Disapointed or Happy with what you have accompished for 2008?

[Penguinfan]

I've withdrawn more than I deposited for the third year in a row so thats a win.

Most importantly I have got better as a player for sure. I can point to a few specific beats at the final two or three tables in tourneys that could have really made things different.

Still a ton to learn, but I am definatly better than I was last December.

[Talking Poker]

Good thread.

I haven't looked at the 2008 Goals one yet, because I'm a little bit afraid of what I will find there. But let's have a look, shall we?

Fail. Fail. Partial credit - My stock market investing went to hell, obv, but I did fairly well investing in poker players. I did cut down on the big purchases for the most part.

Overall, I suck.

As for poker, 2008 was the year of the HU SNG for me. It started when I was out of town and wanted to keep my Iron Man status. I can't multitable very well on my laptop, so the quickest way to get my 200 points was to play 3 $200 HU SNGs. So that's what I did, and it went well. I decided I'd keep at it for a while and wanted to master them. I had a HORRIBLE run (playing and running badly) with the 150ish turbos I played, and that hurt my overall numbers quite a bit, but looking at my regular speed HU play (including 90 4 mans), I won about $30k playing almost 2000 matches.

I'm happy with those numbers for the most part, but I'm disappointed in the volume I put in. There is no reason I couldn't have played 5000 HU SNGs this year. Yeah, that's a lot, but 20 a day for 250 days isn't impossible by any means... and I usually play more than 5 days a week anyway. Extrapolating my win rate, my lack of volume potentially cost me $45,000. Even if we say my win rate would have dropped and I wouldn't have played that many, surely I left 20 or 25k on the table by not putting in the volume I could have.

Ironically, just in this last week, I switched back to 6 max NL and am kind of enjoying it again. I've been beating the 1/2 game pretty well, but I've lost a few sick pots at 2/4 deep that have ruined my numbers there. I'm not sure what game I'll focus on in 2008, to be honest.

I did get engaged this year and I also got a dog. So that's cool.

[melioris]

it is a tricky question for me and I will break it down into some component parts:

professionally: 2008 was more or less a wash. Several years ago we (my wife and I ) created a plan and we are, more or less, on track with that plan. Yet somehow it doesn't feel like we have made as much progress as we should have this year. I am taking that to mean the year is a wash. Adequate progress was made, but nothing specular.

Poker: terrible year. I cash out more than I made. Yes, there is a big reason for this and I still have not deposited since the original deposit, but the bottom line is that I should be making more than I am cashing out poker-wise.

Private: great year. I feel that I let the above two reason keep me from my family more than I should, but even so it was a good year. We got our remodeling project done, and while every remodeling is a compromise between aesthetic and budget, we came out on the good side of that deal (thanks to poker). My kids are healthy and seem to be developing wonderfully, my relationship with my wife is still the most important thing in my life, and I get to be the almost full-time (except mornings which I need to go to work and not talk to people) stay-at-home Dad that I always wanted to be. So despite the above two strikes against, it was a good year.

So all in all, I guess ultimately I am disappointed with what I accomplished for 2008 but I wouldn't trade it for what the year got done in my private life. Meh, fuck the professional and poker as long as the private is good.

[Invigilator]

Work: an obvious downward slope that SPIKED HARD right at the end of the year

Poker: Had to drop down a level for cash games due to various purchases, and have not played much since September due to work, but I made a number of FT's, including one on New Years Day. Also can't forget that Wes helped me live the dream by staking me into a WSOP event (my first trip to Vegas). On the same trip I won the day tournament at Binion's. Gotta say I am okay with things at this point.

Personal: Lost a bit of weight, ran my first 5k, 10k and 20 mile races. missed my first 1/2 marathon, completed 3 sprint triathlons. Got my blackbelt in Yoshinkan Aikido. Returned with vigour to my spiritual pursuits. Family is healthy and everyone loves each other.

Overall Analysis: BIG TIME WIN!!!!!!!!!!!

