Hello TPE Nation-

As I am writing this, I am amongst one of the worst down swings in recent memory (probably over the last 3-4 months).  Prior to this time, I experienced a minimum of $500 profit in six of seven months on Lock (maybe my rungood has expired).  As we have all discussed in recent posts, variance (especially in lower buy ins) is a huge part of the game, but man it gets old.  You name it, is has happened.  It seems like I lose every pivotal flip, lose my 70/30s, and of course when I am ahead 60/40 they will hit, the viillains never miss their big draws, but I could build multiple homes with the amount of bricks I hit on my draws.  On the other hand, it feels like when I jam in a critical spot by KQ and looked up by A7o I am never getting there.  In saying all of this, I am not looking for sympathy, because as poker players we all go through this, and we don't like talking about bad beats.

However, some encouragement would be great right about now, because I wonder at times why even put in the work. Why care? Why try to play your best? I don't play this game for a living, I play for the challenge, and as a hobby, but of course the spare change is always nice (I have withdrawn @4k off lock since depositing $100).  I have reviewed vids, I have gone over hh's, but it doesn't matter when your ak loses to aq on the final table bubble, lol.  I know that if I continue to get my hands in good, the variance will turn in my favor over time, but damn when will that be?  I see our TPE Nation members binking high scores daily and while I am happy for them, I question what I am doing, where am I lacking?  When will it be my time?

Anyways, thanks for listening Nation.  Any encouragement would be great while I battle through this.  Thanks to the TPE I feel like I have taken my game to new levels since joining over a year ago, but I am at a ceiling I feel, and I am ready to break through again!