January Goals (Breaking Bdon - Episode 1)

Poker

I know this is a bit late for a monthly goal post but better late than never!

I ended 2013 with Black Card status on Full Tilt Poker. For 2014 I'm switching over to PokerStars with the end goal of reaching Supernova status and being able to beat the $500NL Zoom games.

My goal for January is to take a break from grinding poker and to spend more time away from the tables studying the game. Specifically, my studying goals for this month are to:

• Learn more about Game Theory Optimal play by finishing Applications of No Limit Holdem by Matthew Janda 
• Sign up for Run It Once elite membership and review all of Ben Sulsky's videos on GTO play (and also contribute more in the forums)
• Review my Holdem Manager database for Q4 of 2013 (140k hands) and identify my biggest leaks (spoiler: it's playing from the blinds)
• Use what I've learned from all of the above to construct a more balanced strategy against stronger players
• Reduce the # of tables from 4 to 2 so that I can step away from auto-piloting and force myself to think clearly about each decision

Originally I also planned on reaching Platinum Star VIP status in addition to studying. But that's definitely not going to happen as studying is taking up more time than I imagined (plus it's fun) and dropping down to 500 hands/hr won't generate enough VPP's. Looks like I'll have to settle for Gold Star, which should be easily attainable. 

To reinforce what I've been studying, I decided to record videos of myself playing and then evaluate my play afterwards. Live commentary is too difficult for me at the moment but I'll get there eventually. I'm hoping to start producing content like this regularly to keep my blog interesting. These videos are geared towards more advanced players so I apologize if any of the poker jargon is confusing. I'm sharing these videos with other poker players so communicating my thought process with them is my priority, but if you have any questions feel free to ask.

So here it is... my first ever poker video. Comments and criticisms are welcome :)

Badminton

On the badminton front things have been moving a bit slowly. I took a break from training over Christmas holidays and of course all that delicious food paid its price! My badminton goal for January is actually not directly a badminton goal. I'm tired of the wrist pain I get while playing badminton. It's been over a year since I injured it without any real improvement in the condition. The pain limits the amount I can cock my wrist, and thus my ability to generate maximum smashing power and also shot selection.

So my badminton goal for January (and onward) is to:

• Fix my wrist

I'm seeing a new physiotherapist and so far it's going well. She gave me some stretches and exercises I can do at home, in addition to the ultrasound treatment and adjustments she does at the clinic.

Jdon lent me his Wrist Widget. I was skeptical at first but it seems to be working and it doesn't interfere with my range of motion too much, so I'll keep using it.

My buddy Lester also lent me his Evoluent Vertical Mouse. I brought it to work since that's where I spend most of my time mousing. It took some time getting used to, but it's actually really comfortable and using a horizontal mouse now feels weird. I still prefer a regular mouse for poker though since it's kind of like gaming where accuracy (and sometimes speed) matters.

Thanks for the stuff guys! Hopefully these things combined with physio will help my wrist pain go away >:(