I don't think the actual downturn in cash flow is due to variance. I think that the variance part was the 5,000 hands where I was just spinning my wheels.

The major losses were caused by being blinded by emotions. In fact, I have an example from today of the reverse happening. I had some 85 off from the big blind, and by the end of the end I pushed all in. I thought that I had a full house. Thought is the key word here.

After the cards were turned my single opponent had AA and a full house of AA888. I won with four of a kind, but I didn't see the other 8! I was blinded again, but by over-confidence in the hand. Luckily it worked out, but I made a note of that happening.

But the chat room. I don't know about it. Never tried it. Is it new? Hmm,...