9 SNG Step 1 Ticket End 1-2 Won Step 2 Tic 106 hands Step 1

Payout: 1-2 Step 2 ticket, 3-5 Step 1 Ticket

This was a tough session as players didn't drop very quickly after we lost the 1st two. I worked hard at being patience and it seems to have paid off in the end. It felt iffy for quite awhile whether I was going to make the top 5 or not as the other players were not playing poorly.

Hand 7: My 1st nice hand. I'm BB w/pocket Q's (Qd Qh). Seven players. Action folds to the CO who open raises 3 BB (90) , BTN folds and I re-raise to 180. CO calls. Flop Jc As Kc. Ugh. Not the kind of flop I want to see w/pocket Q's. I could have bet into it but the CO had opened w/a 3 BB raise so I felt it was likely he had an Ace or K or maybe even AK and betting into it hoping he didn't would be a waste of my chips, so I just check. CO checks as well. Turn 5d. I still see no point in putting more chips into the pot so I check again and this time the CO bets 210 into the 360 pot. A modest bet that maybe he feels will induce me to give up a few of my chips. I fold. It was not what I felt like doing; I'd have loved to run with those Q's, but it did not look like the Q's day.

Hand 52 still seven players left I was CO w/Ah Qh. UTG open raised w/a 3 BB (240) raise and I decided to fold. It would have been nice to see a flop but if I didn't hit my AQs likely wasn't much good.

Hand 53 I have Ad Qh in HJ position. UTG+1 limps in w/80, I raise to 240, rest fold and UTG+1 calls. Flop 7s 2h 10c. No help to my AQ. UTG+1 & I check. Turn 3d. We both check again. River 9d. check, check. UTG+1 shows Kc 9s, pairing his 9 on the River. If I had bet earlier it's possible he would have folded and I'd have won the pot.

Hand 77. I'm BB w/Kd 4c. Seven players still left, blinds 80/160 and I have 1040 chips. UTG limps in, SB calls, and I check. Flop 4s Ks 3s. I have top 2 pair but board shows a possible flush and spade flush draw. SB checks and I decide to go all-in w/my last 1040 chips hoping no-one has a flush yet. Yes, this was a bit rash on my part, but blinds are going to be killing me soon. UTG raises me all-in w/1495 chips and the SB folds. Darn, it looks like he does have the spade flush. UTG shows 3h 3d having hit their set on the flop. I need some help here! Turn 2d. One last chance. River Kc. Phew. Instead of being outta here, I have a FH (K's full of 4's vs UTG's FH of 3's full of K's). I now have 2550 chips and some breathing room. I was very lucky this hand.

Hand 79. This one I didn't expect to win but called to see what the other player had. I'm on the BTN w/pocket 6's (6s 6h) and 2480 chips. Action folds to me and I limp in w/160. SB folds and BB checks. Flop 4d 3c 3d. The board is paired but my 6's are still top pair. BB checks and I bet 160 into the 400 pot and BB raises me to 480. I decide to call, hoping he doesn't have a 3. Turn 3h. Now that's an interesting kettle of fish!! I have a FH, 3's full of 6's. Does the BB have quad 3's??? BB only checks and I do the same. River Qd. That does set up a possible flush as well, but I don't think I really noticed that at the time. Trip 3's more had my interest. BB bets 480 into the 1360 pot and I debate, does he have it or not? I decide to bite the bullet and call to see what he has. BB shows 6d 2s. NOTHING. WOW. Not at all what I expected. I now have 3680 chips and have become chip leader.

Hand 93. We are now down to six and have been on the 5 winners bubble since hand 82. Blinds 100/200, I have 3380 chips and 2nd high stack. I'm CO w/Kc Qh. HJ limps in w/200, I call, BTN folds, SB calls & BB checks. Flop Jd 10h Ad. Perfect!! I have a nut high straight!! SB bets all-in w/last 635 chips, BB & HJ fold, I call. SB shows Ah 6c. Looking good. Turn 3h. River 7c. I have 4615 chips. We are down to the final five.

Hand 100. Four players left, blinds 120/240. I'm BB w/pocket K's (Kh Kc) and 4575 in chips. UTG limps in w/240, BTN folds, SB calls and I raise to 720. UTG calls and SB folds. Flop Qs 7d 8s. Looks ok for my K's. I decide to check & UTG does too. Turn Jd. I bet 960 into the 1680 pot and UTG calls. Hmm, what do they have? Might they have 9-10 for a straight? Are they on a flush draw? River 7c. The board is paired. I decide to just check and UTG bets all-in w/1595 chips. What might he have? If I call & lose I'll lose about 1/2 my chips, hurt but still playable, plus the worse off I'll be is with a Step 1 ticket, so I call. UTG shows 5c 4s. NOTHING!! That was a surprise too. I thought I might still win but I did expect them to have something! I now have 8330 chips and we are down to the last 3 bubble for Step 2 tickets. Middle stack has 3580 chips and short stack has 1590 chips.

At this point I'm mainly sitting back and letting the other two fight it out unless I have some really great hands. That doesn't happen by hand 107 when short stack w/pocket 7's (7h 7s) went all-in to middle stacks Ah Kh. The board showed:  4c Ac Kd 2d 2c and it was over.