18 SNG $1 + .20 End 11th 39 hands

Mostly OK play at best; meaning I folded most of the hands I should. Was lucky on hand 13 with Kh 4c trying a blind steal (no limps) and BB w/9c8c called. Flop was Ah Jc Kc and I bet 150 into a 225 pot to see where I stood. BB just called. We both checked on the turn, 7d, and the river Ad, letting my pair of K's win.

Lucky again in hand 18. As BB I had Ac 5h and called limp from MP. Flop waa Ad Kc 6d, I bet 1/2 pot (90) and was called. Turn 10c and I bet 1/2 pot (180) again and MP called. Flop was 2c showing a possible flush might be out there. I checked and MP bet 240 into the 720 pot & I decided to call hoping my A's with weak kicker might win. MP showed Jc 5d and I won. I could have easily been beat but took weak flop and turn calls by MP meant he likely didn't have much. That got me up to 2200 chips.

Hand 21 I had pocket 10's in the CO position. HJ limped and I raised to 2 1/2 BB (210), BB called (same person who was in hand 18). Flop was 8d 6d 2c. BB bet 60 into 510 pot and I raised to 270. BB folded. I now had 2560 chips.

Hand 23 was the start of my downfall. I had Ah Qs UTG and opened w/2 BB bet. Button (same player as in hand 18 & 21) and BB called. Flop Kc Ad As. BB bet 80 into 520 pot, I and button called. Turn 10s. BB bet 480 into 760 pot, I raised to 960, and Button went all in w/1270 chips. Both BB & I called.

I didn't give much though to what the button might have; rather I decided he didn't have a K, so I thought my Ace trips would be good. I also didn't think the BB had a K, though I was concerned with their opeing bet that round. River was a 6c. BB & I checked. Then came the bad news. The button had Qd Jh having hit a straight on the turn. BB only had Ac 5d; having a much weaker kicker then I expected. I was now down to 1050 chips.

Hard for me to say if I could have gotten the Button off his hand on earlier betting, as other players from his country shown tend to be willing to gamble on a wide range of cards.  Say if I had bet at least 3 BB or 3 1/2 BB pre-flop would he have folded? Maybe the BB would have. However, once he hit the staright on the turn he took it for all it was worth.

Lesson hopefully learned here? When a 480 bet I raise to 960 and in turn I'm raised to 1270 (by an all-in person), I need to STOP and take TIME to THINK about WHY he may have done that. Knowing he could play a wide range of cards what might he have hit? Was it worth adding another 310 of my chips to the pot, total 3,470 at that point? Yes I was getting good pot odds I could still hit a gutshot straight or a full house (it looks like I have about 14 outs to better my trip A's), and yes, the answer could be I should call. But FIRST I really need to take the time to think that out and know better what kind of gamble I'm taking.

By hand 38 I'd increased my chip stack to 2100, on the Button w/pocket 5's I hoped to increase it more, but didn't hit the flop (Ks Kc 4c). All checked the flop. Turn was 9c and I called a limp bet. River was a 2c and I folded to bets, cutting me back to 1900 chips.

Hand 39 from the CO postion I had Ah Kc, raised the UTG limp from 120 to 420, and BB went all-in for 3,315 chips. Same person I've been in wtih the previous hands here. I thiought about it for a bit and decided to take a chance that he didn't have AA or KK and hope I have at least 2 over cards. That part of my plan worked as he had pocket 4's, much weaker then I would expect for an all-in raise. The flop: 2c 9s 8h; the turn 8c;a nd the river 3s. All over for me.

I don't feel bad about this last one as I felt I made the call with good cards against a person who has a wide range of betting hands that I could expect my overcards to be able to beat. Poker stove has it 46/54 his favor.