Second to One Income - £1k/month in 6 months from practically nothing

That's the winning spirit! I can attempt to point you in the right direction, if you wish. I've sent you a friend request.

Originally posted by AlphaVillain
That's the winning spirit! I can attempt to point you in the right direction, if you wish. I've sent you a friend request.

Hey, thanks for stopping by. I will take as much help in line with my goals as I can get, thank you for offering AV! I appreciate it. How would I accept this request - is it the buddy button under your post?

Hey sol8921,

To accept AlphaVillain's friend request, you'll need to go to your community tool.

Cheers

Laz

Click on your name in the upper-right corner, and then click on "Invites". You can also see new friend request and message notifications on the PokerStrategy home page, in the upper left.

Thanks Lazza, I can't believe how helpful this forum's members are.
I went to the right place AV but haven't received your invite - I will try sending one.
EDIT - I can't send an invite to you unless I'm a Bronze member.

Hi Sol,

Welcome to the blogs!

That's a very ambitious goal you have set yourself, but don't be afraid to chase it.
If you have already been playing for a while, you may have noticed that SNGs are a quite variance-heavy format, so don't be disheartened if you encounter a few downswings along the way. As long as you keep working on your game, you will come out on top in the end.

Best of luck!

A Quick Note on Exercise
I'm not looking to focus much mental energy towards my physical exercise during this period of time. I expect to lose some body fat, gain some strength and better my cardiovascular fitness in the time - just on guesswork. It shouldn't be too hard to do as I've had a lay off from the gym due to illness recently so there will definitely be improvement.

I will be going to the gym straight after I've finished work, as it gets very busy later in the night...and transport is an issue as I don't have a car.

In addition to the gym, I will be doing quick morning sessions (on non-gym days) consisting of "air" squats, press ups and crunches. These I will incrementally increase the reps of.

That pretty much sums it up, if you have any comments, questions or suggestions,be my guest!

Today's update, short and sweet:

What didn't go so well today:
-Spent a lot of time dawdling after the gym listening to music
-I didn't push myself to make the most of my gym session

What went well today:
-Been to work: I work 7:30-15:30 at the moment and don't get back untilabout 16:20.
-Have tried installing Sidekick, but it doesn't seem to work for me
-Installed ICM Trainer with Harrier's help
-Been to the gym. Low intensity session with light calf raises, cardio (13 min run) and some whacky pyramid on tricep focused dip machine. If I go to the gym then I'm back anywhere between 17:15 and 18:15 depending on the session.
-The picture below is the work-in-progress of the three spreadsheets I am currently doing. I'm not the best with Excel so I'm trying to figure out a formula where I can calculate total sleep time in hours and minutes by using the start sleep and end sleep times. If you are of that skillset.....

?1 EDIT: Click the link, it appears I can't post the image directly viewable in this post.

Tomorrow's goals:
-Buy 2 Christmas presents
-Finish off my list of things I need to detail so I know where I stand with them during the 6 months e.g. studying, time management, reflection, personal life etc.
-Set goals for the first 2 months
-Go for a double date with my girlfriend and her friend and friend's partner

I will go to sleep today at: 23:00
Tomorrow's day starts at: 6:30AM

Originally posted by Harrier88
Hi Sol,

Welcome to the blogs!

That's a very ambitious goal you have set yourself, but don't be afraid to chase it.
If you have already been playing for a while, you may have noticed that SNGs are a quite variance-heavy format, so don't be disheartened if you encounter a few downswings along the way. As long as you keep working on your game, you will come out on top in the end.

Best of luck!

Thanks and welcome to my small section of the forum ♦!
Also thank you for suggesting that I create a blog.

I agree, it is very ambitious but as the adage goes: "Size matters" - I know I am capable but the test here is the discipline and perseverence required to achieve it.

I have had a few downswings already but obviously with $1 buy-ins the psychological impact won't be as great as with larger amounts, but I do recognise when they occur. It will be a steep learning curve knowing how to deal with them effectively.

Hey Sol,

Unfortunately you are restricted by your status. Getting Bronze status is as simple as taking advantage of one of our free money offers. This will cost you nothing and will give you lifetime Bronze status.

Bronze will give you a tracked room to earn SPs, the ability to send friend requests and PMs through our community tool. You will also be able to post images and graphs directly into your posts, as well as opening up more strategy and videos.

Here's a freebie

Originally posted by sol8921

Cheers

Laz

Thanks for the info Laz, I've posted in one of the threads on here to find out what the best poker room I should join would be, based on Harrier's recommendation. Therefore, once I know that I shall be able to get a tracked account. I look forward to the additional abilities and information!
(Thanks for the freebie also!)

TODAY

You might be wondering how I'm progressing today. If you are you'll be glad to know I bought the two Christmas presents within about 15 minutes so that a brilliant way to start the day.

On to the juicy bits then...

