i've only been playing poker for about a month but i've been playing
5dollar sit and go's at empire lately and have been doing ok, even though i skunk holed 3 times in a row yesterday

however, i always finish 2nd, not first or third, just second. it's kinda annoying, and i feel like i really suck at heads up and could use some pointers. here is a hand history of heads up play

game 1

***** Hand History for Game 2357731643 *****
trikster69 finished in third place and won $10.
200/400 Tourney Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) (Tournament 13900421) - Wed Jul 13 16:04:36 EDT 2005
Table Table 11948 (Real Money) -- Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 2
Seat 4: dwizle222 (5090)
Seat 7: bars547475 (2910)
dwizle222 posts small blind (100)
bars547475 posts big blind (200)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to dwizle222 [ 9s, 6c ]
dwizle222 folds.
** Summary **
Main Pot: 300
dwizle222 balance 4990, lost 100 (folded)
bars547475 balance 3010, bet 200, collected 300, net +100

***** Hand History for Game 2357732572 *****
200/400 Tourney Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) (Tournament 13900421) - Wed Jul 13 16:04:49 EDT 2005
Table Table 11948 (Real Money) -- Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 2
Seat 4: dwizle222 (4990)
Seat 7: bars547475 (3010)
bars547475 posts small blind (100)
dwizle222 posts big blind (200)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to dwizle222 [ 4c, Ts ]
bars547475 calls (100)
dwizle222 checks.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 7c, 2h, 4s ]
dwizle222 bets (200)
bars547475 folds.
** Summary **
Main Pot: 600
Board: [ 7c 2h 4s ]
dwizle222 balance 5190, bet 400, collected 600, net +200
bars547475 balance 2810, lost 200 (folded)

***** Hand History for Game 2357733753 *****
200/400 Tourney Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) (Tournament 13900421) - Wed Jul 13 16:05:06 EDT 2005
Table Table 11948 (Real Money) -- Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 2
Seat 4: dwizle222 (5190)
Seat 7: bars547475 (2810)
dwizle222 posts small blind (100)
bars547475 posts big blind (200)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to dwizle222 [ 2h, Td ]
dwizle222 raises (300) to 400
bars547475 calls (200)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 5s, 8s, 5d ]
bars547475 bets (200)
dwizle222 raises (400) to 400
bars547475 raises (400) to 600
dwizle222 calls (200)
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 5h ]
bars547475 bets (400)
dwizle222 calls (400)
** Dealing River ** : [ Jh ]
bars547475 bets (400)
dwizle222 folds.
** Summary **
Main Pot: 3200
Board: [ 5s 8s 5d 5h Jh ]
dwizle222 balance 3790, lost 1400 (folded)
bars547475 balance 4210, bet 1800, collected 3200, net +1400 [ 5c Jd ] [ four of a kind, fives -- Jd,5c,5s,5d,5h ]

***** Hand History for Game 2357735820 *****
dwizle222: nh
200/400 Tourney Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) (Tournament 13900421) - Wed Jul 13 16:05:37 EDT 2005
Table Table 11948 (Real Money) -- Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 2
Seat 4: dwizle222 (3790)
Seat 7: bars547475 (4210)
bars547475 posts small blind (100)
dwizle222 posts big blind (200)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to dwizle222 [ 3d, 7s ]
bars547475: thx
bars547475 folds.
** Summary **
Main Pot: 300
dwizle222 balance 3890, bet 200, collected 300, net +100
bars547475 balance 4110, lost 100 (folded)

***** Hand History for Game 2357736843 *****
200/400 Tourney Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) (Tournament 13900421) - Wed Jul 13 16:05:53 EDT 2005
Table Table 11948 (Real Money) -- Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 2
Seat 4: dwizle222 (3890)
Seat 7: bars547475 (4110)
dwizle222 posts small blind (100)
bars547475 posts big blind (200)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to dwizle222 [ 7s, 9s ]
dwizle222 raises (300) to 400
bars547475 calls (200)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 2h, As, 4c ]
bars547475 checks.
dwizle222 bets (200)
bars547475 folds.
** Summary **
Main Pot: 1000
Board: [ 2h As 4c ]
dwizle222 balance 4290, bet 600, collected 1000, net +400
bars547475 balance 3710, lost 400 (folded)

