This 3-max Spin & Gold was a true rollercoaster of short-stack survival. Started out folding junk like [3c2c] and [6c4h], waiting for better spots. Then picked up [As2s] in the small blind and value-bet all three streets on a paired board, sneaking a win with just top kicker against [Ks9d].
The turning point came with [9d8s]: flopped middle pair on a wet board and went for value, hitting two pair by the river. Villain tried to push with top pair [Jd7h], but I shoved and got paid, doubling up to almost full control.
Later, a small scare: holding [7hAs] in the big blind, I lost a tiny pot to [3c6c] after they paired their three. Nothing major, just variance. Closed it out with [8c5c], catching middle pair and improving to two pair on the river to beat [AdKh].
Key takeaway: patience paid off. I folded the weak hands, stayed aggressive with position, and capitalized on two big value spots. From near-even stacks at the start, the disciplined grind turned into a clean win. This is the blueprint for handling low buy-in, high variance 3-max games: wait for your moment, then push the edge hard.