9 SNG $5 + .50 End 1st 113 Hands

Well maybe all those 5 FTP 300 chips sessions helped after all? Managed to make 1st in the 9 player SNG $5 which makes me happy. Nice to add some $$$ back to the bankroll. :-)  It got a little shaky in HU, we started about even, I had a nice lead, then found myself on the other side again, but in the end made it to the top.

Hand 7 I had a nice early win. I'm BB w/pocket 4's (4c 4s). UTG bets 2 BB (60), UTG+1 calls, MP folds, HJ calls, CO, the BTN, & SB fold, I call. Flop Ah 3d 4h. I hit my set. I opt to check to see what folks will do, UTG bets 120 into the 255 pot, UTG+1 calls, HJ folds and I raise to 360. UTG & UTG+1 call. Turn 7c. If they have small cards they have a straight or a heart flush draw. I bet 900 into the 1335 pot putting me all-in, UTG folds and UTG+1 calls showing As 6s. They do have outs. River Ad. That was not one they really wanted. Yes they have trip Ace's but I have a FH and now have 3135 chips early in this session.

Hand 24. I'm SB w/pocket 7's (7h 7c). UTG and Short Stack opens all-in w/a 680 bet, all fold to HJ who calls, CO & BTN fold, I reluctantly call and BB folds. That was a pretty rich call for me and at best I'm hoping I'm not up against a bigger pair. I would probably have been better off just folding as I may need those 680 chips later and/or it would be nice to have them if I get another chance to double up. Flop 6s Js 4s. Phooey, easy flush possible now so even if I hit my set on the Turn or the River it might not be any good. I check and the HJ goes all-in w/their last 1375 chips. I, of course, fold. UTG shows pocket 4s and has hit a set, HJ shows Ah Jh pairing the J on the board. No flush there. Turn 10h. River 9d. UTG wins and now has 2100 chips only 385 behind me.

As an aside, UTG won w/pocket 4's that turned into a set. In hand 7 I had pocket 4's that turned into a set and beat him then. Turnabout is fair play?

Hand 28 I get a chance to get some of those chips back. Seven players left. I'm HJ w/Ah 9h. Action folds to me and I limp in w/80 chips, CO calls, BTN folds, SB calls, & BB checks. Flop Jd Ad 8h. That pairs my Ace. SB & BB check, I bet 160 into the 320 pot and CO raises all-in 860 chips, SB & BB fold. I think about it for a bit and decide to call. I at least have an Ace but not a very good kicker. I'm surprised when the CO shows Ks 5s. Looks like he was trying a bluff based on the flop which would have worked if I didn't have that Ace. Turn 8d. River 4c. I now have 3585 chips about a 1000 behind the chip leader who has 4580.

Hand 57 Four player left. We have been on the bubble since hand 49. I have pocket K's as SB, action folds to me and I bet 2 BB (320), unfortunately for me the BB folds. I'm big stack with 4015 chips, the others have 3350, 3210 and 2925 chips. Not a great difference between us and anyone could go from last to 1st on any given hand.

Hand 58 I get lucky. This time I'm on the BTN and have Kd 8d. UTG folds, I bet 2 BB (320), SB raises to 640 and BB folds. Its only 320 more chips so I decide to see what the flop may bring, maybe a diamond flush? Flop Ks Qd 2h. No flush but it could come runner, runner. I do get my K paired though I don't have a very strong kicker. SB bets 1360 into the 1440 pot. Hmm, I wonder what they may have. AK? I doubt they have a set but am puzzled by such a large bet. I opt to challenge the bet and see if they are really serious and I raise them to 2720 (twice their bet), leaving me only 655 chips if they call and/or win. It does put them all-in if they call. They do. Uh Oh am I on my way to hurting? They show Ah Qc. They have middle pair. They don't have me beat yet and if they cards fall nicely for me they won't! Turn Kc. Oh nice, I now have trip K's!!!

I didn't realize it at the time, so I sweated the River, but I can't lose now!!! River Qh. That caught me for a moment as it gives them trip Q's and a FH, Q's full of K's, but it was cruel to them as I had a FH too, K's full of Q's. Bubble has burst, I'm the chip leader w/7525 chips. The other two have 2890 and 2445 chips.

Hand 62 the other two players battled it out. I had Ah 9d on the BTN and opened w/a 2 BB bet (320), the SB raised to 1120 and the BB reraised all-in w/2810. I got outta the fight. SB had Ks Qc & BB Ac Kh. I'm not sure why the BB bet so strongly and the BB's all-in. Flop 3d Jc Kd. BB ahead. Turn 7d, no help to either. River Qh and SB with KQ beats the BB's AK.

We are now heads up and about even in chips. I have 6969 and the other player has 6535.

Hand 64. I'm the BT w/Ks 6c. I open w/a 2 BB bet (320), BB calls. Flop Jh 9s Qs. I have a gutshot straight draw and runner, runner flush draw. BB bets 400 into the 640 pot and I call. Turn 10c. I have the 2nd nut straight and am good as long he doesn't have AK. BB bets 1440. I'm assuming he likely has a straight and I'm hoping at worse we might chop. I decide to press him raise all-in with 6085 chips and he folds. Nice. Either he was bluffing or if had a straight maybe had it from the small side. I now have 8885 chips to his 4455. How do I get the rest of them?

Instead of my getting the rest of his chips, by hand 75 we are back to about even again. :-/ It gets worse and by hand 100 I'm down to 3465 chips to his 10,035 chips.

Hand 104. I'm SB w/Ad Jh and 4945 chips after I post the SB of 120. I bet 2 BB (480) and the BB raises me to 1200. Darn, I don't like that but I do have an Ace and a decent kicker so I decide to challenge him and reraise all-in w/5085 chips. If he's bluffing I'll pick up a few chips, if not, well the worse that can happen is I end up 2nd. He calls showing Kc Qd. Again weaker cards than I expected. We all have "good" cards. Flop 2c 4c 7c. No help to me but gives him a flush draw. Sweating time!! Turn Ah. That is nice to see, he can't out pair me now. One card to go. River 2s. Phew!! I win and have 10,130 chips to his 3370. We've reversed chip stack holdings.

Hand 113. I'm BB w/As 7s. SB bets 3 BB (720) and I call. Flop Ah 9h 6d. My Ace pairs but I have a weak kicker. I check and SB goes all-in w/their last 3010 chips. Well he could have an Ace with a better kicker than me but if he doesn't this could be it and if he does we'll be back near even again, so I call. He shows Jd 8c. One more time showing much weaker cards than I expected. Turn Jh paring his J. River 3c. I WIN!!!!

Nice to come in 1st in my 1st cash game in awhile!!