***** Hand History for Game 2357738207 *****
200/400 Tourney Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) (Tournament 13900421) - Wed Jul 13 16:06:12 EDT 2005
Table Table 11948 (Real Money) -- Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 2
Seat 4: dwizle222 (4290)
Seat 7: bars547475 (3710)
bars547475 posts small blind (100)
dwizle222 posts big blind (200)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to dwizle222 [ 9c, Jd ]
bars547475 raises (300) to 400
dwizle222 calls (200)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ Js, Th, 5h ]
dwizle222 bets (200)
bars547475 raises (400) to 400
dwizle222 raises (400) to 600
bars547475 raises (400) to 800
dwizle222 calls (200)
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 3s ]
dwizle222 checks.
bars547475 bets (400)
dwizle222 calls (400)
** Dealing River ** : [ Td ]
dwizle222 checks.
bars547475 bets (400)
dwizle222 calls (400)
** Summary **
Main Pot: 4000
Board: [ Js Th 5h 3s Td ]
dwizle222 balance 2290, lost 2000 [ 9c Jd ] [ two pairs, jacks and tens -- Jd,Js,Th,Td,9c ]
bars547475 balance 5710, bet 2000, collected 4000, net +2000 [ Jh Ah ] [ two pairs, jacks and tens with ace kicker -- Ah,Jh,Js,Th,Td ]

***** Hand History for Game 2357740480 *****
300/600 Tourney Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) (Tournament 13900421) - Wed Jul 13 16:06:45 EDT 2005
Table Table 11948 (Real Money) -- Seat 4 is the button
Total number of players : 2
Seat 4: dwizle222 (2290)
Seat 7: bars547475 (5710)
dwizle222 posts small blind (150)
bars547475 posts big blind (300)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to dwizle222 [ Ks, Jd ]
dwizle222 raises (450) to 600
bars547475 calls (300)
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 7c, Qd, 9s ]
bars547475 bets (300)
dwizle222 calls (300)
** Dealing Turn ** : [ Ah ]
bars547475 checks.
dwizle222 bets (600)
bars547475 calls (600)
** Dealing River ** : [ 9h ]
bars547475 checks.
dwizle222 checks.
** Summary **
Main Pot: 3000
Board: [ 7c Qd 9s Ah 9h ]
dwizle222 balance 790, lost 1500 [ Ks Jd ] [ a pair of nines -- Ah,Ks,Qd,9s,9h ]
bars547475 balance 7210, bet 1500, collected 3000, net +1500 [ Th 7s ] [ two pairs, nines and sevens -- Ah,9s,9h,7s,7c ]

***** Hand History for Game 2357742649 *****
300/600 Tourney Texas Hold'em Game Table (Limit) (Tournament 13900421) - Wed Jul 13 16:07:16 EDT 2005
Table Table 11948 (Real Money) -- Seat 7 is the button
Total number of players : 2
Seat 4: dwizle222 (790)
Seat 7: bars547475 (7210)
bars547475 posts small blind (150)
dwizle222 posts big blind (300)
** Dealing down cards **
Dealt to dwizle222 [ 6d, 7d ]
bars547475 calls (150)
dwizle222 checks.
** Dealing Flop ** : [ 7h, Ac, 4s ]
dwizle222 bets (300)
bars547475 raises (600) to 600
dwizle222 calls (190)
dwizle222 is all-In.
** Dealing Turn ** : [ 3d ]
** Dealing River ** : [ 8d ]
Creating Main Pot with $1580 with dwizle222
** Summary **
Main Pot: 1580 | Side Pot 1: 110
Board: [ 7h Ac 4s 3d 8d ]
dwizle222 balance 0, lost 790 [ 6d 7d ] [ a pair of sevens -- Ac,8d,7d,7h,6d ]
bars547475 balance 8000, bet 900, collected 1690, net +790 [ 7s Ad ] [ two pairs, aces and sevens -- Ad,Ac,8d,7s,7h ]