I feel like I play perfectly and still lose… that’s just variance right?

Whenever I’m at the blackjack table and I stick to basic strategy, I honestly feel like I make all the right calls. Still, I end up walking away down way more often than I’d expect. Maybe it’s just like spinning roulette or hitting slots and getting cold streaks, but blackjack always makes me second-guess my decisions when the shoe turns against me.

I track my sessions and even try card counting here and there, but the losses sometimes pile up anyway. Curious to hear if others feel like perfect play doesn’t really protect you from those nasty runs.