Dedication

Thanks to Full Tilt, I was able to cash in a couple of SNGs last night. The whole server debacle began just as one player left from each of the SNGs I was playing. Hence, we divyed up his buyin to the tune of $.50 for each of us. That's one more dollar than I started the night with.

In the words of George Costanza, "I'M BACK, BABY!"

So today is Day 4 of my 5 part series. Today, I'll talk about dedication, and why I feel it's one of the most important things I need to be successful at this challenge of mine.

In the first three days of this challenge, my dedication is already being tested. My bankroll has already dropped by 30%. I'm back down to double digits, and what I knew was going to be a difficult challenge is looking to be more impossible than it is difficult. Whether it's the pressure I'm putting on myself to do well or just horrible timing to be on a losing streak, it's easy for me to start questioning the whole thing.

The truth is that, in about 3 years of playing online poker, I haven't really accomplished much. A couple of big scores don't override the fact that my statistics would show that I'm a mediocre poker player at best. Recently, I've been doing well at the stakes that I'm playing, but to say that makes me a successful poker player is like calling a player who is hitting over .300 on a single A minor league baseball team a "successful baseball player". It's successful at that level, but it's nowhere equal to doing the same thing at a higher level.

Also, during these 3 years of playing, I've never seriously taken the time to look at my game from an analytical standpoint. I really haven't made any effort to improve any leaks in my game. My game has definitely improved over the years, but it's been an improvement of the trial & error kind. Anyone can play for 3 years and expect some improvement in their game. I feel like I understand basic & intermediate poker strategy, but my play is not always consistent with those strategies. At any given time, I can sit down at a game and compete with players much better than I and be competitive, but if I want to expect any kind of consistent success, I need to put forth the effort to improve my game.

I say that the success of this challenge requires dedication because it's a success based on long-term, consistent success, which is something that I've never really had before. Not only do I need to be dedicated to the challenge overall, but I need to show more dedication to improving my game. Despite the adversity I've encountered this week, I'm nowhere near the point of giving up. I have no timetable or benchmark that says I'll quit if I haven't reached a certain goal. The only times I'll say this challenge is over is if I go completely busto or reach the $2k mark.

I do believe that I lack certain skills that others naturally have that makes me less successful at poker. All that means is that I have to work harder than some to get past my shortcomings and become a successful poker player. Without that dedication, I'll end up stuck at the micro levels, slugging it out for the chance at winning a measly $17. That's just not worth it to me anymore.

I'll wrap things up tomorrow with the last chapter in this series: attitude.