Variance

1. The statistical distribution of results over a period of time.
2. Fluctuations in bankroll or cash flow.

Popular Uses

I'm getting slapped in the face by variance, down four buy-ins in two hours. -Unknown

Am I this bad, or is it just variance? -Bad player

I had been running amazingly hot, so I'm not surprised that variance has finally caught up with me. -Unknown

People Who Don't Understand Variance

Bad online poker players who think their poor results are the product of a conspiracy by the poker rooms to rig the cards against them.

You Should Also Know...

While variance is technically a statistical term to measure the spread of a sample from its expected value, the term is more broadly used in poker to mean fluctuations in luck and the corresponding effect on a player's bankroll. Even more generally, poker players often just refer to extreme good luck or bad luck as "variance."

Related Terms

Bad Beat, Bankroll, Crack, Dog