So October didnt get of to the dream winning start i was looking for............well to be honest it got of to the worst possible start taking in my full range of badbeats. The first session of the month was a stinker with me losing 3 buy ins to some serious serious bad luck- cant complain- i did the hard part of getting the money in good then its all down to the cards, the part i have no control over............i lost. I decided that an early start the next day to catch the drunk players and maybe some tired players was a good idea, so i set the clock for 03.00am and was sat at 6 tables for 03.30...............it wasnt a good idea as i took a beating, a royal beating with sickness everywhere i looked!!!!! So what to do? Well i was meant to take a weeks break last week, but it only lasted 2 1/2 days- this time im taking a full week of AT LEAST! This time there is no way of playing until the full week as past as the office have been told that no matter how much i beg my accounts are to remained zeroed until Thursday (i stop playing last Thursday!). Poker as been my life for 5 years now and i know more than most that it can be all consumming, to be good and to win at the game you really have to work hard, but sometimes you can work to hard!!!!!!!!!! Also it sometimes doesnt matter how hard you work or how good your playing if the cards are against you your going to lose. Im currently at the lose no matter point, i think ive actually been there for the past 3 weeks- though the idea of not playing for a week filled me with dread (and my ego just wants to play and beat the game!) im already starting to feel the benifits- actually sleeping at night instead of re running hands is something i havnt done in years!!! Not constantly playing, talking and thinking poker as also been pretty nice- id almost forgot that not everyone is a poker sicko!!! But most of all its given me time to actually see that things are not so bad, the P&L isnt great but its not in the danger zone, just as my game is fine- ive gone back and looked over much of my game and with all that +EV there i know it still a winning game...........but got to leave it a few more days before i prove the point. Obviously ive still got the mentor part of the job keeping me in touch. On that score things are going really well with a group of class players, this is highlighted by the fact that 3 players who have come all the way through the badbeat mentoring scheme have this week been promoted to the "big boys" mentor group that Manuel looks after. I like to think that ive played a part in the rise of these players, but now my work is done they now get the chance to mix it at the higher levels...................good luck fellas !!!!