Sooner or Later....

13 of my last 17 SNGs prior to this weekend were in the money. None of the five that I played this weekend were in the money. I knew it would happen sooner or later.

I wasn't too impressed with my play in those five. Three of the losses were for sure because of stupid plays by me. So for me to learn from my mistakes, I will go through most of the SNGs I play and try and discover my leaks. I will then create a list of rules that I must follow for playing SNGs.

I played one $27 Turbo at Stars, two $22 Speeds at Party, and two $33 regulars at Party. Here are some quick summaries:

$25+2:
Called a 4xBB raise in Level I with 22. No set.
First hand of Level 4 (50/100). 8 people left. I have 1390. Short stack UTG with 265 goes all-in. Button raise 3 times that amount (to 1100). I'm in BB and go all-in with AQ. Button has KK. Oops. ALWAYS FOLD AQ TO A RAISE!

$22 Speed
6th hand. Still in level 1 (20/40). AK of hearts in EP. I raise 3xBB. BB calls. Flop is AJT, all diamonds. BB goes all-in and I fold. WTF?
10th hand, 9 people left in level 2(30/60). I have 1790 (villain has me covered, and just won a huge pot where he flopped 2-pair. His opponent hit a flush on the turn, and villain went all-in and he hit his 4 outer for a full house). Villain bets 2xBB(120) in MP. I have AK in the CO and I re-raise to 400. He goes all-in and I call. He has KK. Oops.

$22 Speed
first hand and get 22. Limp in. There is another limper and SB raise 5x BB. I call. No set, so I fold to flop bet.
Third hand, and I'm in the BB. I see a free flop with Q9o. 5 people see the flop of Q74 rainbow. SB min-bets, and I raise half pot bet. He re-raised me triple, and I fold. WTF?
Card dead
Card dead
Same dude as above is short stack in level 4(100/200) he has only 245. He goes all-in and I re-raise all-in to isolate and steal blinds with ATo. He has QJo. Flop is AQ6. Turn x. River J. Ya!
Same dude doubles up again with 99 vs AT, so now he has me covered.
Next hand, I am in the BB (200/400). Same dude is in the SB. He calls the SB, and I push the rest of my chips in with A7. He has 77. No ace, and I go home. He goes from 245 chips to 2500 in about 5 hands. Just unlucky?

$33
Level 1, In the SB I complete with 87o. 5 people see a flop of 732 with 2 hearts. I lead out for half pot bet, and I am raised 4 times that amount (pot bet). I fold. Grrr.
I knock out a short stack with KQ with a straight to his AA. Up to 2470.
Level 3 (50/100) I raise 3xBB from the button with KQ. Fold to big stacks push.
7 people left. Level 3, I raise 3xBB in EP with AJ. SB has me coverd and goes all-in. I call. He has AK. ALWAYS FOLD AJ TO A RAISE!!

$33
Level 1, I'm in the SB with T9s. Villain min-bets to 80 in MP. 3 callers, and I call also. Flop is 2, 2, 9. I check, villain bets 100 into a 540 pot. I call, as do three others. Turn is a king. I check, villain checks. Button bets a third of pot. I fold but villain calls. River is another King, so board is 229KK. Checked down and villain wins with 62s!! He raised PF with that crap?!?
Still level 1. I'm in MP with 44. I limp, as does another. Same villain as above raises 5xBB. We both call. Flop is 5Q5, two spades. I decide to make a move for this pot, and I bet 2/3 pot. Villain calls. Turn is the 9 of spades, and I don't think he can call an all-in bet without a 5 or a made flush (I have the 4 of spades). So I go all-in. Of course he calls. What does he call with? A made flush? Full house? Nope. Pocket tens. So I have 10 outs (the two remaining 4's, and eight non-T spades), but none come, and I go home. WTF?


So, what did I learn. AQ and AJ (and really any other Ax where x is something other than another Ace or King) should be thrown in the muck if there is a bet before or after you. Never ever call a bet with these crap hands. They suck.

Also, leave the bluffing to a minimum, especially in the first couple levels. I had no reason trying to try bluff that donk in the last SNG with only 44.

Hopefully the next round of SNGs will go a little better.

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I finished off the bonus over at Party Poker. Collecting that bonus off-set the loses I had in the SNGs for the weekend, so I pretty much ended up break even for the whole weekend. I deposited some money over at Doyles Room. I won a few bucks, but gave it all back when I lost with AA against KK and his flopped set. Then a few two outers on the river this morning sent the rest of what little profit I had made right back out the window.