9 SNG $5 + .50 End 2nd 110 hands 1/30/10

I played a fairly decent game and was patient on and near the bubble.

Hand 11. Seven left, I had pocket 8's UTG and limped in with 50 chips, CO, BT, SB called and BB checked. Flop 2d 7h 10d. SB & BB check, I min raise 50 into the 250 pot. One overcard to my 8's. BT called and SB & BB folded. Turn 6s. I check and so does the BT. Turn 8c. That gives me a set but if the BT has a 9 they have a straight. I bet 100 into the 350 pot and the BT raises me to 300. Earlier I'd seen them raise a large bet having hit top pair in the flop so I decided to call and gamble they were doing something similar again, rather than having the straight. They show pocket 4's and I win the 950 pot.

Hand 36, still 7 of us. I have 1715 chips, blinds are 60/120, I'm in the CO position with pocket Q's. All fold to the HJ who limps in with a 120 bet, I decide to bet 4 BB (480), BT, SB, & BB fold, HJ calls. Flop Ah Qc 4h. I hit my set, could draw a runner, runner Q high flush. HJ check's and I bet 600 into the 1140 pot. HJ calls leaving them with 415 chips. Turn Kh. If HJ has two hearts they have a flush. If one more heart falls on the river I'd have the nut flush. HJ checks and I check. River 5d. No flush for me. HJ checks again and I do the same. I decide to not push it further in case he has something that could beat my set. They show Kc Jc and I win the pot of 2340.

Hand 42. This was a bit tricky for me. We are down to six, blinds are 100/200, I have 3035 chips. In the CO position I have Qc Jh.  It folds to me and I decide I'll try a steal and bet 3 BB (600). The BT is Short Stack with 810 chips and decides to go all in. SB & BB fold. Shoot. It's another 210 chips into a 1710 pot, so I decide to call even though I don't like my chances. BT shows Ad Jd. I need a Q. Flop 4s 6s 6d. Turn Js. River 7c. Not sure if it was reasonable to try a steal there or not.

Hand 64. We are down to 4. Blinds are 150/300, I have 2305 chips on the BT w/Ac 5c. UTG bets 300, I call, SB folds, and BB checks. Flop 4s Qs Jc. Not particularly good for me. Checked to me & I check. Turn Ad. That pairs my Ace and if someone had K 10 they'd have a straight. Again both check to me and I decide to bet 600 into the 1050 pot hoping to induce them to fold if they have a drawing hand. BB calls & UTG folds. River Qd. That pairs the board. BB checks and I decide to do the same. If they had a straight or trip Q's likely they would have bet, but I'm not going to take that chance. BB has 5s 7s. Hmm on a draw for not a very high spade flush if they had hit it. I win and now have 3655 chips, in 2nd place and a little room to breathe on the bubble.

Hand 75. Hmmm, this one seems to indicate I wasn't quite as patient as I recall, at least not for this hand. Blinds are now 200/400, I'm the SB w/2655 chips, still 2nd, BB has 1320 & UTG has 1480. Chip leader has 8045. I have Qc 2s and it folds to me. I bet 2 BB to put pressure on the BB and hope they fold. Instead they go all-in. It cost me 520 more chips to call so I decide to fold, leaving me w/1855s chips and now 3rd out of the 4.

Hand 76. I go all in from the BT in hopes of stealing the blinds I do. I had 10h 3s. That puts me back in 2nd place.

Hand 84. The short stack w/360 chips is taken out and we all are in the money. Chip leader has 8245, 2nd has 2800, and I'm 3rd w/2455. Blinds are now 250/500.

Hand 85 I have pocket J's go all-in with them and win pre-flop.

Hand 89. As the BB I have pocket 6's. UTG/BT bets 1000 (2 BB). SB folds and I decide to go all-in w/ 2705 chips hoping I have a pair against, at worse, two overcards & if I lose I still made the money. They show pocket 2's; better than I expected. Flop Kh 6h 4d. Turn 10h. River Kc. I win. BT has 95 chips left. After next hand we are down to two I'm chip leader w/7410 and the other player has 6090. We go back and forth a bit until hand 104.

I'm BB w 8660 chips, SB has 4840. Blinds still 250/500. I have Ad Jd. SB bets 1000 and I decide to go all-in. They call and show Kd 5d. I have two overcards. Turn 5c Qc 8h. They pair their 5. Turn 3c. River 6d. They win. I'm down to 3820 chips.

Hand 110. Blinds 300/600, I'm down to 2320 chips. I'm the BB w/As 8c. SB bets 1200 and decide to go all-in. They call and show Qh 10h. I have an overcard. Flop 9c Ac Kc. paring my Ace and giving me a flush draw. SB has possible gutshot straight. Turn Jd. They hit their gutshot. River Kh. And it's over. I come in 2nd.