So I have defined the following areas in my plan:

-Exercise (finished off the spreadsheet quickly): My exercise will done to maintain and slightly improve body fat, cardiovascular fitness and strength. I will stick to a simple workout and just increase the variables throughout the months. Each morning that I do not go to the gym, I will be doing squats, crunches and press ups to start the day off with focus.

-Sleep: I am basing my sleep on a certain Kripke who identified in the study that he delivered that around 7 hours is the optimal amount of sleep per night to have a long life. I also read somewhere that it was a perfect amount of time for, more critically (priorities huh?!), optimal mental performance during the awake period. This is actually quite a luxury for me, as I have been having usually about 5.5hrs sleep a night on average so I'm looking forward to the improvement. The extra time bed might seem good but it feels like my day is so much shorter but if I can get more done in that time, it doesn't matter at all.

Social life: I know drinking will be a problem in the first month or so as i already have FOUR nights out lined up. What I will be doing is drinking as usual but drinking more water and preparing myself with "scientifically proven" hangover cures which should get me back to regular focus ASAP. After this stint of drinking there won't be anymore drinking until I hit the half way point to my target.

Motivation leeches: I have identified motivation leeches so I can know straight away in my head what I am going through and work to improve it.

Dealing with bankroll downswings: I still have a lot to learn about this but I have identified some general steps I can take to try and get out of one (mainly taking a step back from it all and reminding myself what I should be doing).

Goals: I have set goals for the first month, mainly educational and then slowly introducing an increasing load of putting it into practice.

I haven't quite managed to finish this, and my girlfriend will coming back from work in an hour or so and then I'm out for the evening, so I will try to get as much as possible done in that time.

So...

What went well today?
-Bought the two presents easily and at a great price! ♦
-Worked all day and produced a good outline and bits of detail for my 'business plan' as such
-Had a healthy food day. I voluntarily cooked myself vegetable...unheard of!!
-Did 15 crunches, 15 squats and 15 press ups consecutively

What hasn't gone so well today?
-I spent more time than I should have looking for meal ideas
-It took me 1hr 30mins to get ready this morning, which is unacceptable. YES I am actually a guy.

Goals for tomorrow
-Up at 6:30
-Get ready in 30 mins!
-Spend 2hrs finishing off the plan
-Day with the girlfriend

The action starts on Monday!!

Quick updates on yesterday:

-Managed to get my diet sorted. Plenty of fruit, vegetables and unprocessed foods
-Spent the rest of the day with my girlfriend. It got boring towards to the end and I wish I could have been working towards my goal instead.
-The week ahead is looking fairly busy: watching girlfriend play netball as I said I would a while ago, need a haircut to keep it smart, and need to pack for the weekend as I'm going back to my 'hometown' on Friday evening

Goals today:
-2 or 3 hours of study broken up by an hour of actual poker
-phone back my grandmother

Done today:
20 consecutive reps each of squats, crunches and press ups

It starts today.

Quick update as had a drawn out day due to transport and other issues.

Didn't get to do as much study as I'd like but I'm starting my way through the Strategy articles and taking the quizzes until I get the answers 100% correct. I did two articles, the first took me 4 attempts, the second took me 2. They were Odds and Implied Odds - it has given me a better understanding of how they work and when to use them.

I tried to apply it in the 2 games I had after but mostly I found I didn't have enough time to calculate it. I think this is mainly because right now I'm feeling very tired and also the figures at a poker table are a lot more random and tougher to calculate/estimate. My mental maths needs to be sharper for sure!

So I played two games, $1 buy ins.
First game - 2nd place
Second game - 1st place

Here's a nice hand that made me ever so slightly happy:

What went well today:
-Studied even though I was tired and run down
-Did 20 consecutive (sort of) squats, crunches and press ups)
-Played two games and came in a good position whilst trying to apply pot odds and implied odds
-Fairly good day at work

What could I have done better?
-Managed my cooking time better

Goals for tomorrow:
-Gym
-Collect my train ticket to go "home"
-Get cash out so I can have my haircut on Thursday
-Study as much as possible and leave time for only ONE game

Time for me to say goodbye and...goodnight!

Originally posted by sol8921
I did two articles, the first took me 4 attempts, the second took me 2. They were Odds and Implied Odds - it has given me a better understanding of how they work and when to use them.

Do you mean these two articles? These are actually meant for cash game players, the same concepts can't be applied to single table SNGs, where you have to be more careful with your draws.

It can't hurt to get acquainted with this subject since it's part of the basics, and you should be familiar with the amount of outs for the most common draws, ideally also with the odds for them, but playing these draws in the same way as you would play them in a cash game would be a mistake.

To quote from the article on The Principle of Diminishing Chip Value: "A chip you are about to win in a SNG is not necessarily worth as much as the one you're risking to win it."

Congrats on your quad aces by the way, nice pot!
It is usually pretty rare to get paid off that well with this kind of hand (even though I assume that this was a preflop all-in).

Originally posted by Harrier88
Do you mean these two articles? These are actually meant for cash game players, the same concepts can't be applied to single table SNGs, where you have to be more careful with your draws.

