Two quick $5+1 SNGs

Played two quick $5+1 SNGs. Sometimes I seem to have trouble finding $10+1 or $20+2 multitable SNGs on Party Poker - but othertimes I don't - its weird. Probably lack of patience on my part - if I can't find a game starting inside of ten minutes I pop down to the frequently occuring $5+1 three table SNGs. These low-level 3-table SNGs are really something else - you often see players calling down with third pair, or bluffing at pots at every stage with 1/10th pot-sized bets holding absolutely nothing. If you don't mind playing for about 1:30 per SNG (and paying double the rake over the $10+1 or higher games), you can play a lot of poker cheaply and almost always make the final table and put yourself in position for a money finish every time.

Washed out of the first SNG in ninth, a few hands after the break - stacking 5x the BB I pushed with KQo and was called by A7o. Ace on the flop, king on the river just for spite, and I'm out.

Second SNG I played tight/solid, past the first twenty hands I was only in pots where I was all-in it seemed. Caught a flush to beat a top pair weak/kicker. Pocket threes caught a three on the flop and was called by pocket kings to double me up right before the break (Comment #1). Moved to the final table sitting 3rd in chips. 1:18 in, pocket nines flopped top set (Comment #2) and I jumped up to a slight chiplead with ten players still left. Probably should have slowplayed top set, but two spades on the flop was a little scary. I do need to remember that even if the scare spade falls on the turn (but doesn't pair the board), i've still got ten outs. Enough risk/reward to justify a slowplay and try to eke out more chips? Maybe... but I like overbetting the pot there to either take it down the decent-sized pot in that situation, or putting someone with a flush draw in mathmatically incorrect situation to call the bet.

Made a mistake 1:30 in - was browsing the web, listening to Lewis Black rant on NyQuil, doubled the blinds in early position with AQh and clicked back over to find a player had re-raised me all-in. I quickly called without realizing in full how many chips I was risking - was not a terrible play but probably wouldn't have risked that many chips on this stage of the tourneyment being the chipleader. Hand history posted as Comment #3. Still was left with enough chips to make several circuits, and managed to push a six hands later with AJo and was called by A2o - my opponent caught a deuce on the flop, but the river of justice gave me both a jack and the nut flush (four diamonds on the board to match my ace). Hand history as Comment #4.

Five hands later, with seven players remaining (and sitting firmly entrenched in the sixth stack) I pushed on a blind-steal semi-bluff with A8o and was called by the big blind who held *drumroll* Jack King Off. In a flop reminiscent of a game yesterday, Jack King Off caught another Jack King Off and I was needing some serious runner-runner help. the board paired on the turn, so I had some life left on the turn (needing one of the three remaining aces) but couldn't catch my approximately 1-in-15 shot. Final hand posted as Comment #5 - out in seventh, and time for bed...