Who says Noble is bad?

I may be the only one who enjoys playing at Noble Poker. Yeah, there are some shortcomings at the site, but for a little player like me, it works out well. It is a nice aquarium with all kinds of fish swimming around. One thing I do not like at Noble are their tournaments. For the most part, they are all rebuys. I hate rebuy tournaments. So for some crazy reason I played a SnG for a ticket to the $10,000 guaranteed freezeout on Sunday afternoon. Don't know exactly why as I would be out watching the Indianapolis 500 at a bar drinking beer like they were closing the brewery tomorrow. Needless to say, I was primed up to play some drunen poker.

Nothing good happens for the first hour. I barely survive to the money. But for a $5 investment, I will come out at least with $100 when I finally make it to the money. Only 147 started and 20 made the money. I was happy to just limp off the bubble and cash in. This is where the action starts.

Catch A J on the cutoff. With blinds 750/1500, I raise to 5k. SB bumps it up to 10k. Hmm...BB folds. I push all in. I am thinking he has a weak ace at best. He takes some time and folds. WTF? He had great odds to call. I can't believe he thought I would fold the hand when I popped in 60% of my chips.

Soon I would catch K Q in the big blind. It folds around to the small blind and I am waiting for him to steal. He raises it the min and I quickly call to show I have something. The flop come A K 6. He bets 4k. I push confident this pot is mine. He folds. I then knock a small stack out on the next hand with Q J. A push on him with his Q 7. Not bad. But I get greedy with my 3 3 on the next hand and push on another small stack. He has A 6 and hits the A on the river. Doesn't matter as he probably would have pushed anyways.

I am sitting with 25k and 138 left-hey, I have been drinking and I lost track of time. Now I am sitting at the final table and watching the monkeys push in left and right (more on that later). Looks like I have at least $400 if I bust out now. I am sitting in 4th. Unfortunately the tournament leader is on my left with 90k.

I give a min raise UTG with A 9 cuz the table is tight. The BB is on the short stack and I call his 1k raise. His K 3 is not up to the task and he is gone. I take out another when I raise it up with K 10 to 10k (blinds are now 1500/3000). SB pushes all in for 18k total. I have the odds to call and do. He shows 9 9. A 10 on the flop seals the deal for me. Now there are 4 of us.

I chip up on 3 3. I raise it to 10k. SB, the new leader, calls me. Flop comes A 2 5. He checks and folds on my push. Next hand I get A 9 and re-raise a small stack. He folds and I am barely the new leader.

That was short lived as 3 3 didn't pay off this time around losing to A J suited. J on the flop did the trick. Next hand I push with 8 8. A little tiltish but it worked. Stacks are pretty even and I once again have a small lead on this table of 4.

Blinds move to 2k/4k. That 3 3 come again. I raise it to 12k and they all fold. This is pretty much what is happening. Trading blinds back and forth, with no one getting an edge. Then in a quick move, A Q loses to K Q with a K on the flop. A Q is pissed but he is out. Next, the Hilton Sistes pay a visit to me. I smooth call it. The BB pushes with A 6 and gets no help. I am now heads up playing for 3k.

Early on, I fold a pair of Js with an A on the board. I get pushed around for a bit and then overplay 7 7 by pushing preflop. I may have been better served trying to play it out a bit. Because I then play rather crappily for a bit, getting pushed around. Nothing is working for me. Every time I raise, I catch nothing on the flop. When I do, such as an 8 6 limp that flops me two pair, he folds to my little bet.

Soon I would go out when I over play my pair of 5s. I push when a 10 hits the turn. He thinks and calls with J 10. I am done, finishing in 2nd. But I collect 2 large for my efforts. Yes, $2000 for finishing second. Whoooooooooo!!!!!!! Not bad for a $5 buy in.

I think I should be checking about playing in Event #2 at the WSOP. Feels like a freeroll right now.