In case I haven't said it enough for everyone to have it etched in their memory; I used to play a TON is SNG. I would play one my lunch break, I would be 2-5 after work before bed, a complete SnG junkie. I started at the 5+1s and worked my way up to the 30s- never played that high steadily.

At the end of 2003 after playinga ridiculous amount on UB, I quit them. My ROI on UB was about 40%, my ITM was low, but half of my ITMs where 1st place finishes, with a small number of thirds.

I have been dabling is SnGs again (really low limit ones because I don't have the discipline).

I started playing on Doylesroom last night, they have a good brisk structure and probably the worst players on the 'net. Chips start at 2000, blinds 20/40, 8min levels, 9 seats, no antes and a 10% vig (vs 20% on AP and longer levels).

Last night the games were all-in fests, I know it was only 50c, but these guys were playing like free rolls.

I got knocked out early in the first on probably a boneheaded play. The second one - every single stinking player limps in, and I had AK in the BB.

I know a raise is going to be met with tons of calls followed by some all-ins, so I push, there is already 360 in the pot.

I get called by and . Both have me covered. I hit an A on the turn, but the river is a spoiling 8.

Next one, I actually end up calling the BBs allin after 6 or 7 limp into the pot with 66 and he shows these guys like suited jacks I guess.

Well, finally get heads-up, and I have a huge chip leads, enough for me to double him up twice and still have a shot.

1st hand I limp from the SB with 73 flop is 339.

He is betting into me, so I let him get committed to the pot. Turn is a J, river 9, and he shows T9 - fartelles.

Next hand, I had 8 6, flop is 234. I bet into him, he flat calls. Turn is a 6 - we get some more chips in, he shows K5.

UGH.

Final hand, I still have a good stack, maybe 40% of the chips.

I get QQ and kick in a nice raise pre-flop. He calls. Flop is 789. I bet the pot, he calls, now I have about 3bbs left. Turn is a T I dutifully put the rest of my chips in, he shows AJ, river A.

Well, that really sucked.

Now on to the inspiration of this post.

Played a 50c SnG at lunch today. Double up pretty early, called down a bluff with second pair, worked my way up to about 7200 in chips with blinds at 100/200.

This table was much tight, and were were still 6 handed with a lot of players around 7BBs.

I get 33 in the cutoff, one player limped in leaving himself about 1300. Weak player.

I decided to push him around and pick up 500 in chips, and put in a nice raise, he raises back some small amount I am obligated to call.

He flops over 98s - ugh, and the first card off is a 9, I pick up a lowly flush draw, but not meant to be this time. I am still in good stead, but run completely card dead.

Mean while the guy that I called down is raising everyones flop raises, and gettting them to fold. He takes a good chip lead, and I blind down to about 3k. It gets so bad I actually go all in with 72o at one point to just pick up the blinds.

Any flop I am able to see misses me entirely. Things are looking bleak on the bubble. And then I realize how stressed I am. I am more tense then I am in any MTT. I am pissed that I am going to blind out of this thing because of my move with 33. This is 50c, but I feel like the world championship is on the line.

Finally, things pick up for me, I get AQ which is the first good ace I have seen all game. UTG pushes all-in after just taking a nice pot but we both have about 9BBs. He had KJs and my Ace-high wins the pots.

We burst the bubble, I have a comfortable stack, my SB agian, I have K7o, the aggressive player on the button folds, and I set the BB all-in. He has A4o I flop a K, and I take the pot, and we are heads-up.

First hand heads-up, blinds are about 200/400.

I have about 8800 my opponent had 8920.

He limps, I have A8o. My stack is pretty big, but he is very aggressive and fearless. He could easily reraise me all-in, and will act first on the flop and will often bet no matter what hits. Taking these into consideration I push. I am stunned when he calls quickly figuring I am far behinds, but he shows K9. My ace is good, and I have him down to 1/3 the blind. Don't even remember the last hand, but won, and told him what a tough opponenent he was.

I felt like I had won a championship - I yelled "YEAH" in front of my wife, slapped my hands and was beaming - ugh, how pathetic? But poker has obviously never been about the money for me, it is about the competition. One of my toughest opponents in myself, and in SnGs more so than any other form or poker (maybe NL ring games).

It takes so much discipline and self-control. I play SnGs very tightly, much more so than tournaments. Well, here, an hour later I can still feel the burn in my shoulders from the stress.

Yeah, Beavis is a dork (but you already knew that).

Wow, I'm glad somebody else had the cajones to admit how much stress they feel during a mini SnG. I figured it was just me. Unless...of course...this is just an act to get the real dorks (like me) to admit to feeling the same, in which case I'm rock steady during these SnG's...

Trons

I agree. I can take the most monumental beats in MTTs right up to the final table and be phlegmatic (and I've taken some spectacular hits in MTTs).

But I bust out in a SnG on the bubble and I have to make myself take a break to avoid getting of my game in the next one.


(this post was brought to you by the word phlegmatic and the number 12)