I’m a little bit annoyed with myself for something that happened over the last three days. I’ve just come back from holiday and managed to play a 4 hour session. At one point I was $25 up, but eventually ended the session with $1 profit.

I have worked out that I can usually make around 3% of the table buy-in per hour. I was playing 4 tables ($25NL) so I was expecting to make $12 profit for that session.

I came away from this really unhappy. I don’t know if it was the jet-lag or the fact that I’d spent the two weeks reading Gus Hansen’s ‘Every hand revealed’, I just expected more.

The following day I played the same way for one hour and won a massive $27. This means for 5 hours play I’m now $28 up.

So why was I so annoyed? The fact that after my first 4-hour session, although I still made a profit, I was annoyed it wasn’t more. Yet I have been playing poker for long enough to know that the game includes massive variance. I know this and yet I still let it get the better of me.

For those of you who don’t know, this is coming from someone who a few years ago, went on a massive downswing which lasted over around 6 months. No matter how I played, no matter which cards I was dealt, it always seemed to end negatively. (I was blogging at the time if you want to look though my notes). If I still love the game of poker after that consistent pounding, I should be able to get though one slightly poor 4 hour session (which still ended in profit, albeit very small one).

Another key thing I’ve noticed since returning from my holiday is my post flop play has dramatically deteriated. Why? I don’t know. But what I do know, is I need to address the issue fast. No doubt, I will asking the forum for help.

14 hours play. 180 seater sng’s = -$26.40, 9,18 & 45 seater sng’s = $0, cash tables = +$77.60