As Full Tilt are exceedingly homosexual in that they don't take Maestro - I've been pottering around, concentrating on work and other things. The month started badly, dropping £200 at poker from 30th August to 4th October, and I've decided to ease off the live poker, as I feel I'm not giving it my all, despite very positive recent results. With about $8 lying around in Stars I decide to play an SNG for fun. But I win, so play a $10 SNG, play well and make 2nd. Feeling like I'm playing very solid poker, I've decided to give SNGs a go over cash in the future. Far less variance!
6 $10 SNGs, 2 wins, 1 2nd, 1 3rd and 2 4ths - and one of the 4ths I made a terrible mistake which otherwise would've resulted in a cash. So into the 7th.
Hands 1-12: Bugger all, I see my first two BBs for free with 54o and Q2o. Limp with Kh9h and reminded it's a poor play when SB raises big and I pass. Only 20 chips though. If I play every hand here, I hit 2nd pair once (a 9 with 96o) and 3rd pair thrice on the flop.
Hand 13: SB, AQo, MP and button limp. I hate the hand and position, too early to raise, so complete. Flop comes K high and I pass to the bet.
Hand 16: AQo, 4th pos. 3rd limps, I raise to 5xBB, all fold and I take my first pot.
Hand 22: AJo, Button. Cutoff raises 4xBB, I flat call, board comes 2h 5d 9c Qc Tc. Checked down and he has the only hand I could've pushed off the pot (AK). Thought about betting the turn, but I don't like risking too many chips early on. If I'd played the last 11 hands, I'd have hit 3rd pair once.
Hand 24: QJs, 4th pos. I limp, one EP limper and button. T high flop and fold to the button's bet.
Hand 26: AKo, 2nd pos. I raise 4xBB. All fold.
Hand 28: 9s3c, BB. No raise on my BB for 4th consecutive time. Button limps. Board Js 8s 2d 3s and a 2/3 pot bet takes it down. Haven't hit another flop yet. Still on 1235 chips with blinds 25/50.
Hand 36: 99, SB. MP and button limp. I hate the position, all-in or pass realistically, and the blinds are small enough, so I flat call, miss and fold. Playing the last 8 hands would've seen me hit 2nd pair for the 2nd time (the 4 with 84o this time!).
Hand 47: 88, UTG. Down to 910 chips with blinds 50/100. I have no option but to push. All fold. Not hit another flop.
Hand 49: 97s, SB. Button limps, I complete. Flop 874 rainbow. A huge 2nd pair sees me bet 2/3 pot and take it down. That's now 3 2nd pairs and 4 3rd pairs on the flop.
Hand 52, QJo, 2nd pos. 6 players left, I raise 3xBB and take the pot.
Hand 64, KQo, 2nd pos. 860 chips, blinds 75/150. I move all-in, BB calls with JTs. Board 62574 doubles me up. No more hits in the last 15 hands.
Hand 66, T6s, BB. Blind on Blind, board AK5T sees me take it with a min bet on the turn.
Hand 74, K7o, Button. Still 6 left, blinds 100/200. Folded to me and I min raise on the button. BB calls. Board 9h Td Qh 4c 8s. It's checked down and his A3o wins. Still can't hit a flop.
Hand 75, AcKh, Cutoff. 1170 left, MP raises to 800, no option but to push. He shows 99. Board comes Qc Kc 2c Jh 6s. I HIT TOP PAIR! Oh, and I doubled up.
Hand 76, 92o, UTG. Would've hit 2 pair, when you're hot you're hot!
Hand 77, ATo, BB. Blind on blind. SB limps, I raise 3xBB, SB calls. Flop 456, he checks, I push, he folds. 2nd of 5 left now.
Hand 88, AA, SB. Not hit since last time. Blind on Blind. BB short stacked. I min raise and he flat calls. Flop down J65, I put him all-in and he insta-calls with JT. Turn 9, river 7 knock him out. Though I didn't actually hit that flop!
Hands 91-97. I win 4 of these 7 hands, hitting bottom pair once, 22 on a K44 board and two pre-flop raises. 4 left.
Hands 104-106. I win these 3 in a row with pre-flop raises. A couple of flop hits, but no top pair if I play every hand. Chipleader with 4600 and blinds 100/200/25.
Hand 111: A raise stops me from playing QTo, flop comes Q high and QJ hits two pair on turn.
Hand 117, QQ, SB. Now 3 handed and in the money, somehow. I over raise from SB to 6xBB, BB pushes and I call, he shows JJ and board 6726T puts me as monster chipleader 8800 with both opponents on 2300.
Hand 122, 22, BB. Blinds now 200/400/25. SB raises 60% of his stack, I reraise all-in, he shows ATs and 465KK board knocks him out and leaves me 4 to 1 chipleader heads up. The odd 2nd and 3rd pair, but nothing much.
Hands 125-130: I win 4 of 6 without hitting a thing.
Hand 131, 9c4c, SB. I've been raising every button to 3xBB, this time he calls, flop down Ac 3c 4s. Lovely flop, I put him all-in, and he folds, leaving him 1500 chips and me with an 8 to 1 leader.
Hand 132, KdJd, BB. He doubles up wtih A8o, both miss. He starts folding his SB.
Hand 134, 95o, SB. I raise 3xBB again, he flat calls, board 4AA2K and I put him all-in on the river, he passes and I show, hahaha! He again folds his SB next hand (135), and I show him 93o.
Hand 136, 74s, SB. I stupidly put him all-in, and he doubles up with Q6 when we both miss.
Hand 138, KhJh, SB. I'm 12 to 1 leader - I put him all-in again, and he calls with J9o. I fittingly hit top pair and the board of 23J7T gives me the win.
If I play each of the 138 hands (played hands in bold):
I hit two-pair once (92o).
I hit top pair 3 times - played hands in bold (AKo, QTo, KJs).
I hit 2nd pair 7 times (with 84o, 96o, 97s, 72o, 96s, 64o, 94s).
3rd pair was hit 11 times, as good as a fold really, though I took a couple of pots down with these.
A pre-flop move with 88 was uncalled, as were many smaller raises with rags. QQ and AA both held as 4-1 favourites.
I won both my races (only one crucial one) 22 v ATs and AKo v 99. That is all, 4 key hands all won.
How do you win a SNG whilst hitting FA?
Patience.
And a little bit of luck ;)
