thanks guys for everything! First tournament, looking forward to it! Only problem is that Im not used to the long time controlled, Ive never played that long a game

I love the black sicilian side and I would recommend the BB5. Most sicilian players want the D4 and Bb5 puts them into the anti-sicilian? Just one suggestion.

 Who said anything about "losing a queen"? I just said it hangs, so KxB is out. Yeah, white picks up a pawn, but black's game is....... I don't know! Maybe after 7...Kd8, black's not so bad?! White may have nothing better than exchanging queens. If not, the queen's tied to the defense of the c1 bishop. And 8.Nc3 seems to lose a piece after 8...b4!

nice trap

 Nice line, sheardp. The bishop on c4 often becomes a liability for white. I was curious about 9.Nb5 after 8...Ng4, and came up with this line:

So is that an escape from the Siberian Trap then Melvin? Well, actually I suppose it's not an escape, it's just not falling for it...

If you've got to prepare something non-open-Siciliany in a couple weeks' time, I'd go with the Alapin instead.

For the sole reason being if you play the SMG, and black declines, a number of the lines offer white nothing better than transposing back into an Alapin anyway, so you'll want to learn those lines regardless.  May as well learn them first, then add the SMG stuff later on if you still want.

Yeah, I started looking at the Alapin just after I posted. It seems to offer a solid starting point

Should play kd8

As tempting as the smith morra may seem, it really isn't sound and if your opponent gets around it, it leaves you in a hole. Go with the sicilian grand prix attack. It has very basic concepts (watch a youtube vid on it) and as somebody who absolutely hates the sicilian, this opening has saved me from tearing out my hair. Here is a variation of the sicilian grand prix that you may find enticing.