Noble MTT and Live Game Hands

The power-bloggers out there had been describing how soft the MTT's were at Noble for the past couple of weeks. A bit frustrated with my tournament play of late, I decided to throw my hat into the ring at Noble and see what happened.

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I'm playing in a Friday Nite at the Mark's tournament. I'm in MP and an early position player raises the blinds 5x to 250. I look down and see a couple of black jacks. Rather than re-raise, I choose to call. G-Rob, in the SB, does in fact take the opportunity to re-raise, 500 more. Both EP and I call to see a Kxx flop.

G-Rob comes out firing for 1200. EP folds and I go into the tank a bit. His re-raising hands are most likely AA,KK,QQ and AK. From my perspective, he doesn't bet out that much with AA or KK. If I assign TT to the range above (JJ is too unlikely given my holding) then I have a shot to take the pot away if the K on the flop is a scare card.

So I push for about 2500 more.

Now G-Rob goes in the tank. His reaction pretty much eliminates AA, KK, or AK which would be insta-called. So I'm down to either QQ or TT.

Unfortunately for me G-Rob knows I can make a play like that and after some more thought calls. His QQ holds up and I'm basically out of the tournament.

Bastage! :)

****

I'm always looking for the ever-elusive overlay -a guaranteed prize pool that's greater than the overal tournament buy-in. You won't find them on any of the major sites due to their player base, but occasionally on the smaller sites, you will.

Enter Saturday night's $1500 guarantee tournament on Noble, a $20+2 entry. Only 60 players signed up, so there was a nice overlay.

My tournament play began in a familiar fashion where I chipped up early and was feeling pretty good. Then disaster strikes. I'm dealt KK in the BB and there are 5 limpers for 20 chips. I bump it to 200 to get out the chaff. Of course, there is one caller and out comes the classic A-high flop. Undeterred, I bet 250 into it and am promptly raised to 500. I fold with some disgust and see my chip stack cut in a third.

****

It's the last hand of the night on Friday. We've been playing a dealer's choice ring game - PHORSE. No limit pineapple 8 or better, no limit hold 'em, no limit Omaha8, and then 2/4 Razz, Stud and Eight or better.

We're in the hold 'em game and I'm dealt AQo in the BB. It's limped all around for the $2 BB but I raise to $7. The Mark calls UTG and G-Rob goes all-in for $43 more.

Otis folds.

G-Rob could have about 45 different holdings at this point, as he'd tell me later. I feel my hand is good, so I call. The Mark folds.

G-Rob flips up KJs.

What follows is a crazy up-and-down-and-up-and-down hand.

Pre-flop, I'm ahead.

Flop is KT4. G-Rob's ahead. (catches 6-outer)

Turn is a J. I have the broadway straight, I'm ahead. (catches 6-outer)

River is a K. G-Rob wins. (catches 4-outer)

Bastage!

****

After losing with KK, I get a dry run of cards and my M-ratio is plummetting. With about 600 left and the blinds 50/100, I finally get dealt a hand to push with. Pocket 9's. I triple up on a 9-high flop.

A few hands later, JJ shows up and I double up again.

Because my table image is a push maniac at this point, I actually push with AA when it shows up not soon after. I figure at least one NobleDonk will call. One does and before you know it, I'm well above average stack by the break.

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G-Rob gets home from work and tries to sweat me as I make the final table. He has much trouble finding the tournament listed.

BB: I'm in the $20 freezeout, it started at 23:00
G-Rob: Dude, I can't find it.
BB: It's under the scheduled tab.
G-Rob: ....because I'm on FullTilt.

****

I finally met my match and went out in 4th. I went out with guns blazing, my KK fell to AA when we were both in pre-flop. I'm not sure how my tourney game really is, but I will certainly take this result as a positive. I guess I just gotta avoid tournaments with G-Rob in them and then I'm set.