A Plan

No Limit (NL) Hold'em (HE) cash games seem to be sprouting everywhere here in Vegas. Rather than describe the varied characters and hands of a particular session (which will come eventually), let me start off with my Poker Plan. Every serious poker player should have a written Poker Plan. That's the easy part. The hard part is rigidly adhering to it. Following are excerpts from mine - for strategic reasons some parts are omitted or incomplete, but this is not important. What is important is that you formulate some logical guidelines and stick with them.

Poker Plan

Games to be played

(a) $2-$5 NLHE $200 minimum/maximum buy-in (Bellagio)

(b) $2-$4 NLHE $200 minimum/maximum buy-in (Mandalay Bay)

(c) $2-$5 NLHE $100 minimum $500 maximum buy-in (Palms)

(d) $2-$5 NLHE $200 minimum $500 maximum buy-in (Mirage)

The above list is not exhaustive and is based on a bankroll of at least $5,000.


Length of Session

A playing session shall consist of two 3 hour periods separated by a 30-45 minute break for eating and rest. Under no circumstances should play exceed 6 hours.


Money Management

(1) It is imperative that all play is within strict bankroll requirements, which in this case means that the playing bankroll should cover at least 25 buy-ins. So for the Mirage and Palms games, buy-ins for $500 should only be considered if the bankroll is at least $12,500 (with the same principle applying to other amounts).

(2) A session shall be immediately terminated once 3 buy-ins are lost.


Playing Rules and Strategies

(a) A pot is only to be opened with .............
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(g) Take a short break after a bad beat.
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(i) As mentioned above, a session shall not exceed 6 playing hours.
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Miscellaneous

(1) A playing log will be maintained daily in an Excel spreadsheet.

(2) This Poker Plan is a work in progress to be modified continually.