My thoughts as I have themâ€¦ I like to answer these questions as I go instead of peaking ahead. It makes it more fun for me and, I think, more honest.

These two hands happened when we were at 1000/2000 blinds. Down to final three tables from a start of 8 tables.

I've been very consious of my table image through all this, and essentially my cards have been seen a total of three times. Those were a raise with TT and a raise with KK. Otherwise if i've riased or limped or anything else my cards haven't been seen.

One exception is when i put a little extra in my BB, to call a short stack who went all-in on me, i had Q3o but essentilly is was seen as a simple pot odds call, for next to nothing and people even commented on it.

****I have a tight image to those who are paying attention.

Hand 1
Me in the BB with 15,000 chips before posting blind

****I am short stacked. Itâ€™s not clear to me if everyone is short stacked or not, but I am at only 8.5 BBâ€™s.

Short stack (UTG +2) , who seems to defend his blinds to much, otherwise relatively decent starting requirements goes all-in with his last 5000 chips.

Folded to me in the BB, so before i look at my cards.

His 5000 bet, SB 1000, my BB 2000 = 8000 in the pot
Cost to call 3000
Total pot if i call 11,000
2.6 to 1. And, if I lose, I will be at 11,000 chips in late position. So I am probably going to call unless itâ€™s a real disaster hand. The other thing to consider (a little bit) is the consequence of chipping up this opponent.

I look at my hand and see 95o ...

Uh-oh. Disaster hand.

So really any pair (half of which i'm dog to, and half to which i'm a HUGE dog to) ... i also consider any two paint cards to be a possibility.

This is the same range of hands that I would, generally put him on. Against those hands you are about 30% to win the hand. So, the pot odds are close.

I tried to figure it all out and it took me some time. To consider the impact of losing an additional 3000 would have on. I was short stacked even at 15,000 but i had room to manouver still, i could make a standard raise and still get away from a hand, but down to 10,000 most of those options disappear. Now the benfit of adding 8,000 to my stack was also significant. I would be at or above average stack and would be able to go after blinds more agressively.

I think this is not right. If taking your stack from 15K to $21K moves you to above average stack then everybody is under blind pressure and I am not sure that the additional chips will help that much. I am now leaning towards folding. Itâ€™s into the zone I was talking about (I think) where the consequences of loss are worse than the benefits of the win. I fold.

Hand 2 (blinds @ 1000/2000)

Almost an entire orbit later i find myself UTG + 2 with 9000 in chips after having lost my BB pot and not defending my SB to a raise.

Also next hand the blinds will be going up the next hand to 1500/3000 so by the time the blinds get to me the SB and BB would consume 50% of my stack.

The time to move is NOW. With anything reasonable.

I see K6 suited in spades, and try to cash in on my tight image (only shown down top premium stuff and went all-in a few hands before with KK ... no slow play etc...)

To make a long story short everyone folds to the BB who calls me with measly Aces.
Two other players were put to the test by my all-in with one (who i think i'll trust, claimed to lay down JJ to my all-in). In my mind it was likely that nothing but AA, KK and QQ maybe not even JJ or AK could call me.

If you are right about the range of hands that will call you then move in with ANY two cards. Personally, I would have passed the K-6s. Although it sounds like any hand will show you a positive expectation, I prefer to make my "last stand" with a hand that has a better chance if it is called. If you are called, K-6 will be in a world of hurt.

Do you like the move in that spot, with the blinds where they were at or would waiting even till the blinds have been more prudent. I just think near the end i would prefer to be raising rather than calling, and likely by the blinds i would be calling, thus elimiating the possibility of others folding.

I would have moved in the next hand or two probably. But I would have, I think, folded the K-6s.
There is another phenomenon that I like to note. Itâ€™s not the end of the world to get to your big blind because it is surprising how often people will move on your blind even though they ought to know that you will call. In other words, defending your big blind against the range of raising hands can be OK â€“ especially if you have a speeder in a seat that is likely to attempt stealing.