Before I go on to tell you that I’ve continued to lose almost every session (or win small one night and lose big the next), I should point out that I don’t actually play that much. So while my downswing has been going on for a fairly long time, calender-wise, it’s certainly not over a huge sample of hands. But now that I have explained that, I can safely say that downswings suck. They’re no fun at all. My bankroll is now a third of what it was in the beginning of July, and I’ve stepped down in limits. If this keeps up, I’m going to have to move down once more and start playing $2/$4 as my main game. Nothing wrong with that, of course, except that my ego is a bit bruised.

I’m trying to identify potential leaks in my game, but I cannot find them. Sure, I make mistakes, no doubt about it. But I’m not aware of persistent - systematic - mistakes, big leaks. I’m somewhat open to the possibility, but I don’t know how to identify them. It’s gotten to the point where I’m considering paying for coaching, because even if I’m playing well, I don’t necessarily believe I do. And the worst thing that could happen is that I start “fixing” leaks that aren’t there.

I must also consider the possibility that my previous success at poker has been a product of luck rather than superior skill. Now there’s a tough pill to swallow.

Regardless of what the problem may be - bad luck right now or good luck before - I’m humbled by these events and determined to fight my way out of it. If I have to move back down to $.50/$1 and claw my way back, so be it. But claw my back I will, mark my words.