This article is by Andrew Wiggins, an instructor for CardRunners.com.

Many people go through their poker career aimlessly with no clear direction in mind. Others may have a vague idea of what they want to accomplish or have indistinct goals, but they also don’t have a set path to follow. I believe that these players are making a crucial mistake by not understanding exactly what they want to achieve in regards to poker. <READMORE>

I find that when players set out exact goals to be completed within a set timeframe, they tend to be more successful poker players for several reasons. First, they analyze their play more. Next, it’s easier to follow proper bankroll management. Finally, they are held accountable to themselves and possibly others that are aware of their goals.

I will begin by discussing what I mean by clear goals. I believe that a player should set a monetary goal to be accomplished by a certain date. The player should determine a way to hold himself responsible to these goals as well. One way to do this is to align the goal deadline with moving up in a limit or making a purchase with winnings. This creates a clear direction and identifies a path that will need to be followed in order to accomplish the goals. Another good step is to inform others of the goal. One way to do that is to blog about your quest.

Setting clear goals forces a player to analyze their game more. When players set a goal that is reachable but difficult, they know that they must play solid poker if they are going to achieve their goal. They also must avoid excess bad sessions. Players are forced to take a closer look at their actions in order to maintain solid play. It also gives incentives for looking at hand histories from hands that were lost and deciding if there was a better way to play the hand.

Goals also help greatly with bankroll management. A player is much less likely to take a shot or incorrectly move up limits if they are following a set plan. It tends to be the players without a laid out plan that are playing limits that they shouldn't. Also, often times the completion of any goals is directly related to moving up in stakes. It would negate the goal itself if the player was to move up when playing poorly. I think that if the goal means anything at all to the player, it will help keep that player at the limits he or she should be at.

Finally, goals hold players accountable. Players with goals in mind are less likely to have sessions where they go on monkey tilt and blow a large portion of their roll. This is because they know that it will destroy their chances of reaching their goal and it will also make them look bad in the eyes of anyone else aware of their goal. I believe this to be an extremely important aspect to the idea of setting goals. Poker is a game where the view of money is skewed. Players often develop apathy towards money, because it is typically beneficial in becoming a successful poker player. However, the opposite can be true when things start to turn bad. Players often lose their judgment when they run bad and that can create an irresponsible attitude towards the money in their bankroll. I feel that goals try to bring a bit of the value of money back. This helps keep things in perspective.

This month, I set a goal for myself to make over a buyin a day for the entire month at 10/20nl. It was a very interesting experience that forced me to learn a lot. I believe it greatly helped me with tilt control and not playing when I don’t feel I will play my best game. Those are two major leaks I’ve always had. Improving those aspects even slightly will surely make a large difference in the long run. Furthermore, I was able to have a great month monetarily. It appears that I likely won’t reach my goal, but that is okay. I knew when I started I might not be able to accomplish the monetary part. However, I feel that accomplishing your monetary goal can be an added bonus if you can bring about improving your game overall.

Note: You can read about my poker playing and my life by visiting my blog at www.cardrunners.com/andrewwiggins
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