Well it's only midway through the evening, but I'll still post and either edit later and make another post if anything big happens.

I'm 2/2 ITM since I sat down and looked at what was wrong with my game. Today I played another 45 person $1+0.20 SnG on Stars and finished in 4th, something I'm quite proud of and I'll explain below. Anyway, I plan to play in a $1 MTT later tonight, hopefully I can bring my success to that, or I may decide to stick with what works and do another SnG or two.

The SnG today was brutal and I mean brutal for cards. Early on I got KK and a short-stack pushed and I took the pot but I only took about 500, moving me to 2000, while the average was already at 2200. Few hands later I dropped a few chips and sat pretty low for a long time. Around level 4 or 5 I got AKo in UTG, raised 3xBB and SB goes All-in. I have to make that call and do, happily watching his AQo lose.

From there, at about 3200 chips, I didn't win a single hand after the flop until the final table. I seriously had NO hands and it came down to where I had to raise all-in here and there to take blinds in order to survive, praying I wouldn't get a call. What helped this along was if I'd do this with something like AJ I'd show the cards, so people keep passing the blinds. It worked and I made the final table but had the shortest stack by quite a bit.

Again, top 7 are paid so I sat and hoped for a premium hand but sadly it never came, so again I stole blinds and waited for someone to get knocked out. Thankfully, two went out soon after and I was a very short stack but ITM. About two hands later I get 99 UTG and make my move, going all-in and finally I sucked out on someone (doesn't happen often) as he flipped over KK and my 9 hit on the turn. I was pumped, up to 6k and from there continued to steal blinds and pots while watching the others battle it out. I was still very much card dead and when it was down to 4 I had 72s in the BB with 2k left, blinds at 600/1200. I decided to check and see the flop, only one with me, and flop comes 672 rainbow and I push, insta called and he flips over 22 :( I didn't improve.

Still, I was pleased as the entire tourney I struggled to find a hand but pleased myself with the blind stealing. I was keeping my eye out for people that didn't defend their blinds and stole strategically most times. I also made some good laydowns, folding AQs to an All-in raise with two to act behind me at the FT; guy that called had KK and I would've been out. Another was folding KQo when I seriously needed chips but a raise had come from a very solid player, and couldn't justify it. Folded to him and he showed QQ.

Anyway, that's about it for now, but so far I'm pleased to see my progress. After some terrible play earlier this week I've now placed ITM in my last two $1 SnGs for a profit of about $14. I can also really tell that Harrington's first book has helped me improve thus far. Let's hope it continues tonight in an MTT, could really use a nice payday; but couldn't we all, huh?

Good to hear man.

Just one comment of the play you described: in the lower buyins, that call with the AK is often reasonable because you have so many fish pushing on Ax Kx. Just be careful as you progress to higher buyins, as that call will much more likely dent/destroy your stack! If the pusher is a short stack (or just alot shorter than you are) it may be worth the shot to remove them, but it's awfully dangerous :)

Certainly agree, however my stack was around 1400 or something with the average over 3000. Will certainly cost me at times, but it seemed like I had to go for it and hope for a race win. Turned out to be even better off than a race :) Thanks for the advice though, always good to be reminded of those little things.