Change of pace

I have been playing mostly cash for the recent history, and fancy a little change, so while I am continuing my micro cash challenge, I will have a little run at $4 180-man SNG's. These games seem pretty soft, at this moments in time I have just passed the bubble and I am sitting 10th out of 18 remaining in my first of this challenge. Hopefully I will make something decent out of it. To be honest I am extremly happy that I have cashed at all, as tonight I was staying up to finish coursework, due in but a few hours, yes I am a shoddy excuse for astudent, well I suppose we all do this sort of thing... I think! I have around 20 BB's and I am card dead, its really tempting to just pull some moves, purely because of sickness I am whitnessing at the table, but I am managingish to keep my calm, just now.

Finaly we reach the final table, I am sitting a long way back in 7th, however I still have 20 BB. I managed to float around that level, then this hand happened:
Poker Stars, $4 + $0.40 NL Hold'em Tournament, 500/1,000 Blinds, 8 Players

LeggoPoker.com Hand History Converter

UTG: 50,599
UTG+1: 11,023
MP1: 52,558
MP2: 59,476
CO: 40,224
BTN: 17,854
Hero (SB): 16,321
BB: 6,745

Pre-Flop: (2,400) Js Jh dealt to Hero (SB)
UTG folds, UTG+1 raises to 4,000, 5 folds, Hero raises to 16,221 and is All-In, BB folds, UTG+1 calls 6,923 and is All-In

Flop: (23,746) As 2s Kc (2 Players - 2 are All-In)

Turn: (23,746) 9d (2 Players - 2 are All-In)

River: (23,746) Tc (2 Players - 2 are All-In)

Results: 23,746 Pot
UTG+1 showed 5s 5c (a pair of Fives) and LOST (-11,023 NET)
Hero showed Js Jh (a pair of Jacks) and WON 23,746 (+12,723 NET)

Im pretty sure the push pre-flop was the right move, obviously the right result! Another interesting hand:

Poker Stars, $4 + $0.40 NL Hold'em Tournament, 600/1,200 Blinds, 6 Players
LeggoPoker.com Hand History Converter

BTN: 85,398
SB: 10,058
BB: 69,625
UTG: 49,420
Hero (MP): 23,444
CO: 24,255

Pre-Flop: (2,675) As Qd dealt to Hero (MP)
UTG raises to 2,400, Hero calls 2,400, 5 folds

Flop: (7,475) Qs 5h Js (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
UTG checks, Hero bets 3,600, UTG calls 3,600

Turn: (14,675) 2d (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
UTG checks, Hero checks

River: (14,675) Jd (2 Players - 1 is All-In)
UTG checks, Hero checks

Results: 14,675 Pot
UTG showed 7h 7c (two pair, Jacks and Sevens) and LOST (-6,125 NET)
Hero showed As Qd (two pair, Queens and Jacks) and WON 14,675 (+8,550 NET)

I know it was SUPER weak checking down but I really felt I could have been beat. The thing you don't see here is the Insta-check/call, and after the min-raise preflop, it just stank of a big hand, bigger than mine. Not much happened from then on in until:

Poker Stars, $4 + $0.40 NL Hold'em Tournament, 1,000/2,000 Blinds, 4 Players
LeggoPoker.com Hand History Converter

BTN: 122,494
SB: 14,932
BB: 117,596
Hero (UTG): 14,978

Pre-Flop: (3,800) 8s Ts dealt to Hero (UTG)
Hero raises to 14,778 and is All-In, BTN folds, SB calls 13,732 and is All-In, BB folds

Flop: (32,264) 2d 9d 2s (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Turn: (32,264) Jh (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

River: (32,264) 4c (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: 32,264 Pot
SB showed As Qs (a pair of Deuces) and WON 32,264 (+17,332 NET)
Hero showed 8s Ts (a pair of Deuces) and LOST (-14,932 NET)

I had to push soon and I thought, no time like the present.... It backfired.
But never the less 4th is a nice way to start off!

Poker

Its a wonderful and frustrating game isn't it? I still wouldn't change it for the world, even when things do go horribly wrong. As I stated in my last post I have started a bankroll cash challenge type thing, boy its tough to stick too! I was running pretty bad and I did decide to play a couple tourneys to get my confidence back, which was going to plan, until I decided to re-raise a maniac all in on the bubble with TT, his AK hit on the flop and never looked back. Even though looking back it was a brave and probably the correct move, it shattered my confidence to tiny almost invisible shards. At this point I decided t stop playing for a few days, and found a copy of Risk II and attempted to take over the world. *Cue Pinky and the Brain Theme tune*

I eventually turned back to poker and began to assess the damage, the outlook was bleak. I had lost nearly 7 buy-ins with no return, yes at $5 PL THE SHAME! In the cold light of day I had made some amazingly stupid plays at the wrong time, but I did have various set over set and even a house over house situation, what made the house over house situation worse was that I held the baninizer, and lost. Not only had I lost my dignity, self-confidence, but my all important confidence in the Bani. Things did not look good. Where could I go from here? Well here it is where the most amazing thing that has ever happened. I played like a self-confessed complete and utter donkey and WON! There I was playing away and I was dealt QQ, I'll just post the history, I still laugh at how I played it, and even more-so that I won.

Bakti [Hold 'em] (0.02|0.05 Pot Limit - Cash Game) Real Money

- yanne72 sitting in seat 1 with $0.88
- bvp sitting in seat 2 with $6.97 [Dealer]
- UKPP sitting in seat 3 with $6.75
- LittleMage sitting in seat 4 with $11.85
- ujoty sitting in seat 5 with $5.00
- lioz sitting in seat 6 with $1.83

UKPP posted the small blind - $0.02
LittleMage posted the big blind - $0.05
** Dealing card to UKPP: Queen of Hearts, Queen of Diamonds
ujoty folded
lioz folded
yanne72 called - $0.05
bvp called - $0.05
UKPP raised - $0.25
LittleMage called - $0.25
yanne72 called - $0.25
bvp folded

** Dealing the flop: 8 of Diamonds, 9 of Diamonds, 8 of Spades
UKPP bet - $0.50
LittleMage raised - $2.30
yanne72 folded
UKPP called - $2.30

** Dealing the turn: 4 of Hearts
UKPP checked
LittleMage bet - $2.70
UKPP called - $2.70

** Dealing the river: 3 of Diamonds
UKPP went all-in - $1.52
LittleMage called - $1.52
UKPP shows: Queen of Hearts, Queen of Diamonds
LittleMage mucks:
UKPP wins $13.15 from the main pot

I mean come on! What did they put me on that they could beat. And the same goes for me WTF was I thinking? I have played a little with LittleMage (no pun intended) and they are an extremely loose and aggressive player, but not even that excuses that shocker IMO. I am however glad this happened, as it has pushed me somewhat in the right direction, long may it continue!