What next...

I see that the Hendon Mob have updated their rankings and I am 13th in the EPT all time money list which is cool and am also just inside the top 100 money winners worldwide for 2005..... I doubt that will last very long though.

Its been a great boost to the confidence doing well in Monte Carlo.... I have long been profitable playing in cash games but had yet to get a big score in tournaments and was about $20000 down in live festival tournaments prior to this one. I guess what everyone says about tournament poker is true. You have to be able to survive the swings in these tournaments. You can literally run badly for months. Brandon Schaefer was the really success story of Monte Carlo. The kid had only played three $100 tournaments before Deauville, and thanks to winning that, and a second in Monte Carlo he has won $652000 in 2005. Amazing......

The one thing this result does mean is that I can now have a pop at the bigger buy in tournaments when I feel like it. I am tempted to go over and play in the Irish Open final over Easter weekend which is a €2000 NL Holdem event. I definitely would if it wasn't for my hectic poker schedule in the next few weeks. With festivals at the Vic, Gutshot and Luton it’s going to be a very busy few weeks on the poker front.

Since my result in Monte Carlo I have adjusted my targets in poker for 2005. Back here I made it my aim to make $80000/£40000 playing poker in 2005. Since I surpassed that target somewhat unexpectedly I have readjusted it so my aim now is to make $180000. My aim to be ranked in the top 20 in Europe by the end of 2005 still stands though I have plenty of catching up to do. For me its important to try and set my targets as high as possible.... i may fall short but it won't be through lack of effort.