9 SNG $5 + .50 End 1st 91 Hands

Phew. I feel I redeemed myself from the last session. :-) Not only made the money but was able to end up 1st. Once we got down to the last six it was a pretty tight table and not clear which of us would go out.

I had a couple of early on hands that gave me a few chips so I could relax a bit. Hand 9 I had AQo vs 76o and carried the day. That gave me 1705 chips.

Hand 12. I'm UTG+1 w/Kd Jc and decide to limp in w/50, CO raises to 150, SB calls, BB folds, and I reluctantly call. I wanted to see the flop but didn't want to pay that much, although it's asking me to put up 100 for a 400 pot, so my pot odds aren't bad. Flop 10d 9h Qh. A very nice flop for me as I flopped a straight!! SB checks & I check, CO bets 300 into the 500 pot, SB goes all-in 1760 chips, I go all-in w/my 1555 chips and CO folds. At this point I don't see anything he might have that would beat me, but he could have some draws. Would he go all-in for that after checking? I doubt it. SB shows 8d Js, he also hit a straight but on the lower side of it 8-Q, while I have 9-K. The best he can do is chop with me if a K falls on the Turn or the River. Turn Ac. River Qd. I now have 3910 chips.

Hand 37 was interesting. Six players left w/short stack of 1295 and big stack of 3265, blinds 50/100. No big difference between us. I'm HJ w/Ad Qh, 2480 chips. UTG limps in w/100, I raise to 350, CO folds, BTN calls, SB & BB fold. Flop As Ac 9h. I have trip A's w/a Q kicker so could be ok if the BTN doesn't have AK. I check and CO bets 100 into the 950 pot and I raise to 550. CO folds. Maybe a smaller bet would have got me more chips but I felt a more aggressive bet was a better choice. I have 3180 chips, 2nd biggest stack.

Hand 68. Still six players, blinds 100/200. I'm UTG w/pocket 9's (9d 9c) and 2680 chips. I open raise 2 BB (400), HJ folds, CO calls, BTN folds, SB & BB call. Flop Ks 5d 4c. I'm ok except for that K. We all check. Interesting. No one have a K? Is someone slow playing? Turn 2s. Possible gutshot straight there, especially if someone has an A 3. Again we all check. I'm puzzled. Does everyone but me have nothing? River 2d. Pairs the board but I doubt I'm in any worse shape than I was before it. SB checks, BB bets all-in w/1415 chips into the 1600 pot. I think about it for awhile, debating if he might really have something. He merely called 400 pre-flop and only checked the flop & turn. If he really had something wouldn't he have made some kind of bet then? I decide he's most likely bluffing and call. That leaves me w/865 chips. CO & SB fold. BB shows 7s 8c. Nothing, not even a pair. It was a bluff. Phew!! We're down to five and I'm big stack w/5295 chips.

By hand 77 we are at the bubble. I'm still big stack but back to 4295 chips. Short stack has 2520. Pretty much anyone's game. At the end of hand 77 we are three. Top stack has 5675, I have 4295, and short stack 3530. Still pretty much anyone's game.

Hand 79. I'm SB w/Qd 10h, 3935 chips; blinds 120/240. UTG limps in w/240, I & BB calls. Flop 4d Jc Kd. I have an open ended straight draw. I min bet 240 into the 720 pot, BB raises to 720 and I decide to call to see what the Turn brings.  It's 480 into a 1680 pot; 3.5-1 pot odds. Turn 9c. I hit my straight 9-K. I don't see anything obvious that could beat me at this point, but there are flush draws. I want the River to be a Heart or Spade so I don't have to worry about a flush. I bet 840 into the 2160 pot, BB calls. River 9s. Well I got my wish BUT I also now have a paired board. No flush but a FH maybe? I hope not! I make a very small 720 bet into the 3840 pot. Since this is some hours later I'm not sure why I did that. Whether it was to save me some chips if he raises big suggesting a FH, or I want him to think I have something big so bet small. He just calls, which should mean I win; he shows Jd 4c and indeed I do. He had bottom two pair so did have outs for a FH along the way. I'm chip leader w/6815 chips. Small stack is now 1250. It's looking good for a 1st or 2nd place finish.

Hand 82 the other two players duke it out. Short stack has Ks 5d and the middle stack has Ac Jd. Short stack went all in pre-flop. The board played out 8d 6d 5h 3c 2d. Short stack wins. Hand 83 they go at it again. Short stack open raises 3 BB and middle stack re-raises all-in w/4305 chips; short stack calls. Short stack has pocket 4's (4d 4c) and middle stack has As 9d, two over cards. The board plays out  2s 10c Qd Ac 3c. Middle stack wins. We are now two. I have 6815 chips to their 6685 chips, basically even.

HU went fairly quick. Hand 90 I'm BB w/pocket Q's (Qh Qc), 6126 chips; blinds 150/300. SB has 6925 chips. SB open raises 3 BB (900) and I re-raise to 1800, they call. Flop 3c 3h 5c. I doubt that hit either of us and I bet 1650 into the 3600 pot, SB calls. Turn 6s. I still feel the same that neither of us has hit anything. I have 2975 chips left and bet all-in with them to the 6900 pot. Either I'm going to be in pretty good shape chip wise or I'm going to be 2nd! SB calls and shows Ah 6h. Smaller cards than I expected and I was wrong, they did hit on the Turn. River 4s. I win! They have 650 chips left.

Next hand I had A8s and open raised 2 BB (600) they reraised all-in w/650 & I called. They had A5o. The board played out pairing their 5 and Rivering me a flush. All over!