The State of Brian's Poker Union

As I write, the state of my poker universe is strong, just like Bush has said the country is for the last seven State of the Unions. Only one of us is full of shit.

It certainly wasn't like that to start the year. January was totally unproductive until I made a little money in the last week, finishing +$2100. Not great. Then I opened the month by not cashing in 26 straight tournaments. Not once. Horrific. On Saturday the 9th, since I was in the negative for the year and all, I told a friend of mine I was "going back to school", and pulled every poker book I owned off my shelves with the intention of going back to basics. A Harrington here, a Sklansky there.

Sunday was much better:
http://beat.bodoglife.com/poker/bzimzim-wins-bodog-sunday-100k-guaranteed-online-poker-tourney-34589.html

1. bzimzim - $25,000.00
2. ezmoney31 - $14,000.00
3. DeCodeD - $9,000.00
4. cvanm - $6,500.00
5. Remih - $5,400.00
6. lowdog - $4,400.00
7. will19 - $3,400.00
8. matt1269 - $2,400.00
9. Ned Reyerson - $1,550.00

Score one for the "unknowns" :)

It was twice my biggest previous largest cash, which was $12.5K in the old AP 80K (or maybe 70K, whatever the big Saturday tournament was back in the good ole days of AP). And in a particular bit of fitting justice, in that previous tournament I got repeatedly sucked out on heads up: KK v 44, AK v A4, and a couple of other times I got my money in good. First was $22.5K in that tournament. Well this time I got my money in with A8 against 88, and spiked an A on flop obv. I run good. There is some justice in the world after all.

Been backsliding for most of the rest of this month until hit a bit of run the past two days. Second in the 20r AP nooner for $1300, 2nd in an afternoon UB $109fo for $1600, 3rd in the nightly AP 30r for $2266, shipped a $65KO on UB for $985 (with the bounties). Was deep in a $109fo on stars yesterday until couldn't find any good spots when down to two tables. Still not a bad two days work, though mostly it just cancelled out the backsliding. Now back up to 24K for the month and a little change.

As I write this, in a RP qualifier for the 100k tonight, and my table is awful. Gonna need to find some cards to exploit it though, these guys aren't folding, and really overplay their hands. If I qualify, hopefully I play better than the last time I was in the 100K, when my play would best be described as "horrific".

Speaking of that, up to 50/100 in that qualifier, couple limpers, just shoved with 10s for 1300, called by A6s, A on river. I run good. Nh, wp donkey.

So that's where my poker game stands at the moment. I've been focusing on multis (a decision I'll probably post about at some point), so I'll hit those up tonight and see what happens. 45 minutes until the the 6 pm Bodog $109, FT $75 and Stars $109, 3 tournies I play pretty regularly.