Setting goals can help you achieve what you want. Playing poker is no different in this regard. Many players are content to stumble through a game, just meandering around. Setting specific goals can help you get better. Instead of playing just for the sake of playing, lay out what you want to accomplish.
Goals can help drive you on the felt. They can give you something to shoot for and will give you a good reason to continually work on improving your game. Potential goals can focus on the big picture or the details. Maybe you simply want to finish first in a pokerfreeroll. This is ok; you do not have to say you will win the World Series of Poker. When you set a goal it should be reasonable. If you come up with a big goal make sure you include some incremental steps along the way. For example, if you want to increase your bankroll to $2,000 and you currently have $500, map out how you want to get your bankroll to that level. That might mean grinding at lower stakes and playing poker tournaments. During a game or tournament it is good to have goals as well. Maybe say that by the end of the break you want to have a certain amount of chips. This can help you focus on the task at hand and play better poker.
If you are content to simply sit down and play sure you will get some fun and entertainment; you may even make a final table. Consider the difference having specific goals can lead to. Instead of floating around you can have a direction and idea of where you want to go and what you want to do. Creating goals can help you get better at poker. After all, what do you have to lose?
Joined: Mar '08
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 6714
so so true, not a lot you can add to that apart from dont make your goals unrealistic, would be intresting if people posted thier goals, for me I have many, I will before I hit 40 atleast take part in a WSOP main event, I will build my bank to 3k by the end of the year, I will crack that safe again :}, i have lots of outher goals such as master pink floyds shine on(full) increase my income by 1k per year, to get better educated, PMA is important in skill in life, so set goals and make effort to achive them. calmplay (great post) you may like this book, 7 habbits of highly effective people.
Joined: Mar '08
Location: Australia
Age: 49 (M)
Posts: 1158
true.just set my self a set of goals.see if it works.feeling positive already.you described exactly how i go about my poker.time for a change.dont get pissed if i beat you at the tables .
Joined: Jan '08
Location: Germany
Age: 38 (M)
Posts: 77
my first goal is to never deposit again,so far im on the right way i guess my sharkscope stats for luckyace show an average roi of 143 percent , i know it sounds unreal but i won a few bigger ones now. i think another thing that is important is game selection,try to find your best game.for example cash games require a complete different style than tourneys,because of the blind increasments and so on. on of my earlier faults was mixing up the games i played way too much
Joined: Oct '07
Location: Denmark
Age: 49 (M)
Posts: 109
Have found that setting goals that are time limit to near future gives me a good game plan. So I make goals for 1-2 month ahead and have an overall goal for the year. That works. It is normally something like: - get in the money in 2-3 tournaments - win 50% in cash game.
or similar.....very nice feeling when you at the end of the month can look at the goals and see you have achieved them
Joined: May '08
Location: Netherlands
Age: 53 (M)
Posts: 6197
My 1st goal is marry my girlfriend My 2nd goal is to fitness more, i fitness 3 times a week average but want to fitness 4,5 days a week.
My 3rd goal is a 4years long goal with poker: I want to increase my bankroll every month with at least 20% (average) After 1 year playing its $900. After 2 years playing its $8,000. After 3 years playing $70,000. After 4 years playing $600,00.
I play 2 months now my first was +150%, my 2nd mnth was +400% So after 2 month i allready have my 1st year goal
But 1st year is easier then 2nd and 3rd and 4th cos in 2nd year you must play higher limits to get your goals. 3rd and 4th more difficult cos you have to play again higher limits to get your goal.
But offcourse i do a lot of bonuswhoring. I want the highest bonus and the best rakeback offers cos every i can use for my bankroll
Joined: May '08
Location: Netherlands
Age: 42 (F)
Posts: 314
Right now i'm playing at CD Poker with my free $50, it seems that I have more luck in playing freeroll tournaments then playing on tables. I'v done only a few tournaments and became onces 55e and 60e out of approx. 1400 players i don't think that's too bad for a beginner like me
But everytime i play on tables it just doesen't seem to work for me, i usally play Limit Hold'em $0.05/$0.10 (i know it's not much) Is it better to play something else ? With what did you guys start ?
true.just set my self a set of goals.see if it works.feeling positive already.you described exactly how i go about my 
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