4:20am: The night started off extremely rough. My first three sets went like this:

Set 1: 1-2
Set 2: 1-2
Set 3: 1-2

In my fourth set, I finally broke through in going 2-1, but then ran into a series of unfortunate events in the next set of matches, and went 0-3 in the fifth set. It was at this point that I had to get my act together and focus. I was sitting at a 5-10 record overall, and down 2300 to 700 in the only match I had left on the screen. If I lose the match, I’m down nearly $700. Somehow, some way I dug deep down and came back to win the match.

This turned out to be the turning point of the night, as I would go 7-2 the rest of the way to finish the day at a complete stalemate (12-12). Nights like this aren’t easy, but when you committ to putting in the amount of volume that I’ve been putting in lately, you have to know that a lot can happen in 24 heads up matches. Thousands of hands will be played, and just by the very nature of the volume of hands, you are going to see some pretty bad beats.

Mental preparation and focus before sessions like these are crucial, and understanding how variance works is the glue that holds yourself together. At 5-10 (headed towards 5-11), I could have packed it in, went on tilt, and just declared the night a lost cause. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, it made me that much more focused. That being said, every day is a grind, and it’s not easy. It takes an extremely mentally tough person to do this for a living. It also helps to keep a positive attitude, which is almost always easier said than done.

I look forward to a better session tommorow, even though I am happy with tonights results.

Start a Clean Slate at a New Room, a New Sharkscope, and Keep HFL Free in the Process