Peer approval

Well, I am not big on peer approval. I've never felt the need to brag or prove I am better than others. I am perfectly comfortable with my own perception of myself, and of my poker game. But in the last couple of days my stakers have given me two bonuses that I didn't ask for or expect. I was taken completely off guard. I would get it if they were trying to keep me around, but I'm pretty sure at this point they have no expectations that I will still be around after 75K hands. It might be different if they were open to staking above 50NL, but it was a very generous offer.

I have also been invited into a regular group online chat with some very very good players. It was a suprising offer to me. While I think I am one of the best players in the world (like top 10 or 20 thousand players for online FR, so nothing special), these guys are all in a class above me. That they would respect my opinions enough to want my insights is a definate ego boost, which I obviously need!

To top it off, a couple of people who I really respect have asked me to sweat them! Go figure on that one. And all of this has happened in the last 2 days. Combine that with my run the last couple of months, and my confidence is riding high at the moment. Cue the doomswitch...