Freeroll marathon- Take 3

Just for making a deposit at Noble, they give you an entry into a $1000 freeroll. I wasn't able to make it last week and they were gracious enough to let me play this past Saturday. I have found the tourneys at Noble to be pretty damn loose so far so I thought I had a good chance to make some money. First place paid $250. Not bad. With 502 people entered, I hunkered down to play some poker.

502 people started. Of the 10 at the table, only 3 of us were present at first. Instead of avoiding each other, one guy decided he was going to play every hand and make big bets to push people off hands take down the pots. Personally, I think that is a stupid strategy because someone will get a hand and knock you out. What really sucked was when someone else showed up and decided to employ the same strategy. Man, do I want some cards!

I watch the others play every hand for a while. It is a bit frustrating watching them hit their crappy hands. There are 3 calling stations calling bets without odds. That is encouraging though. Just tells me to overbet a monster and I will collect. I just need the monster.

I finally get one by limping with 7 8. Flop comes 6 9 10, rainbow. Jackpot! I bet 3/4 of the pot. Of course the guy on my left calls. So does another. I bet 400 on the turn when a 3 shows up. He calls. I push all in on the river for my last 310. He folds. But I bump up nicely.

I think I have another chance to bump again when I flop at open ended straight draw. One of the calling stations won't go away though. I fold on the river when I don't fill the straight. But just a couple of hands later I would take out one of the aggressive guys. With A J clubs on the button, I pop the pot to 300. One takes the bait and pushes on the A high flop. He shows A 3 off. See ya! Now I need to get rid of the guy on my left. If I do that the stacks of all the sitouts are mine.

For the next 20 minutes I watch the guy on my left get and redistribute chips. He has others playing too hard to hit him. They stay in thinking he has nothing, even though they have nothing as well, trying to draw out and paying off his bottom pair. It is rather silly. You aren't going to bluff this guy. He isn't that smart. Funnier still, is guy on the left will fold to any all in bet, no matter the size. Saw him do it 4 times.

Like many others that have read Dan Harrington's book, I got some useful information out of there that helped me win a nice pot. I was in the big blind (100/200) with 9 3 clubs. Of course the guy on my left limped in but the one of the other live ones raised to 400. There is one other caller and it comes around to me. Knowing the doofus on my left will call, I have pot odds to call as well. Flop comes all rags but with a 3. Every street gets checked around and my small pair wins a 1700 pot.

I give it back when I raise with Big Slick. Doofus on my left calls. Flop is all low cards 5 6 8. I bet half the pot and he calls. Hmm...turn is an 8. I check as does he. River is rag and I check. He bets out the min. I call to see his 7s.

Next hand, I get A Q and jack it up gain. Doofus is there too. Flop is all rags. I push trying to take it right there. He calls and shows A A. Fuck! This S.O.B had more than his share of big pairs and takes me out. Frustrating doesn't even begin to describe it. Oh well.

Poker Mountain officially gave up on their freerolls. They cannot get their software to work. Big surprise there. Don't see why they don't pack it in. When I check at 5pm on a Saturday, there were at total of 6 people playing real money games. Could it be any worse?