First off, this is way too much to write about for two measly Party Poker $5 sngs. But I don’t have a hell of a lot else to report. When these are old hat and I’m on to bigger and better things…
I’ve been running well at the Paradise micro tables. Building confidence, practicing patience, tightening up, trying to get my game (and bankroll) into shape enough to start thinking about slightly higher limits.
So today was a little toe dip in the water. I went back to Party this morning and tried a $5+1 sng. I had tried a few when I first deposited into Party and placed third only once or twice. Since then I’ve learned to throw away much better cards, and to read opponents betting patterns a little more,
saving me bets when I’m beat. I’ve also gotten a little better at playing shorthanded, getting more aggressive and opening up the starting hands appropriately.
So I started playing tight (not difficult with the cards I was getting). Saw a couple of cheap flops (55 on the button, KJs from one off the button) but folded both after missing). Won hands with AA, QJo, J3s (free flop from the bb), Q4s (free flop from the bb), KTo (sb), AKo). I squeaked into third, with t620 and 300/600 blinds. Two more hands and I was done. But it felt good to hang in for the $4. I felt like I played reasonably. And was itching to try again…
… So I sat down at another. I’ve been trying to lay low early in these sng tourneys to let the loose aggros get themselves out of the way. I wasn’t able to do that here, as the first two hands were decent, but not great, starting hands. 66 (-t15), AQo (-t150). Luckily, the third hand was
QQ and they held up for +t105, getting me back to t740, almost even. Meanwhile, the 6s was hitting every flop, turn and river, it seemed, and was at t2000 before long. With the blinds at 30/60, I checked JTo in the bb and 7 of us saw the JJK flop. I lead out, everyone folds but the 6s, who raises. He’d been bullying a bit with his chip lead and I figured he hit a pair of kings. I reraised to 90. Turn was a 4, I bet, he raised. This was the red flag I think, but I still put him on top pair. River was a 7. Check-called and he turns over AJ to beat me with the kicker. Ugh. I’m down to t340, shortstack – 1. Things were not looking good.
I tightened up and folded, folded, folded. Finally, at t295, now the shortstack, I see AA. No time to get cute, I played them as fast as possible – raise, flop, bet, turn, bet, river, bet. 10s was on a gutshot straight draw and I was +t295 to get back to t590, still 8th out of 10. Next hand is AJs and I call. Flop comes Ah9s2s. I bet and everyone folds for another +145. One more pot a couple of hands later and I’m at t1035 and back into the middle of the pack. With 7 players left, I played A9c in the sb. Flop was QcTc3s, but the fifth club never came and I was down to t410 and the shortstack again. Fold, fold, fold. Caught AK, raised to 400, and put my last 10 in on the flop of 242, resigned to being done. Miracle A on the river saves my bacon for +t745 and I’m back to t1155! Four-handed, won another big hand with Q3 from the bb for +t1055 and suddenly I’m in second place! Next hand is AQo, and I take a big bite (t1500) from the chip leader to take over the lead! Crazy! I was all-in with just two overcards a few minutes ago. Fourth goes out, so I’m in the money again, feeling good. Picked up AKo, played it fast and went +t2200 for t4910 and a decent chip lead over second and third. I played aggressive three-handed and then heads up (against the 6s mentioned earlier). I stole blinds, bullied a bit, reraise pre-flop with marginal hands, etc. Looking over the history, I really took it to the 6s. 11 hands of heads up and I won.
It was a lot of fun. Again, I’m learning to be aggressive in these shorthanded/headsup situations, which is not my nature. This is one of the things I know I need to improve, and have been working on quite a bit at the Paradise micros.
