Anybody else experience this?

When I first started playing, I won or placed regularly. Lately, I seem to always get drawn out on. Is this a common experience? Is it a slump? Do I just keep swinging? Am I just that unlucky or was I just lucky at first?

Well it's impossible for us to tell you if you're getting unlucky now or you were lucky before. Try posting some hands in the hand analysis forum and we can tell you how you're playing your hands.

i went on my first downswing in forever and lost almost $100, but I just got it back and more.

The way I see it, there are two things at work. The most important one being that when you are winning it is all attributed to skill and never good cards / flops / unlucky situations for your opponent.

But secondly, just by nature, certain times of certain periods work less than others. I always felt that some games were rubbish (such as a FL tourny and the $10 CC tourny today and some games worked wayyy too well- sunday 100k (but i played poorly) and a $10 sng. but that between games everything worked itself out -- but then i lost over and over again so there obviously is variance that exists on multiple levels.

variance exists between running dry for a few orbits, an entire game, a series of games etc, with shorter time periods being more common than longer ones. in general though, if you play well and play against people who don't play well, you'll always come out ahead sooner or later..

Well I hate to say it but Ive experienced this myself. THough I dont believe in it, Beginners Luck, has always sucked me in. Like Vegas the first time. I couldnt stop winning in Black Jack. I thought this was easy. THen I read a book and came back and just was frustrated when I could never beat the dealer.
This is the same thing that happened in poker. I played the first time going out of my BR and started playing games 10% of my stack. I soon doubled up. Then I got Harrington and Super System I couldnt win a thing. Luckily I got advice from the forums to tell me I was playing way too high and I should play 1% of my BR.; To play Micros.
I think there is a time when reality has to sink in and you realize it aint so easy.
I just wish it didnt go so good for me in the beginning. Thankfully I am a tenacious type of guy and continue to study and learn from my betters and am back up to where I am 9 times my initial BR and can play with confidence and not rely on luck.