Second is the new first

Or it felt that way, after my performance in a $5.50 SNG last night. I did finish second, and almost achieved this distinction without ever having more chips than I began with. In fact, my maximum chip count was 1510, a dizzying height which I reached twice, both times required to pay the SB on the next hand. In 82 hands: my best A was AT (seven hands total with an ace); I had two broadway cards five times; and my only pair was 33 (once). It appears that, while you may need some cards to win, you don't need them to finish second.

Let's just have a quick look at all the pots I was actively involved in:

(10/20) Overlimp on the button with 33, fold on AT5 flop.
(10/20) Attempt to overlimp in LP with KJs, SB makes it 100, take a slightly speculative call. Fold on Q42 flop.
(25/50, 8 remaining, 1260) Note the entire missing level. Raise to 150 with KQ offsuit in middle position. All fold.
(25/50) See a free flop from BB with 93 offsuit. Bet 100 into 150 pot on a two tone K92 flop. Small stack goes in for an extra 80. Call, expecting to see a king, but he has a 9 with better kicker (8). Down to 1105.
(50/100, 7 remaining, 830) Push from the cutoff with 87 suited. Collect the blinds. A knockout a few hands later lets me miss the BB. I love PokerStars.
(75/150, 5 remaining, 705) Push from the cutoff with AT offsuit. Collect the blinds.
(100/200, 5 remaining) After paying the BB I have only 505 behind. The button (2K) calls and I have A4 suited. I push, he calls, and I win over QJ offsuit (A on the flop). Up to 1510, over my starting stack. But I have to pay the SB next. The situation is actually not too bad as there is a huge stack just to my left, who is not very aggressive, and the remaining stacks are all under 2K as well.
(100/200, 5 remaining) Free ride in the BB with T9 offsuit. Would I have called? We'll never know.
(100/200, 5 remaining) We hit the bubble as UTG minraises with AA and the monster stack in the SB calls with Q7 offsuit. Flop is 776, and not surprisingly UTG gets stacked. What's that about slow playing aces?
(100/200, 4 remaining) I get a ride in the BB again!
(100/200, 4 remaining) Bubble bursts when 1K stack on the button pushes with A7 offsuit, only to find the monster stack in the BB with aces.
(100/200, 3 remaining) Oops. Try a steal (fortunately not an all in push), with 32 offsuit in an attempt to get some breathing room over the other small stack who is currently sitting out. Monster stack calls, and I have no choice but to check it down, as he's calling any further bet from me. He bets on the river, and I gratefully fold unimproved. Down to 710.
(100/200, 3 remaining) Other small stack goes all in from the BB with JJ. Monster stack in the SB who'd only completed, calls with Q5 and duly collects a Q.

Heads up (1200 vs 12K) lasted all of two hands. I pushed K6 from the small blind, and was called by A7.