security and Health.

You could say that I am already reasonably secure financially. I have a decent job that pays a good salary and I don’t spend more than I earn. But like most people, I always want more. The main goal for me this year is to be the best poker player I can be, with the aim being to win an EV adjusted 20bb/100 hands across all the MTTs I play this year. My recent sessions suggest this is attainable if I push myself, so that’s what I’ll be doing! If I play this way throughout the year, the hope is that poker becomes less of a hobby and actually becomes my primary source of income, even if I only earn $1 more than I would at work!

The health goal is going to be the tougher of the two goals! For years I’ve struggled with my weight fluctuating but always on the plumper side! This year my other main goal is to lose 4 stone/56lbs/25.5kgs. There are obvious health benefits to losing such an amount (20% of my current body weight, I know, what a slob!) but this will also link in to the poker goal above. Look at the majority of the best players in the world right now, at least 90% of them look like Olympians! There has to be something in that doesn’t there? I’m not saying that I’ll lose weight and become the best player in the world (we need to save something for the 2017 goals am I right?!?) but it can only make a positive improvement, can’t it?

So how best to achieve the goals? Well for poker its going to be mainly by playing, my game is in pretty good shape right now and (I feel) getting better every day! I’ll also be putting the work in off the table with training vids, HH reviews, HRC and in the Skype groups I’m in in order to plug the leaks and improve my game even more!

For the weight loss it’s going to be an improved diet and the Gym! Switching out all of the leaks (Chocolate/Crisps etc) and replacing with fruit or going without and hitting the gym 3 days a week, plus an Auqafit class with my wife once a week! The aim is to lose 1.5lbs per week, which I realise is more than 56lbs total but there are holidays and other trips to consider, so the reality is that over the year I’ll need to lose more than 56lbs!

Other goals for challenges along the way:
New hendon mob scores – as I said, 0 cashes live in 2015, must do better
A new live trophy – I have one, I want more (one of those shiny UKIPT ones, but I’m not fussy!)
To grow my Twitch stream – I’ll be playing Low stakes MTTs every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, come say hi! ……tv/alpike

I’ll be trying to keep this updated on a weekly basis with my progress, hopefully I can achieve most of what I’ve written!

Allan, Pikey2003