“Big Gamble” Pays Off…. TWICE.

As many of you know, I play micro limits (so for you big cash players out there, these values are gonna seem super small). Other day, I decided to just play some heads up SnGs. I have confidence in my heads up game. It’s where my aggressive side can come out and play. So I stuck with the $5 SnGs on Full Tilt and on Titan Poker, doing well on both sites. I also threw in some SnGs and MTT (which I haven’t done as well on). My latest deposit was $50. And unfortunately through bad Cash Game play and not finishing 1st in qualifiers I tried, I was down to just over $20. Once again, I head over to the heads up. Win one, then lose one. Finally, I decide to go All-in as it were on one heads up. I put my remaining $20 in it. And, well manage a win. So I’m up to $40+. Again, I’m back to the qualifier MTT and not succeeding so my cash was back to just over $20. Again, I decide to go all in, but this time sit down to a $22 SnG, short handed (6 players) on FT. Now, as I’ve stated before, I haven’t played well in SnGs recently. I’m not sure why, I just haven’t had the patience.

One big surprise… no shortage of donkey’s even at the $22 SnG. All-in on A-9 on the first hand. Crazy. I would say 3 out of 6. Luckily two of them went out right away…

Long story short (too late), I managed to win in a “grueling” heads up battle. Grueling because he almost never raised (I think once) preflop, just called or checked, willing to slow play. The chip lead went back and forth a few times. Finally, I was able to counter his style of play, see flops cheaply and bluff him off a few pots when he just called preflop and I raised. Then if flop came and I missed, I could check to the river, and he’s check right behind. If he didn’t have a hand, he’d check, if he did, he’d usually bet the river and I’d let it go. He might have gotten a few bluffs, by betting the river, but only because I had nothing either. In the end, I was able to get a big chip lead and just push him around, until he barely had the blinds covered, and I took it home.

I turned my $20 into $76. not aThe key now is not to get greedy; though I might make an attempt at a $17,000 Guaranteed Tournament that has a $26 buy-in. We’ll have to see if I’m feeling frisky or not.

-----EDIT-----
I was just reviewing my hand history for that SNG, man I played poorly. Luckily he played worse. My opponent had a 5 to 1 chip lead on me 3 times. Each time I was able to battle back. He didn't want to gamble so he folded to most raises by me. When I finally got a strong chip lead, I never really let it go. The final hand I had a 6 to 1 chip lead. He ended up going all-in after a flop I missed, but figured I could gamble to win it right there, and still have a huge chip lead. Luckily I didn't have to wait long to jump ahead.

Full Tilt Poker Game #561224665: $20 + $2 Sit & Go (3672677), Table 1 -
120/240 - No Limit Hold'em - 21:34:56 ET - 2006/04/11
Seat 4: VILLIAN (1,200)
Seat 5: HERO (7,800)
HERO posts the small blind of 120
VILLIAN posts the big blind of 240
The button is in seat #5
*** HOLE CARDS ***
Dealt to HERO [Td Ad]
HERO raises to 480
VILLIAN calls 240
*** FLOP *** [Kc 6h 7d]
VILLIAN bets 720, and is all in
HERO calls 720
VILLIAN shows [Js 6c]
HERO shows [Td Ad]
*** TURN *** [Kc 6h 7d] [Tc]
*** RIVER *** [Kc 6h 7d Tc] [3c]
VILLIAN shows a pair of Sixes
HERO shows a pair of Tens
HERO wins the pot (2,400) with a pair of Tens
HERO: gg
VILLIAN: gg
VILLIAN stands up
HERO stands up
*** SUMMARY ***
Total pot 2,400 Rake 0
Board: [Kc 6h 7d Tc 3c]
Seat 4: VILLIAN (big blind) showed [Js 6c] and lost with a pair of
Sixes
Seat 5: HERO (small blind) showed [Td Ad] and won (2,400) with a
pair of Tens