I first was introduced to poker when I was a child playing 5 card draw with my family on a summer beach trip to Myrtle Beach, SC.  Not just poker, but many card games would become a staple in family and friend affairs as I grew up.  It was a social, exciting way to past the time. 

As I got older, and baseball became more a part of my life; the summer trips to the beach were set aside for trips to the next baseball destination.  Baseball consumed my life.  I ate, drank, and slept baseball.  I would take the sport to the highest level I could by becoming co-state player of

Me playing ball in college

the year and honorable mention All-American in high school, and eventually a Division 1 athlete in college.  Looking back, I really do attribute my baseball successes to my parents who were always there for me and made sure all my needs were met as it concerned to the sport. 

All of it washed away once I started getting a sharp pain in my pitching elbow and would elect to have surgery early in my college career.  With the surgery went the pain, but so too did some velocity and nearly all movement on my pitches.  Needless to say, I was never the same again. 

I continued playing out my scholarship to a local college, but admittedly was frustrated that I didn’t have the same impact on the outcome of the game that I once did.  It was truly a trying time for me. 

I graduated college and took the first job I could.  I entered the job force not thinking that “this is what I want to do.”  No, I left thinking “well, I need to make money somehow.”  My inspiration was nearly non-existent.  I left my first job to where I currently am.  The only thing that has kept constant for me in the workforce is the lack of inspiration.  This is not who I am supposed to be.  

But one thing did happen from my time in college.  I was re-introduced to poker.  Playing for on average of a 40 dollar buyin, I sat at the poker table playing against my baseball teammates.  We would play mostly texas holdem, but would also spread other random games.  The competitive spirit in me would want to win every pot.  I would do what ever it took to take down the pot.  Whether it be a hero call, or some crazy bluff.  I was a slight winning player at the time. 

When I graduated college, again to enter the workforce.  Poker was still a constant.  But not so much sitting around with baseball friends drinking a beer any more.  Instead, it took the form of internet poker.  I have been playing online now for about 6 years, maybe a little more.  

Of that time, the first 2 years was completely just for fun.  I was a slowly-losing player.  Then I started to try and better my game.  I would get better, but was pretty satisfied with just being a break even player for a majority of the next 2 years.  Then came about 2 years ago where I really started to take the game seriously.   I have worked on my game relentlessly and feel I am a strong winning player in specific games, and better than average player in others. 

But one thing is missing.  The other side of my life, namely my work, was hurting my poker life.  LOL!  Often you hear about the addicted degenerate gambler letting his gambling get in the way with his life.  I am saying the opposite.  My work life was bringing down my poker career.  The lack of inspiration was pouring into my poker career. 

I will sit in front of the computer with a blank stare.  What are you doing!  Snap out of it!  Play!  Just no motivation.  I win when I play, the stats and countless logging of sessions proves this.  So what’s the deal?  

Well, I am here to say that it is time to make a change.  Like the song by Michael Jackson, it is time to look at the person in the mirror.  I look in the mirror and say:  Do you really want to be an unmotivated fixture in the workforce?  Do you really want to not enjoy a majority of your week?  Don’t you want to have the ultimate decision of when and where you work, and ultimately how much you make?  Snap out of it!!!! 

It is time to play poker with more of a meaning.  Play more, study more, non-stop with one goal in mind…..make money!!!!  That is what I am here to do for the remainder of this year. 

I want deeply to play this game I love for a living.  I made more money last year in poker than I did in my full-time job.  Not only that, but remind you, that I am doing it part time.  If I was just starting to join the workforce today, I wouldn’t.  I would already be playing poker full time.  However, already working, married with a kid; I am forced to take the most risk-adverse approach.  I need to prove to myself that I can do this.  I need to have a cushion set aside in case things don’t work out.  

For the next 6 months, I am building that cushion.  

In the past I normally just play one game at a time.  TV in the background, just relaxing and playing a fun game of poker.  It is time to play more games, play multiple tables, and make money!!! 

As I have stated in numerous other posts, 5 card draw is my best game.  But there is not always a game going at the levels I normally play with is mostly 15/30 and 10/20.  No more.  No more waiting and not playing just because there isn’t a game at those stakes.  I will be playing 5/10 and even lower if there isn’t a game going.  I will be playing more “other games.”  Other games that will likely include HU SNGs, multitable SNGs, tournaments, limit holdem cash games.  Whatever looks good at the time.  But one thing for sure: less down time and more playing. 

I obviously still have my full time job and a baby at home to be there for.  So obviously I still will only be able to put in a limited number of hours a week.  But when I am free to play, you better believe I will be playing! 

So alright already, what is the goal? 

The goal is to make 60 thousand dollars over the course of the rest of the year (6 months).  The purpose of this goal is to get me motivated.  I could have taken it further and made side bets on certain forums on whether I could make a certain amount over this time period as I have seen others do.  But to be honest, I am going into untraveled waters.  This is really new for me.

Like the show 2M2MM (2 months, 2 million), this goal will be called 6M60K.  But unlike the players on the show, hopefully I will reach my goal.  

I will need to average 10k a month.  I have made that much in a month before, but it is not an easy thing to do for me.  This is not going to be a cake walk.  I really have no idea if I can make it.  But hey, at least I am going to give it a try! 

So over the next 6 months, I am going to be posting here every day that I play to update where I stand with my goal.  I will also have a section on the right sidebar that will be reserved for this goal.  I will bring in graphs of my progress.  Keep tabs on all my highs and lows.  It will be a way to keep me motivated, and hopefully it will be interesting to follow to those that visit. 

I have figured that I will probably play about 150 days from here on out until the end of the year.  So I would need to make $400/day.  To help make this easier on me, I will take any profit I make and apply it to my goal.  This will include any money that I make from certain things like frequent player points on PokerStars.  Also I am going to include the money I have made since Sunday (3 days) at the tables.  So I go into this quest for 60k already at +$2,004.28.  

So starting tomorrow, it is GO TIME….GO GO GO!!!! (wish me luck)