Quick SNG stats update: 8 played tonight, 50% ITM with 47.73% ROI. A first, two seconds and a third. Since Friday, 14 played, 50% ITM for a 36.36 ROI. Prettt solid - I think i've got my SNG strategy adjusted to the subtle differences of the $20+2. We'll see if I can maintain these solid results through the week, or if I'm just running hot... One of our usual crew of players (Eddy) is in town for the week (from Omaha, somewhere in Middle America) on business, said business being convieniently being located at the local casino housing our favorite poker room. So three of our in-town crew headed to the boats last night to meet him for drinks and to throw some cards. While the rest of the gang sat the 3-6 kill pot, I bought in to the $100-$300 NL game, despite being tempted by an open seat at the $6/$12 Omaha Hi/Lo table - if I was going to play, i was going to play my best game. We played for three hours: two of the crew dropped 20BB to donkeys drawing out. Sure, cold-call his pre-flop raise with 3-5 offsuit. Oh by the way Eddy, those kings have cracks in them... I completely empathized when Eddy pulled a Helmuth after this beat - not as much from the guy playing 35o to a raise pre-flop and then calling down when he flopped bottom pair just to catch another five on the river - but more to the donkey sitting next to him who said, in all seriousness "3-5, thats a good hand, way to go man". Eddy: "You gotta be fucking kidding me". Dealer: "sir, thats a warning, you can't say the f-word at the table". Eddy: "what the fuck did I say?"

Cujofan walked out up about 10BB from the 3-6 table. Personally I walked out up 11 BB from No Limit. I played ubertight (and pretty card dead most of the way), certainly less than 10% VP$IP i'd estimate - I had a single max buyin with me, so definately playing short money even though my bankroll could absorb losing the buyin - more scared of the "bust out and spend the next hour watching your friends play from the rail" scenario. General pre-flop raise was 4x BB and you'd generally see 2-4 to the flop with a pre-flop raise 90% of the time, so a pretty standard B&M no-limit game in my experience.

I played so few hands I can recount just about every hand I actually played in the three hours: I got to play suited ace-small three times cheap and missed every time. Limped 89c once from late position and missed completely. I led twice in position with AJs, once with AKo and twice with AQo in position and missed the flop completely every time - won a couple small plots semi-bluffing flops of undercards, but mostly check and fold (or continuation bet the flop, then check down when called) since people were usually calling with medium pairs in that scenario and would call down on raggedy flops.

Called a minimum raise from the button with A9d once, caught two diamonds on the flop, and misplayed it completely twice: Misplay #1, the preflop raiser made a continuation bet and I just called. I should have re-raised here as a semi-bluff, that's my usual play in this scenario (when reading weakness, semi-bluffing to take the pot down right there, and/or get a free card on the turn). The turn is an offsuit blank, the raiser checks and and with mistake #2 I make a weak semi-bluff here - the same bet he made on the flop, about 1/4th the pot (6 BB). While a semi-bluff move here isn't terrible (as I've got a read that his hand isn't that strong and I have decent fold equity), I needed to bet at least half the pot if not the whole pot to get this guy to lay down his hand. Immediately after I announced the bet I knew I'd bet too little. My opponent thought for quite a while and then just called. The river was another blank and I just checked down. I probably could have led here, but a pot-sized bet would have required me to go nearly all-in, so I made the short money weak-tight play and just announced my busted draw of ace-high. His second pair took down the pot - a perfect example of how making a series of mistakes playing your hand can cost you a quick 10BB.

Oh, and I doubled up twice with Aces and Kings. Aces caught top set on a rainbow flop of A-J-4, I checked to the hyper-agressive big stack sitting to my immedate left, who bet 2/3 my stack (about 1/10th his) in to me - I came over the top, he disappointedly realized how little I had left and made the crying call with just JKo. With the kings, the very tight + solid player (who was also a lot of fun) to my right decided to straddle UTG (gotta love it). I raised 3x his straddle and got five callers - uh-oh. Flop comes A-5-3 rainbow. I check, the hyper-agressive big stack to my left bets the pot. Everyone folds around to me. I go in the tank for thirty seconds, then push over the top. He quickly calls and I figure I'm in real trouble: nope, he's got pocket sixes - he said he didn't figure me for an ace and thought I was bluffing with KQ or etc. Yeah, i've played less than 10% of the hands and I decide to risk my stack into someone with the chips to call without a care with nothing... obviously my kings hold up, and I drag one of the biggest pots of the night. Just goes to show you, even in real life - not just on Party Poker - despite playing tight all night you can still get action on your premium hands.

Source: Performify's Poker Page