9 SNG $4 + .40 End 1st win $26 T

This SNG only pays the 1st 2. !st is a $26 token and 2nd gets $10. Although I wanted to get the $26 token, I'd have been OK with the $10 as well as I pick up an extra $5.60; an extra $2.10 then 3rd place in a $5 SNG. I wasn't sure if I was going to make the final two or not and that didn't happen until hand 77. I had about 1/2 the chip leader's chips. It took another 87 hands before we got to the end.

I've been making side notes while I play so I can recall what hands I want to write about but find I only made a couple of notes for this session one early on about a steal that didn't work and one later on about a J 10 vs 10 6 that I lost.

Anyway toward the end I playing much more aggressively and lucked out on a variety of hands where I basically sucked out. I think I'll just briefly hit some of the hands in our heads up.

Hand 77 start HU. I have 4580 chips and other player has 8920.

Hand 107 I finally got into the lead. I was BB, blinds 120/240, I had Qh Jh. Button limped and I raised to 2 BB. Flop was Js 6s 10d. I hit top pair. I bet 480 into the 960 pot and SB raised to 960 and I decide to re-raise to 1440 and they call. Turn 3h. I decide to do a c-bet and bet 1080 into the 3840 pot and they call. River is a Kc. No help to me and if SB has a King I'm beat. I check and I'm surprised they check too. They turn over Jc 9s. We both have J's and I have the better kicker and win the 6000 chip pot. I now have 8820 chips to their 4680 chips. We've basically switched positions.

I don't know if my play in that hand can be justified even though I ended up winning. I'll leave it at that for now. Hands 137 & 138 I give the chips back again.

Hands 137 I'm the BB and have 10,130 chips to the SB's 3370., blinds are 200/400. I have Jc 10d. SB bets 1200 (3BB) and I decide to challenge them by raising to 2400 (twice their bet). They have 2170 chips left and decide to go all-in. Since it's only 970 more chips (I have 7730) into a 5770 pot I decide to call in spite of my cards.

SB shows ks 6h, one over card. Flop 2d 4h Kd. Their overcard hits. Turn Kc. River 6c. I lose and they win a 6740 pot. We are now just about even; I have 20 chips more than they do.

Hand 138. I'm SB with Qc 4h. I limp with 400 and they raise to 1200, for reasons I can't recall now I call. Looking at it now I don't see why I didn't just fold. I see no logic for proceeding further in this hand. Flop 10d 8s 10c. They check & so do I. Turn 6d. We both check again. River 4d pairing my 4, but that doesn't mean much. Beside overcards there's also a possible flush out there. BB goes all-in and, of course, I fold. He takes in a 2400 pot.

Hand 150. I'm the BT w/4360 chips and BB has 9140. Blinds are 250/500. I have Qs Js and bet 3 BB's (1500), BB, raises me to 4500 (3x my bet), which would put me all-in. I decide to go for broke and call. I don't know if I had a read on him that said he may not have better cards or a better card then me, but not great cards, or I just decided, let's go for broke. Well he does have two very good cards!! Ah Kc ... two over cards, but I at least have two good cards to try and pair.

Flop 8c 10s 9s. WOW. I flopped a straight and have a flush and flush straight draw!!! Didn't help BB at all. Turn Jh. uh oh. if a Q falls on the river he would have the nut high straight. Fortunately the /River is a 3h and I win the 8720 pot and our chip positions are reversed again.

 Hand 151. Guess what? We reverse chip positions again! I'm BB and one more time I have QJ, Qc Jd. SB bets 2 BB's (1000) and I decide to be very aggressive and shove all-in, he calls with his 4780 chips. This time he has As 3h, one overcard.  Flop 2s 3d 7s, pairing SB's 3.Turn 7h. River 9s. I lose & SB takes a pot of 9560. I have 3940.

 Hand 153. I'm BB w/Ac 9h. SB Bets 4 BB (2000). I have to either fold or go all-in. Since I have an Ace I decide to go all-in. SB calls and shows pocket 4's. I have two overcards. Flop 10h 2h 8d, helping neither of us. Turn 10c. Looking like it's all over for me BUT the River is an 8s, the board has double paired negating SB's pocket 4's & I win having the better kicker's. I'm now up about 1200 in the chip count.

Hand 158. I'm the SB with 6380 chips, BB has 7120. Blinds are still 250/500. I have Qh 7h. I bet 1250 (2 1/2 BB's) and BB raises to 3000 (6 BB's). I decide to shove all-in. Not sure why, but expect it was mainly to see if I could get them off their hand. Not successful and they call. Again I don't see any good reason for my raising like I did after BB raised my 1st bet. BB shows Ac 9d.

Flop 2d 4d 10s. Not much help to either of us..Turn 7d and I pair with the board BUT gives BB a flush draw on the River. The River adds insult to injury - Qs giving me 2 pair and leaving the BB with only 740 chips.

Hand 161 he got a few chips back. I was BB and SB had 740 chips Blinds still 250/500. I had pocket 6's. SB went all-in and I called. SB showed Ks Qc. Flop 10s 3s Qh. Turn 5. River 7s. SB now has 1480 chips.
Next hand I have Ah Ks and go all-in BB folds. I win next hand as well when BT folds.

Hand 164. I'm the SB and have 10h 4s. BB goes all-in with their 730 chips and I call. They have Ah 5d. Flop Qh 8s 9d. Turn 7h. River 10d. I win, game over.