9 SNG $2 + .25 End 1st 140 hands

Overall I played well and on the final hand, as Phil Hellmuth talked about the past two weeks in Poker After Dark, I was able to spring the mousetrap I had set. At the start of HU I was way ahead in chips ... 10,730 to 2,770 and fortunately I didn't do anything that messed that up too much, though there were points were he got closer.


Back to the mousetrap. Most of the time when I'm the SB I'll open with a 2 BB or 3 BB raise; some of the time I'll just limp. Often that limp means I don't have very good cards. I noticed after a bit, that a good number of times when I just limped the SB would raise me all-in, where upon, of course since I had crummy cards I'd fold. I was hoping I'd remember that if a time came when I had great cards as often with great cards I'll bet 3 BB or so. Hand 140 was my chance.

Hand 140. Blinds 120/240. I have 11,230 chips and BB has 1910. I have pocket K's (Kd Kc). I limp in with a 240 bet and the BB raises me all-in!! YEAH (unless he has A's :-) ), I instant call. BB shows Qd 5s. Nice. Now all I need is for him not to suck out. Flop 7c Kh 8s. Nice!! Turn Qs. River 9c. I win!!

Hand 13 was a nice hand that depended on an Ace or flush draw for me to win. Seven players left, I was BB w/Ad 4d. UTG, UTG+1, HJ, & SB limped in, I checked. Flop 8d 3h 5d. I have a nut flush draw. SB checks, I bet 100 into the 200 pot, UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to 500, HJ & SB fold. I think about it for awhile, as that was a big bet, and feel he either hit a set or has pocket pair overcards, either of which a nut flush would beat, so I decide to call. Turn Kd. The turn is very nice to me, I hit my nut flush!!! I bet 600 into the 1200 pot and UTG+1 goes all-in w/1300 chips. Of course I call. UTG+1 shows Qs 8s. Much worse cards than I expected. River Kc. I now have 3300 chips. UTG+1 is down to 250.

Hand 34. I'd been a bit up and down since hand 13 and had 3875 chips at the start of this hand on the BTN. Five players left, blinds 30/60, I was 2nd in chips. I had 6c 7h. Action folded to me and I decided to try a blinds steal and opened with a 180 raise. The SB who was the chip leader w/5480 chips called & BB folded. Flop 8h 10d 5h. Well, that's partly a good flop for me as I have an open ended straight draw BUT there is also a heart flush draw possible out there, so even if I hit my straight it'll still be iffy if I'll win. SB bets the 420 pot and I reluctantly call. Looking at it now, I'd have been best off to just fold to the pot bet. Turn 6d. Not much help to me. SB checks and so do I. I could have bet something there but I wasn't confident that the SB didn't have something and might have re-raised me. River 10c. Again no help to me. SB goes all-in at that point and I fold. I'm back to 3275 chips but still in 2nd place.

Hand 65 I was able to pick up some chips from the chip leader with some aggressive play on my part. Four players left, blinds 60/120, I'm BB w/Ks Qh and 3395 chips. UTG & chip leader opens with a raise of 240, BTN & SB fold, I call. Flop 4h 8s Kd. Pairs my K. I bet 360 into the 540 pot and UTG raises me to 720. I think about it for a bit and decide to see how serious he is and re-raise him to 1080. He folds and I now have 4475 chips. 1st dent that's been put into the chip leader for some time.
 
Hand 84. Three players left I'm BB, blinds 80/160. Chip leader has 6415, I have 3915, and short stack has 2930. All of us still well in the game. I have pocket K's (Ks Kh). BTN/chip leader limps in w/160 and I raise to 480, BTN re-raises me to 800. OK, I'm in the money, at least, and unless BTN has AA I'm in pretty good shape, so I re-raise him all-in w/4075 chips. He calls and shows pocket Q's (Qc Qs). I have the over pair. Flop 2s 5s 4h. So far so good. Even with 2 spades I have the Ks to his Qs if we get a runner, runner flush. Turn 2h. One card to go. River Ah. Nice I win and am now in 1st place w/8230 chips. BTN is down to 2340 and in 3rd place.
 
Hand 85. I give some of the chips back. I'm SB w/Ah Qc. BTN folds and I open with a raise to 320, BB goes all in. Oh dear, what does he have? Well, there's only one way to find out and I call. He shows pocket 7's (7d 7s). At least I have two overcards. Flop 10s 5d 2s. Turn 2h. River 9s. He wins. I'm back to 5890 chips but still in 1st place by 1200 or so chips.
 
Hand 86. Hard to believe it but I have AQ again, this time suited (Ah Qh). I'm the BTN and open with a raise to 480, SB & 2nd in chips that beat me last hand goes all-in again. BB folds. Darn!! In same spot I was last hand. Well the worse I can end up is 3rd, so I decide to go for it. He shows Ks Qc. I have an overcard to his K!! He didn't have a high pocket pair, or any pocket pair for that matter. That helps me feel a little better. Flop 2c Jd 4s. So far so good. Turn 3d. River 7c. I win and have 10730 chips. We are heads up. The other player has 2770.
 
It took awhile but in the end I came through!!