Gotta keep records, man

Here’s the deal, I’m no pro. Would love to be, but I know I’m a long way away, just like the majority of this new generation of TV-generated No Limit Hold ‘Em junkies.

Nevertheless, the game means something to me. I love the recreational value of small home games, but just like my few encounters in the casino, I want to win them all. Well, most of them. For some, the small stakes, cold beer and good friends are worth it just to hang out for the night.

Certain business affairs have sidetracked my blogging frequency, if you can even call it that. This has been more like a hiatus.

I’ve complained about bad beats, mused about some pros, and praised the one and only Deuce Lee Poker Ledger, my creation, and the reason for today’s blog.

With the exception of a small cash game tonight, my 2007 is in the books. Whether you are like me, a dreaming amateur, or one of the bushel full of legitimate pros, it’s a good idea to keep up with your results.

I’d say 90 percent of the people I play with don’t, even though they have Deuce Lee’s. The percentage may even be higher.

Like anything else in life, experience is the key to poker. The more you play, the more you learn, and the better you get, or should get! Because I track my game religiously, I know the exact number of times I played in ’07. I know how many tournaments I was in, how many times I cashed, how many firsts, how I fared in cash games, etc. The ledger’s not perfect (it could use a time played category), but it is so beneficial.

My ability to look at back at the numbers and revisit notes I took only helps my future outings.

Call me obsessive. I am. The comparing numbers, crunching them, seeing where I succeeded and failed jazzes me.

So does poker. Someday, somewhere down the road, I plan on playing in a World Series of Poker event, maybe the main event.

When I do, I’ll know every penny I ever spent playing.

I hope I designed enough room for a five-figured buy-in.