Thoughts of poker creeping back into my head…

After a long hiatus, the slowdown in appraisal assignments and my upcoming knee surgery are fueling thoughts of playing poker a bit more heavily in the coming weeks.

In preparation, I’ve created a new account on FullTilt and have also joined PokerStars.  I can be seen on both sites playing as wooshusukout.

I’ve also started brainstorming a gameplan for getting up to speed quickly and have just bought Small Stakes No Limit Hold ‘Em (eBook).  The eBook starts off with a focus on steal equity and showdown equity and appears to be doing a great job building a case for the importance of both when planning your hand pre-flop.

The gameplan I’ve identified has 4 stages:

1. Build a Bankroll
2. Fun Money
3. Supplemental Income
4. Goin’ Pro

In the “Build a Bankroll” stage (the current stage), I’ve set up the following guidelines/mantras to set the tone for my play:

• 6-Max cash/SnG’s
• Approx $25 buy-in
• 2-Hr Sessions Max
• Work on Level 2 thinking
• No Tilt
• Low Risk/Risk Management
• Obey player profiles in order to make big folds
• Win money, not pots!
• Quit more effectively than my opponents
• Evaluate 5 factors during every hand (see below)

The 5 factors I want to evaluate on every hand are:

1. Position
2. Stack Sizes
3. Strength of my Holdings
4. My Opponent’s Tendencies
5. What’s the appropriate action?

These 5 factors should help me determine if my starting hand is a folding hand, a stealing hand, or a showdown  hand and should help me determine whether I want a big pot or small pot.

That’s all I’ve got for now!  See you at the tables!