December 2008 Recap & Year in Review

December Results

Cash game net profit = $385.92 (36.70 hours played)
Tournament net profit = -$46.71
Total net profit = $339.21

Back in the black this month, and considering the generally poor quality of cards that I saw, I definitely believe that it has everything to do with finally being truly focused on process rather than results. There really isn't much more to it than that.

Current character assessment (Scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best):

Present-mindedness: 8 (+2)
I hardly notice the bad beats anymore, I have no problem folding hour after hour if the right circumstances fail to unfold, and playing well but losing $200 in a session feels much better than playing poorly and winning $200.

Awareness: 6 (+2)
Doing a better job of analyzing the entire situation at hand rather than just the cards that I hold.

Physical fitness: 4 (+1)
Still have a lot of work to do just to get back to where I was this past summer, but at least I'm taking steps in the right direction.

2008 Year in Review

Cash game net profit = $1,488.67 (625.10 hours played)
Tournament net profit = $723.75
Total net profit = $2,212.42

Well, in looking back on my 2007 Year in Review, I had some very high hopes for 2008, which I clearly fell well short of. However, I think there's a good chance that the lessons I learned along the way could prove to be invaluable. The main reason I didn't win any significant money in 2008 is that I simply didn't play as much as I should have (though I didn't always make the best decisions when I did play either). With my newfound focus on process-improvement, my prediction for 2009 is that I'll end up playing a much higher volume and that my net profit will increase substantially as a result. It's a fairly meaningless prediction (as are most), especially considering that I'll be happy no matter what as long as I make sound decisions throughout the year. But if 2009 plays out the way I think it will, I'd like to look back and remember November & December 2008 as a significant turning point in my endeavor to play poker professionally.