It's the same story again, you have played solid, aggressive poker, navigated through 2000 runners and you are now sitting w/ an above average stack w/ 20 ppl left. Some aggro nutjob bets 4x pre (ppl still do that yes) and ur sitting on KK so u just go ahead and shove because he's calling anyways. He calls and flips AJ and you are looking good to be chip leader in the tourney and make that big score! In a numbing flash an Ace appears on the flop, and all of the sudden you are out in 20th just left muttering to yourself.

If you have played tournament poker for long enough then this has inevitably happened to you, probably on several occasions. It is a part of the game that every serious grinder has to learn to accept in their own way. I have not always been so good at handling such situations. Whether it be my chair slamming into the ground, some loud obscenities screamed at 4am, or just a hard constant banging of my hand on my desk, I have found many inventive ways to display anger and frustration. To make matters worse, frustration may have even carried over into the next few days until I had to take some time off to clear the head and refresh. Well time off is money lost, so basically you get the idea.

Somewhere between last year and now for some reason all of that anger is gone. Sure it still takes a piece of my soul every time I get deep and dont win, but I have learned to channel that feeling into more focus and more hard work. I try to remind myself why I love this game. Here are a few reasons.

1. I love the uncertainty everyday brings. Some ppl get up everyday and they know exactly what that day is going to be. This kind of monotonous life will slowly kill you inside if you let it.

2. I love the constant mental challenges I am faced with every day. Growing up I was always one of the smartest kids in school, but somewhere along the way I stopped challenging myself mentally. Poker has re-invigorated that part of my life again. Of course I don't always make the right decisions, but that's the point! Its supposed to be hard, that's what makes it great!

3. I love the relationships I have started to build. Recently I reached out to the community and the response was overwhelming. I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting some wondeful and genuine people, each with their own unique poker journey. I encourage everyone to reach out and get to know some of the great folks that love to play this game as I have, it truly makes it all the more special.

So these days this I what I like to focus on when disapointment sets in and decides to take a seat in my life. I know that he is only a passing guest if I treat him the same as I would success.