18 SNG Step 1 Ticket End 1-4 Won Step 2 ticket 123 hands Step 1

Finally managed to win a Step 2 ticket!

Hand 8 I won my 1st decent pot with As 7s vs 8c 9c. The board ended up 2d 6h Kc Ac Jh. We both checked on the River and I think he stayed for the River hoping to hit his flush. That gave me 2285 chips.

Hand 23 I'm back down to 1400 chips and have pocket J's (Jh Jc) in MP w/ 7 players. I get one caller, SB,  to my pre-flop 3 BB open rise. Flop 7c 7s 9d. SB checks and I bet 150 into the 350 pot, SB calls. Turn 2s. Again SB checks and I bet 300 into the 650 pot and they raise me to 600. Shoot, why raise now? Do they already have a set? or trips? Anyway I decide to call. River 6h. They go all-in w/1415 chips. Oh dear. Do they have a straight? All I have left is 500 chips. If my J's are good I pick up a 3265 pot, so I decide to call. They show As 6s, having paired the six on the River. My J's win and I have 2850 chips. Less then I said because the SB had 915 more chips than me.

Hand 75. It's been up and down, and more down as I'm down to 1060 chips after I put in the BB. Blinds are 80/160. I do have pocket J's (Js Jd), there are five players, maybe I can get some chips back. UTG  open raises 3 BB (480) and I call. Flop 2c 4h 5d, nice flop for my J's if UTG doesn't have an Ace 3 or something like that. I check and UTG bets 800 which will put me all-in. I go for it and call. UTG has Ad Ks, two overcards and gutshot straight draw. Turn 8h. River 10d. I have 2520 chips! Things are looking up again.

Hand 111. An interesting hand. Seven players left, blinds 200/400. I'm the BTN with pocket 2's (2c 2d), 3150 chips .. not enough to be in the top 4. UTG open raises 3 BB (1200), UTG+1 goes all-in w/1100 chips, rest fold to me. What do I do? The pot is 2900, it will cost me 1200 to see the flop if the SB or BB don't raise. Pot odds are 2.4 to 1, and if I lose I'll still have 1950 chips as well as the Step 1 ticket if I finish out of the top 4. I decide it's worth the call and do. SB & BB fold. Flop 3d 4d 3c. Not bad for my pocket 2's and I even have a diamond flush & straight flush draw, as well straight draws.  UTG & I check. Turn Kd. Not sure about that, It helps my flush draw but only if neither of them have a diamond. Again both UTG & I check. River 8s. Not sure if that is causing me any damage or not. UTG checks & I do the same. UTG shows Ac 10c & UTG+1 Ah 9c. My pocket deuces carry the day. :-)

I've been looking a bit more at pot odds to help me make a decision as if I hit it will help my chip stack, but I'm not always consistent in using it yet.