Feel free to critique or just read for entertainment. Some hands are atrocious and are loose passive and some seem too aggro, but there was reasoning behind my plays (some Shania and some based on reads).

Level 1 : Nothing eventful early. Lose some chips here and there.

Level 2: Blinds 15/30.

Big stack in MP raises 100. I call with 7c6d from SB for 100. BB calls. Flop is Qh9d7d. Big stack bets 150. I call. BB folds. K on turn. Bigstack checks. I bet 250. I take the pot. I have 1470 chips.

Level 3: Blinds 25/50.

I have AhKh UTG. I limp. Somewhat loose midstack raises 300 from LP. I push. He calls. He shows JJ. K on the flop. I take pot. Stack is now a little over 3,000.

Get KTo in EP. I limp. A few others limp. Flop contains an ace. I checkfold.

Checked to me in BB with 9d5d. 2 limpers. Flop is AcAhTd. I bet 200. Smallish stack folds. Bigstack calls. Ace spade comes on the turn. I bet 400. Bigstack calls. River is 6s. I bet 400 and am raised to 800. I fold. Stack is now a little over 2,000.

I’m on button with A9o. 3 limpers to me. I raise 150. 2 fold. Chipleader calls. Flop is Kc6cTd. I bet 250. He calls. 3d on turn. I check. He checks. River is 7d. I check. He checks. Villain takes pot with 9c7c. I’m down to 1,800 chips.

Folded to me in CO with ATs. I raise to 150. BB – with 1,400 chips and somewhat tight – calls. Flop is Ad9h7d. I bet 300 and take the pot.

I check from BB with K6 with 4 limpers (one is a bigstack). Flop is Kh2h3d. I bet 200. Only bigstack calls. Turn is 8s. I bet 200 again and he calls. River is 6c. He checks. Did he induce a bluff with his straight? I have no idea. I check. He shows A5 and I take the pot. I’m at 2500 chips.

Level 3: Blinds 25/50.

2 limp to me on the button with Qd9d. I call 100. BB checks. Flop is Jd Qs 3d. Small stack pushes 500. I reraise to 900. 2 fold. He shows QJ. River brings diamond and I take the pot. Stack is a little over 3,300 chips.

I’m UTG+1 with KJo and raise 3xBB as a steal. Everyone folds (all have smaller stacks than me, except UTG).

I’m CO with 7h2h and raise 4xBB. BB reraises to 700. Defense? Let’s find out. Flop is 8h 7s Ac. He bets 500. I call. (my plan is to bet the turn if he checks it, and take the pot). He bets the turn and I fold. Down to 2,200 chips. Ugh. Remind me not to blow 1/3 of my stack on steal attempts.

I limp with AJo UTG. SB completes, BB checks. Flop is 2sJcAd. SB bets 250. BB folds. I push. He calls with A4. Turn is J. I win and my stack is now 3,310.

It’s folded to me in the SB with Q8o and I raise to 300. BB calls. Flop is 6h9c6s. Check check. Turn is 5c. I check/call his 200 bet. I call his 200 bet and he shows 84c and I take the pot. Stack is around 4,000 chips.

Level 4: Blinds are 75/150.

I’m in early middle position with J5s and raise to 450 as a steal. Short stacks pushes for 450 and I call the 90 chips. He shows AQ and wins.

Early middle limps and SB completes to me in BB. I have 2cTd and check. Flop is Qc6hAd and I bet 300. Both fold.

I’m in CO with A8o and limp with UTG+1. Button limps and BB checks. Flop is KsAh6c and I bet 150. All fold but BB who calls (he’s a short stack with 900 chips). Turn is an ace and I bet 150 and he calls. River is jack and I bet 150 (hoping he’ll push his small stack) but he calls and shows K5. I take the pot and grow stack to about 4,600 chips.

Go card dead some more and then get QJo in BB. Folded to SB who completes and I check. Flop is Ks7hJh. He bets 300 and I call. Turn is 4c. He bets 600 and I call. River is Qs. He pushes 3,000 chips and I call. He shows AK and I take the pot. (I didn't put him on a pair of kings given his pf check). I’m in 5th position overall with 9,000 chips.

Level 4: Blinds at 100/200.

I get AKo UTG and limp hoping someone will raise. SB completes and BB checks. Flop is Td9sQs. We all check. Turn is 2s. I bet 200 and SB (a loosish midstack calls). Turn is 8c. He bets and – to continue my stupidity – I call. He takes pot with 94o.

Next hand dealt QQ in SB. Button limps and I raise 3xBB. He calls. I bet the ragged flop and take the pot.

Next hand I raise 3xBB from SB with K2o and BB pushes 3,000 chips. I fold.

On the button with K9o. 2 limpers, SB, BB and I see the flop. 5hTdTc. I bet 400 and take the pot.

And now for the pivotal moment. At the time, I thought I was ahead. I raise 3xBB from CO with QhTh. BB calls. BB has 7,000 chips and I have 9,000. Flop is QcJc9d. I bet 600 and he calls. Turn is 6h. I bet 800 and he calls. River is 4h. He pushes 3,600.

I think for a moment. I don’t think he has TPTK – he would have probably reraised me pf. And he would have reraised the flop. I don’t think he has QJ or KQ – he he would have reraised flop or turn because of coordinated flop (or maybe not). Q9 or J9? Maybe but he would have raised the flop (same as above). Q4, Q6, J4, J6? Nah. Straight? Possible but with two clubs on the board, I expect a raise on turn or flop.

If he had any of those hands, then why push? Why not bet something I would call? So I reason that he has nothing – maybe a busted draw or an ace that never showed - and wants me out. I call. He shows AQ and takes the pot. I'm down to 2,000 chips.

Level 5: Blinds 100/200.

I work my way to 3,000 chips by stealing some pots and then, with about 30 people left, I push my 3,000 chips with JJ. Bigstack calls with 77 and hits a 7 on the flop.