Multitable madness, redux

After losing multitable SNGs at $30+3, $20+2 and $10+1 tonight I elected to play one more multitable $20+2 SNG. A 3rd place finish would net me $80 and nearly even for the day.

After wrapping up my previous post talking about the deliciously ironic Jack King off, I doubled up near the start of this SNG when Jack King off found another Jack King off on the flop. Hand history in Comment #1. Two hands later QJo caught a big flop and was able to take down another very big pot (Comment #2). From this point I was able to hold on to the chip lead down to the consolodation to the final table.

First hand of the final table, #2 in chips won a big pot, and climbed in to the lead. He now had T5400, I had T4500, two players had around T2400, three had T1300, and three others were short stacked.

Hit the second break (one hour mark) still in second with the following standings:

clchpin ( $6325 )
Performify ( $4559 )
teamhungary ( $2900 )
garza1P ( $3646 )
tewick ( $2570 )

I proceeded to make a very agressive play that could have left me sitting out cold in fifth (Comment #3). I'm in position holding AcQh and "clchpin" raises to 1200 in front of me. Clchpin had been stealing a lot of blinds, and I had been playing very tightly and getting a lot of respect on my own infrequent steals, so I re-raised to 2500 (3/4th of my stack, expecting I could possibly still grind my way in to fourth if I lost) expecting to take it down right there. To my suprise he called, and the flop came down Kd, 7s, 6c. The player I was up against was very solid, but I hadn't caught him slowplaying made hands, and so when he checked the flop, I was pretty comfortable that he would allow me to take it away from him - so I immediately raised all-in on a semi-bluff. Even though my all-in raise was only about 1/5th the pot, I put him on a medium pocket pair (or even JJ) and him calling there still would have left me at least six pure outs plus a runner-runner straight redraw if I were correct... and with his agressive but not tricky play, I felt I had very good fold equity with the king on board. He thought long and hard, while I chanted "fold, fold, fold, fold" at my computer. Eventually he laid it down, and I breathed a sigh of relief. A few hands later we hit the final four with the following standings:

tewick ( $6466 )
Performify ( $5384 )
teamhungary ( $5200 )
clchpin ( $2950 )

A few hands in, I was excited to see kings show up, but an Ace on the flop cracked them (Comment #4). Only a few hands later I caught aces and made a big stab pre-flop hoping for a caller thinking I was on a steal. Ended up only stealing the blinds - I probably should have raised less pre-flop and tried to bust someone by limping with the aces. Had I not been pushing for the "3rd or better to even out the day" finish, I probably would have slowplayed it. However, I did manage to double up late with QTo against A2d (Comment #5) and was able to roll in to the final three with ease from there.

I entered the final three sitting slightly in third with around T4k, "clchpin" in second slightly above me, and then cheapleader "teamhungary" with around T10k. A few hands in to the three-way action, I was dealt pocket eights and watched clchpin push in front of me. I pushed, and the chipleader called to my surprise for three-way action with two of us all-in. clchpin turned over Ac,5d and teamhungary turned over As,Kc. The board played out quickly in typical Party Poker fashion, and no aces or kings fell. I was elated! Adrenaline pumping, I shot up in my chair with a "YES!" (waking up both dogs, of course) - I had just trippled up to take the chiplead, and had left clchpin with less than a single BB. But the chips weren't pushing my way! Oh wait - that four on the turn completed the gutshot straight that clchpin had flopped, and I was out in third. Probably a little lounder than my celebration came a distinctive "CRAP!". Final hand posted as Comment #6.

Elation turned to resignation - at least I'd clawed back to nearly equal for the day, and had played some solid poker to get there. A $30+3, two 20+2's, and a $10+1 for $88 in and $80 payout from my third place finish in the second two-table 20+2.

SNG varience still under control, albeit not exactly where it needs to be for this to become my primary means of play. One more week of pure SNG play and I should have enough data to decide if I can leave the $25 NL tables or need to stay there and grind.

Now just enough time for an hour nap before I hit the town tonight...