It can't hurt to get acquainted with this subject since it's part of the basics, and you should be familiar with the amount of outs for the most common draws, ideally also with the odds for them, but playing these draws in the same way as you would play them in a cash game would be a mistake.

To quote from the article on The Principle of Diminishing Chip Value: "A chip you are about to win in a SNG is not necessarily worth as much as the one you're risking to win it."

Hi, Harrier! Those are the two articles I meant - I didn't realise that they were meant for cash games, as there seems to be different sections for different types of poker. Confusing! Thank you for pointing that out.

I have wondered what exactly that meant, as the principle is something I have read but it seems to avoid saying outright what it means - I'm sure reading the article will help me to understand though. Would you recommend then to play tighter than these articles suggest for SnGs?

Congrats on your quad aces by the way, nice pot!
It is usually pretty rare to get paid off that well with this kind of hand (even though I assume that this was a preflop all-in).

Thank you! You were right, it was pre-flop. I wouldn't usually do something like that, but the circumstances I felt were in my favour as both players were playing loose enough for me to be comfortable making that decision. Turned out great, I agree!

On another note, I didn't get to sleep last night until 1AM as I burnt 3 of my fingers and part of palm on my hob, so spent 2.5hrs under the tap and trying remedies as it just wouldn't stop burning when not under the tap! Disastrous as it ruined my plans for the gym and I only got just over 4hrs sleep - I still did squats and crunches in the morning though. As a result, I didn't get money out or collect my train ticket as I would do that after the gym (location).

As a silver lining, more study and practice time!

What went well today:
-Three articles and revision of yesterday's materials done. Continuing with this to get a solid foundation
-Played one game, 3rd position. Went All-In on the turn with AA with a fairly safe board and he calls. His hand is 8-10o, he has pair of 8's, river card comes as a 10. He was raising on nothing ALLL the time....why is it always those ones that win?!

Goals tomorrow:
Revision of all articles
Watch girlfriend play netball

best of luck with your goal hope it goes well for you

Originally posted by sol8921
I have wondered what exactly that meant, as the principle is something I have read but it seems to avoid saying outright what it means - I'm sure reading the article will help me to understand though. Would you recommend then to play tighter than these articles suggest for SnGs?

Yeah, it is typically better to avoid unnecessary risks in the early phases of a SNG. The strategy that is outlined in this article should be a good starting point.

I do recommend reading the four articles on chip value, since this is a fundamental principle in SNGs. If there is anything in particular that you don't understand, feel free to ask.

I also noticed that you received a reply in the Choosing the right Poker Room for you thread. In addition to what Crimson said, keep in mind that we have two different offers for you if you decide to get started at Pokerstars. There is the free $20 offer and the classic deposit bonus. I'd advise you to take a while to read through both offers and decide which one suits you best, I assume it mainly depends on how much money you are willing to deposit. And please make sure that you follow the instructions closely, I actually screwed up at this point once and lost my chance to get a tracked account over there.

Originally posted by paulie2sups
best of luck with your goal hope it goes well for you

Hey Paulie (I feel like Rocky saying that)! Thank you for the well wishes, don't be afraid to come back here ♦

Originally posted by Harrier88

Originally posted by sol8921
Yeah, it is typically better to avoid unnecessary risks in the early phases of a SNG. The strategy that is outlined in this article should be a good starting point.

I do recommend reading the four articles on chip value, since this is a fundamental principle in SNGs. If there is anything in particular that you don't understand, feel free to ask.

I also noticed that you received a reply in the Choosing the right Poker Room for you thread. In addition to what Crimson said, keep in mind that we have two different offers for you if you decide to get started at Pokerstars. There is the free $20 offer and the classic deposit bonus. I'd advise you to take a while to read through both offers and decide which one suits you best, I assume it mainly depends on how much money you are willing to deposit. And please make sure that you follow the instructions closely, I actually screwed up at this point once and lost my chance to get a tracked account over there.

Thanks for the advice Harrier; I don't have time to fully reply to your message (getting ready for work) but I will definitely have a look and almost certainly do what you have advised as you know better than me =). (I had a look in your journal, good luck with your goals by the way!)

What went well yesterday:
-Signed up to Pokerstars using the match your deposit offer
-Watched the girl play netball: she got player of the match and her team won something like 34-13.

What didn't go so well:
-Dawdled for too long
-Didn't manage to read any articles

Goals today:
-Clean flat
-Pack for weekend
-Haircut
-Read through one article and revision of others

Have a great day everyone!

Speaking of Pokerstars, there is one more thing I should point out: Their terms and conditions prohibit you from using the ICM Trainer while your Pokerstars client is open, so please make sure to exit the client before you run the program. They are actually capable of detecting what software you have running in the background.

While we're at it, I think it might be a good idea to add one training session with the ICM Trainer (100 hands maybe) to your daily practice schedule. Just remember to set the program up for your type of tournament, and also remember to reduce the "Hero Edge" slider, which is found near the bottom right corner, to zero every time you use it.