First off, as this is my first post, I'd like to say howdy to everyone here at BTP. I've been lurking for awhile and I appreciate all the time and effort you guys put into helping eachother.

That said, I'm getting my ass handed to me lately at the Party $10+$1 Sit'n'gos. I've played 43 of them with an ROI of 20% and an ITM of 36%, mostly from some good showings at the beginning. Nowadays I just can't seem to win. It may be that I'm living in Barcelona and playing at night while it's about noon in the states so there are more serious players.

The specific problem I come to you with is playing AK and AQs in the early stages. Here are a couple of hands from the last SNG I entered.

This first one was the VERY FIRST hand of the SNG, so I had no idea what the villian was capable of doing here.

Blinds: t20/t40
10 players


Stack sizes:
dsierpin: t2000
UTG+1: t2000
UTG+2: t2000
MP1: t2000
MP2: t2000
MP3: t2000
CO: t2000
Button: t2000
SB: t2000
BB: t2000

Pre-flop: (10 players) dsierpin is UTG with
dsierpin raises to t120, 3 folds, MP2 calls t120 (pot was t180), 5 folds.

Flop: (t300, 2 players)
dsierpin bets t150, MP2 calls t150 (pot was t450).

Turn: (t600, 2 players)
dsierpin checks, MP2 checks.

River: (t600, 2 players)
dsierpin checks, MP2 bets t415, dsierpin folds.
Uncalled bets: t415 returned to MP2.

Results:
Final pot: t600

Here's another one

Blinds: t20/t40
10 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: t2170
UTG+1: t1980
UTG+2: t2040
dsierpin: t1670
MP2: t1840
MP3: t2080
CO: t2100
Button: t2980
SB: t1260
BB: t1880

Pre-flop: (10 players) dsierpin is MP1 with
2 folds, UTG+2 calls t40 (pot was t60), dsierpin raises to t120, 3 folds, Button calls t120 (pot was t220), SB folds, BB calls t80 (pot was t340), UTG+2 calls t80 (pot was t420).

Flop: (t500, 4 players)
BB checks, UTG+2 checks, dsierpin checks, Button bets t442, 2 folds, dsierpin folds.
Uncalled bets: t442 returned to Button.

Results:
Final pot: t500

And another:

Blinds: t30/t60
10 players


Stack sizes:
UTG: t2520
UTG+1: t3152
UTG+2: t2370
MP1: t800
MP2: t2420
MP3: t2290
CO: t1950
dsierpin: t940
SB: t978
BB: t2580

Pre-flop: (10 players) dsierpin is Button with
UTG folds, UTG+1 calls t60 (pot was t90), 3 folds, MP3 calls t60 (pot was t150), CO folds, dsierpin raises to t300, SB calls t270 (pot was t510), 3 folds.

Flop: (t780, 2 players)
SB is all-in t678, dsierpin folds, MP1 raises to t195, 3 folds, MP1 calls all-in t205.
Uncalled bets: t100 returned to dsierpin.

Turn: (t2258, -7 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t1980, Sidepot 1: t278)


River: (t2258, -7 player + 2 all-in - Main pot: t1980, Sidepot 1: t278)

Converter went a little batsh*t there, but you get the idea. This last one is from a different tourney, but it's the same problem:

Blinds: t30/t60
8 players


Stack sizes:
dsierpin: t1340
UTG+1: t2140
MP1: t1850
MP2: t2880
CO: t2230
Button: t4590
SB: t2090
BB: t2880

Pre-flop: (8 players) dsierpin is UTG with
dsierpin raises to t120, 3 folds, CO raises to t400, 3 folds, dsierpin folds.
Uncalled bets: t280 returned to CO.

I don't like to fold here, especially since this guy was pretty LAGgy. However, a preflop move like this usually means a big PP, and I like risking my whole tourney on AK even less.

I used to make CBs like this and get away with it all the time, but it seems like I'm getting looked up more and more. What's the best strat here? Should I raise preflop and only follow through in the early stages if I hit? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

dsierpin

Welcome to BTP.

Agreed with the guys above. Figure that if the flop will miss you 65% of the time, these things happen more than they don't. You played them fine, for the most part. If you'd fired all the way to the river, we'd have to talk about it. Otherwise, somedays chicken; somedays chickenfeathers.

CJ