[PShabi]

Oh boy....DISAPPOINTED is not strong enough. I started playing midway through '03 and profited around $3k. In '04, I tripled that. In '05, I had my best year profitting around $13k. I moved out here at the end of '06 and my career outside of poker became abundantly more important to me. I still squeaked out $6k. In '07, I played very little. I wasn't motivated at all and my abilitiy compared to the ability of my opponents wasn't as good as it used to be. The games got much tougher. Still, I was able to profit a little bit. I made around $3500 (w/o digging up my tax records).

Fast forward to '08 and my poker career is basically dead. I barely play. I go 2-3 weeks w/o sitting down for a session. When I do, I seemingly log a losing session everytime. the games are so much tougher than they used to be. I do absolutely nothing to improve my game. I have no motivation to play. I just looked at my records, honestly, for the first time as a whole for '08. You guys ready for my staggering numbers?????

-$345.

Yep. I lost $345 this year. What a fucking joke. I figured I was right around break even. What used to be a passion, is damn near nothing to me. Now, if I was still able to make money like I used to, maybe I'd be more motivated to play. Who knows? The fact is I don't care about poker. A 3 month downswing for me today would've been two weeks worth of hands a few years ago. When you aren't playing many hands and you are losing when you do play, it's a bitch.

I look back at my "career" and realize that it was a substantial amount of money for a "hobby." I'm happy with that. I wish I could still do what I used to, but I'm afraid poker has passed me by. In my passion to play and learn, but also my ability compared to those I compete with.

Recently, I cashed out to pay for Christmas. My FTP account has $380 in it right now. I'll fuck around with that, probably playing $1/2 LHE (lol, oh fuck) and see if I can flip it into something substantial. If not, I'll still be around for the community and friendship but other than that, bye bye poker.

[Penguinfan]

Wow, Pshabi. That post is a real downer.

Good luck, whatever happens.

[Robbie Robb]

I can sorta echo what Shabi's saying too. The past few months I've played almost zero poker. MAYBE a few SNGs a week. RL has just sorta swooped in and grabbed up spare time. Well...that and playing at Conquer Club - a Risk like website. (Shameless plug: If you like the game of Risk check it out . *referral link - gets me an extra month if you sign up for the premium membership @ $25))

Poker-wise: I didn't grow my game nearly anywhere close to what I was hoping to do. But I'm okay with that. Thus far my exploration in the world of internet poker has been profitable and bought us quite a few nice toys. I'm good.

Work-wise: Well, got a promotion in November so that kicked-ass. Technically, it's a "seasonal" promotion that ends in January but there's been no mention of me moving back to my former position at that point yet so I'm keeping my fingers crossed there.

Life-wise. Fuckin' A! Ryan was born. 'Nuff said.

Overall: A+++ Would do over again!!!!

[Spidey44]

2008 was a pretty good year for me. Definitely had its ups and downs.

Family is great...great wife and two sweet little girls (sweet MOST of the time )

Work is work... I got laid off the beginning of September, but somehow managed to get my job back AND get a normal schedule AND get to work from home Mondays and Fridays. Definitely not really want I want to do when I grow up (even though I'm coming up on 11 years wow), but it pays pretty well and I'm going to grad school in the spring and they pay for it...nice!

Poker...just haven't had much time for it. Passion is there, but time is not. During football season, I pretty much put it on complete hold. I've only sat at a couple SNGs since it ended, but definitely looking forward to playing more in 2009.

Football...Pretty good, but we'll see if I get promoted in the off season. Really hope I do, or else I'll probably hang up the official stripes. I did work my first NCAA playoff game and that was VERY cool.

Hope everyone has a GREAT 2009.

[PShabi]

Then for the love of god DO NOT READ Thadeas's post above this one!

[thadeas1]

lol, whilst it's been a rough time the last couple years i'm sure i'll turn it around, i've been through worse and i'm still standing, what doesn't kill us makes us stronger right?

On a good point, I have a fantastic and beautiful 10 year old daughter who is the reason I get through most days and I wouldn't part with her for all the money in the world. When taking the good with the bad the good always shines through.