A couple more SNGs

I played in three SNG since my crappy run this weekend. I tried really hard to not break any of my rules. Results were pretty good, as I got 1st in one, and 2nd in another.

Lets take a look:

$22 Speed
Level 1(20/40 blinds). I get AQ on the button. 2 limpers in front, and I raise 4X BB. Both call. Flop is Q95, with 2 hearts. Both check to me, and I bet 2/3 pot. Just one guy calls. Turn is the 2 of Clubs. 1100 in the pot. I bet just under half pot. This was a mistake. I should have bet a lot more, as he probably was on a flush draw. Of course the river brings another heart. He checks to me and I check too. He flips over A3 of hearts. Nice chase dude.
In Level 2, I win a small pot when I flop a set with 66 from the BB. It was just me and the SB.
In Level 3, I'm in the SB with 88. EP raises it up 3.5xBB and I go all-in. BB calls, as does PF raiser. BB has QQ and I go home.

$22 Speed
2nd hand of SNG, I get 99 in the SB. 4 limpers and I complete, so 6 people see a flop of KT9, all spades. I lead out for just under half pot. Next guy min-raises, and two people call that. I just call. Turn is 8 of hearts. Now there are flush and straight possibilities. I check, and flop raiser bets the minimum, and we all call. River is the last 9, giving me quads. I check, hoping someone will bet, but they all check! Grr. Up to 2900.
I win a few small pots, and steal some blinds, and I am up to 4000 in chips with 7 people.
Blinds are 200/400. I'm in the BB with AK. Fold to button small stack (1500) and he goes all-in. SB small stack also goes all-in (only 900). I call. Button shows QT. SB has J9. Flop is AAK. I flop the nuts baby. Turn is a King, haha. River is a queen, and they both play the board, heh.
Chip Leader with 5 left.
Down to 3, and I am 2nd in chips. I get 55 in the SB and bet 2.5xBB. BB calls. Flop is 942. I take a stab at it, but BB raises. I fold and he shows KK.
I fold 66 to chip leaders bet. Not sure about my play here. Pairs are usually hands you want to play with 3 left.
I knock out 3rd place Short stack with KJ vs his A6 when a Jack comes on the river. I now have slight chip lead.
I get A9 and bet. Villain raises all-in and I call. He has J6! A jack on the flop wins it for him. Boooo.
I got out in 2nd place a few hands later with KQ vs his A9

$16 Turbo
I played really tight in the beginning. I didn't play any hands the first two levels. In level 3, I got 88 on the button, but folded to a 5x BB raise. I just didn't think my implied odds were high enough to call and play for a set.
I still played really tight in levels 3-5. I got lucky two orbits in a row when someone got knocked out and I was skipped for the BB. And one time, it was folded to me in the BB. So in the middle of Level 5, I was still just a few chips below starting chip stack with 6 people left.
Stole a BB from the SB when it was folded to me and I went all-in with 89o.
Folded deuces in level 6. Small pocket pairs aren't that great when your M is 5.
Stole the BB again from the SB with Q8o.
Stole with A8o UTG. This table is playing pretty tight near the bubble. I'm no longer the small stack. There are two big stacks, and three of us are between 1200 and 1750.
The two other small stacks bust out. So we are down to three. I have 1750, other two have 8000 and 3800.
Get AQ two hands in a row and get the blinds.
Big stack knocks out the other guy. Two left. I have 1450, he has 12000.
I double up with AK vs K3.
He's not very aggressive. I think I can crawl back and take this thing.
I double up again with AT vs KQ. it's my 5500 vs his 8000.
Next hand I get QQ. He calls my PF bet and my flop bet. Folds to my turn bet. I have the chip lead!
Oof, he takes the lead on a nice bluff. I have Q2. Flop is K86. I take a stab at it and bet. He calls. Turn is a Q. He checks, and I check. River is another King. He goes all-in and I fold. He shows T7.
he has me covered by 600. I get T3 in the SB and complete. He min-bets and I call. Flop is 843. He checks and I bet. He just calls. Turn is a Ten giving me two pair. He checks and I bet again, and he check-raises all-in. I call and he shows pocket Aces, and I win the pot when the river doesn't help!
he only has 600 left on the final hand and I come back and win the whole thing!

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I was happy with my play in these three SNGs. I didn't call any raises without a big hand ( I folded AQ - Ax to a raise. Ya!!).

I folded pocket pairs when I didn't have position or if my M was below 5. I think doing this will improve my results in the long run. Once the blinds start getting big, your implied odds just aren't there to call raises with small to mid pocket pairs.

My heads up play was pretty good. I think this is one of my strong points.

And I played pretty tight in the earlier going. In the SNGs at these levels, this is usually the best approach.

Cheers!