VINDICATION (It's starting to come together)

While I wouldnt say it was the best poker of my life, I felt it was quite near the top. And it was only a measly 20 SNG too. But since I cashed out all my online money until I can get my livegame in check, I thought it was fine.

Plan (as usual) was to play TAG until the blinds were up and 2 people were gone, LAG until the money, and SLAG shorthanded. All those acronyms are Tight-Agg, Loose-Agg, Super-Loose Agg.

Took a couple nasty hits at the start (1500 chips blinds up every 20 mins starting at 5-10). Raised with 9-9 UTG to 30 and got flat called by a guy I THOUGHT at first was very loose. Flop comes j-4-3. Bet 50 at the pot, get called. Turn is a 3rd low diamond. I bet 80 and he calls. Turn is the 4th diamond (I have the 9d). And we check it down. Loose guy shows...Kd-Ks?! What?

3 Hands later, I pick up As-Js and raise on the button to 30, Mr KK calls, and we're heads up. Flop is A-2-9. Make a contuation bet and AGAIN get called. turn is a blank, I bet and get check-raised. Now barring from my read, if he had a real hand, he wouldnt bet it out right? He must be the standard slowplayer. So I call it. Turn is a 2, He bets 250 and I call. He flips over...A-2? So much for any sort of reads from this guy.

I skip the next round basically to get my mind back and think. I tighten up and don't play a real hand until the blinds are 20-40 and I get K-J. I call on the button for a miniraise, planning to outplay on the flop. Flop comes pretty terrible with A-2-4. He bets 200, I raise to 600, and he folds. Tilt hand, but for once I didnt get caught. A sign of things to come.

I'm still short at this level when I pick up Q-10. UTG raises to 200..and...4 people call? Sigh. I make a crying call and see a nasty flop of K-9-7. Miracolously it gets checked around, and the turn is a Q. I bet 200 for value since I'm pretty sure no one has a K, and only the SB calls. Note on this guy, he's a bluffer who LOVES to call bluffs and call them on shit. I wasnt really thinking straight, but when the harmless river came, I could've made another really good value bet, but I wussied out. Q-10 was good by a mile, and I'm almost back to even.

As Mr Miniraiser and Mr. Bluffer get knocked out, I start to pick it up. I catch some decent hands and am mixing up really well. I knock out someone when I push a shorty all in with A-10 against Q-8 and it held. I'm near the top with about 5 people left. I call a shorty's all in with 10-10 (for about 50-60% of my stack), and A-K wins the raise when a magical A came on the turn. The last hour of so of great play, shattered again by a race. It seemed automatic that I was going broke soon.

I decided I couldnt wait and just be LAG. I had to be REALLY agressive. The blinds were 50-100 and I had just about a stack of 1400. (Avg being at 2400) I then raised all in about 75% of the hands I got, rags or riches. I almost got caught with 5-5 against A-J, but I won the race. I went all in one more time with A-Q, and that ended my all in fest...for now.

I watch as the shorty who busted me with A-K bust out another shorty with a super flush/straight draw against midpair. After that I take a ton of little pots and building up my stack really well (I more than double up at this stage). I pick up A-A, and shorty pushes on me (which is a change, the last 2 months I've gotten so little value from big hands it was scary), I call, and he has J-J.

Flop is 2-J-5. Somehow I saw that coming. It was the standard work hard for a couple hours and then get it drained. However, I spiked an A on the turn, and almost had a heart attack as a paint black card came (the Jc was the case), it was only the K though, so I became a massive chip leader with about 2/3 of the stack in play.

I wish I could say I coasted the rest of the way, but we didn't. The 3 of us agreed to a 100-40-20 chop (beforehand), so we all made the money. The super agressive started to take it's toll, as at 100-200, I got played at a lot more than usual. However, in the final 3 was Mr KK (Who I now noted as Super Passive and Super tight, a poker player's dream), and a tight-agressive player who can't really change gears...yet. So I felt I was in a great spot.

Mr KK got really short stacked, and had 1000 or so, and was more than willing to wait. Which kinda pissed me off, but ok. I pick up A-10 and raise to 600 and get called by Mr KK. Flop comes 7-2-2. Since he has 800 left, I decide to push, he calls with 7-7. Turn is a 7, and I double him up for free.

Next hand, I pick up K-2s, I open push on him in the BB, He wakes up with Aces, catch a King, nothing more. All of a sudden he's at 4k, and I'm the shorty.

However I continued to pick up the small pots. When I was short, I was incredibly agressive, and today it got me to get back to a respectable amount. I finally get Q-Q, and tight-agg player pushes on me...with Q-2. Win the "race", and we're heads up with me at about 8k, and Mr. KK at 4k.

Heads up blinds were 300-600, it was becoming very poker superstars II like. BUt it only lasted 3 hands or so.

1st hand - Pick up K-6. Raise to 1200, mr KK calls. Flop is j-4-3. Check/check. Turn is a 7. C/C. River is a 10. C/C. K high is good.

2nd hand - KK calls, I have 5-6. I check. Flop K-5-2. Check. Turn. 3. Check. River Ace. Check. 5s are good.

3rd hand - Pick up A-K. Raise to 1200. Mr. KK calls. Flop K-j-10. Mr. KK pushes, I call, he shows up Q-7. 7 outer no good, and I win.

It seems like everything I have learned from Harrington on Holdem and/or JohnnyBax/Sheet's site is finally starting to take effect. Both advocated a very agressive shortstack play, especially Harrington with First in Vigorish. Up to now, it was a strategy that got me constantly picked off, or in a race situation that I co uldn't win.

It was a good confidence booster, but not ready for the online tourneys...yet.