Today I mixed it up a little, inspired by Smokkee’s SnG run, I switched from HU to single table SnGs. As I haven’t been playing full games in a while, only HU and shorthanded, I thought it would be best to not start too high, so I settled for the 5$ ones and I plan on playing those for a while. I guess I’ll try to hit 100 of them and then see how it goes. The start was brilliant. I two-tabled and soon enough we were ITM in both of them. I just played the cards I was dealt and sometimes the players, but only if they had shown that they could fold a hand. That worked out pretty good. Then it was time for the first major suckout against me…on the turn I hold Aces up…and I move in…I got the other player covered by about 1.5k, so I’m pretty save…he calls All-In with a king high flush draw (two spades on board)…river…ding ding ding….oh well…down to 1.5k…I don’t let it get to me though and I battle my way back. Soon enough I knock out the third player and we’re heads-up, I’m still behind 2:1 in chips though. Some twenty hands later I won though as he payed off two big hands for me. Nice. As heads-up is winding down in tourney one, we’re still three-handed in the other one. Then a major pot develops and I get my money in on a paired rag board…good that I had a free look in the BB…I triple up into the chiplead and never look back. I take out both of the other players within the next 30 hands and another W hit’s my SnG sheet. 2 for 2. Not bad 😉

Then it’s time for the WWdN and things are looking good early on…I even win a nice pot with the hammer from UTG…then I lose a hand with Jacks…I can’t think that they’re good anymore after a K hits the flop against two players. Oh well…as I’m down to around 1k I decide to defend my SB against the BB raise preflop. J10o…flop J98…good enough to double up…I check…BB bets…I push…he calls…shows KQo…no K, Q or T…and I double up. Nice…

As we head into the first break we’re down to 29 players and I’m sitting in 11th with 2530 in chips…

After the break I look down at QQ…the blinds are at 75/150…and MP puts in the standard raise (450) to open the pot…I think I’m ahead here…so I push on the button…all fold to him…he ponders…he calls All-In…shows Ah Jh….s0000ted 😉 … flop AxJ…ty very much…turn K…a little hope…river 5…d’oh. So I’m down to 350…damn…my assessment of the situation:

Scenario 1: I’m ahead and he’ll fold…all good…I’m up to 3.xk

Scenario 2: I’m behind (AA, KK) or slightly ahead (AK)…all good…let’s flip it…

Scenario 3: I’m ahead and he’ll call (probably with Ax)…good…he’s drawing to three outs…if I win I’m up to 4.xk…if he get’s lucky I’m crippled…
Scenario 4: I flat-call on the button to see a flop…as the flop comes down AJx…I he leads at it…I give it up and my stack drops to around 2k…

I thought I had the best hand, I did, he got there, too bad. In retrospect, maybe I should have flat-called to see a flop – what’s he likely to raise with preflop (basically any Ace or pair unless he’s on a total steal) – so…if I just flat-call and the A or K hits…I can get away…what about the scenario where the flop is J high (or lower)? Maybe he spiked a set then…how am I going to get away from it? Tough tough…oh well…I went with my feeling, I was right, it didn’t work out. Next time I move in is with 66…weak calls from the BB…not a bad call…he has the mook…T8…he’s getting 2.x : 1…he’s got a major stack…flop comes down AA8…oh well…gg me…

So…from middle of the pack to out the door with two pocket pairs…too bad I couldn’t spike a single set there…can’t feel too bad though…enjoyed the WWdN, as usual and rocked the SnG tables…I’m off…