*** TJ's 2024 WSOP Trip! ...That Might Turn Into A Move?

Oh the WaHo will most certainly get its due.

Checked into the Econo Lodge safe and sound!

I finally got around to listening to Mike Duncan’s fantastic Revolutions podcast on a recent road trip with my mom. We knocked out the American Revolution, which was amazing… then decided to tackle the much more daunting French Revolution.

There’s like 55 episodes that are half an hour long each, and I’m about halfway through it now. It’s just starting to get good, with all the relevant players about to lose their heads.

I kinda knew about the highlights, but this really puts it in granular detail, and it’s fascinating.

It was a time of vast income inequality, with broken, unsustainable institutions incapable of governing a modernizing society… leading to a violent populist uprising, and the forces that controlled them.

Seems relevant for these uncertain, turbulent times.

I’m clearly in a pensive, contemplative mood after 4.5 hours in the car. Guess that means it’s time for bed.

Day 1 starts tomorrow! Catch y’all on the flip side.

Let’s start this morning off right.

Hit the Waffle House, went with the go-to breakfast. I think she undercharged me, it was $19 today when it’s usually more like $23.

No onions for the hashbrowns this morning. We’re saving the FINAL TABLE onions rungood for Day 2.

However, I am, of course, wearing the lucky Day 1 shirt.

Bought in to the tournament, now I’m charging my phone, waiting to start.

THAT'S what I'm talking about!

Perhaps the egg surcharge decreased or disappeared???

Walking through these halls, seeing the familiar faces of the dealers and floor staff today, I’m feeling confident.

I’ve played this tournament a bunch of times. I’m very familiar with the structure. I have a good feel for the pace of the event, and how to stay on schedule.

When I was an online grinder, sometimes I’d drop down in stakes if I was running bad, or wanted to work on fundamentals.

One of the traps I’d fall into when playing below my main game was thinking to myself, “I’m more skilled than these clowns. I can play hands like 97s from early position, because I’ll just outplay them later.”

What I learned is, in poker in general, but especially at lower stakes, the money comes from starting with better cards than your opponents. And betting for value.

So I’m going into today, with the stated plan of doing LOTS of folding.

This is Moby the Octopus, my new card protector. It makes me smile to think about. He runs good in live cash games, so I thought we’d try it out here in Cherokee.

Feeling good, ready to make it a great, long day!

Go Moby!

First break, still basically at the 30k starting stack, with about 35k.

I lost a bit as I was first feeling out the table, and gathering reads. Had to put my entire stack in as a bluff with a busted draw, which is a spot I never like to be in, but thankfully it got through.

Only two players busted the first four levels, so there isn’t a ton of chips on our table. The start I made on my final table run was much faster. Still plenty of time, though.

The table chip leader is playing very loose/passive… exploitably so. And I’ve got a good seat on him, two to his left.

However, the guy to my direct left seems solid, and very aggro. He’s 3bet my iso’s twice, and both times I released. 4bet coming very soon, sir.

Keep battling!

Go, go, go! Can't wait to read about the 4bet.

You DO get to read about it! But sadly, it wasn’t a good spot for Hero.

Busto in level 8.

I knocked a player out in level 5 when I made a set, to be sitting on about 45k.

Then I made a bad bluff with a busted flush draw on a 4 to a straight board, but couldn’t move a sticky player off a set.

Then it folds to me on the button, and I raise to 2.5k with A4o. The aggro player in the SB 3bet me a THIRD time.

I considered a light 4bet with the ace blocker, but that guy had been playing SO tight. …Except for all the times he 3bet me, of course. He had me covered, so I folded.

Very next hand, I pick up 99 in the CO. I opened first in again to 2.5k, then he 3bets me AGAIN from the button.

I figured this was as good a time as any to make a stand, so I shove for about 35k.

He snaps with KK, and I don’t improve.

Extremely unfortunate setup, to run into the top of his range like that.

Given the positions, history, and table dynamic, I’d have made exactly the same decisions, so I don’t regret it.

Not gonna jump right back in to flight B in level 8. I have an hour to take a walk and clear my mind, then I’m already firing bullet number 2 into Flight C, which starts at 4.

The afternoon flights only have 25 minute levels, which is less ideal. But we’ll make it work.

If I bust THAT too, then we’ll just have to chase it at PLO, for as long as I feel good today!

Flight C has started out much better

On about 111k, at the first break. My table is light years better than my first table in Flight B was.

A few hands: I take a multiway, raised flop in late position with 8h7h, flop comes J-8-7r. A weak player moves in from SB first to act, folds to me.

I don’t LOVE the spot, because I think of all the times a bad runout can roast a bottom two pair, but I think I’m ahead most of the time so I re-ship. He has QJ, and I fade the runout.

I open Jd8d from MP, an unremarkable player 3bets. I was going to fold to the 3bet, but a late reg who just sat down cold flats it, then a loose player also flats. For the price, I take the flop, which comes T-8-7 two tone, none of my suit.

Loose player checks, I check, 3bettor checks, cold flatter checks, and a 4 comes off on the turn. Now the loose player leads, I flat, 3bettor and cold flatter both fold.

River is another 8, that doesn’t complete a flush, and I got a large river value bet check/called.

Later I got 3 streets with KJ on a Kh-7h-4-Q-Qh runout, by bet/bet/check-calling.

The only other stack on my level is very loose/passive, and TERRIBLE. He got his money by limping UTG+1, I isolated, then a blind 3bet, then he limp/called the 3bet. Flop came Q-J-5 all hearts, and he stacked AhQx with Kh8h.

Everyone else is around a starting stack.

Feeling good, loving my table draw for the moment. 22 levels before bagging is still a LONG way away, though, even if the levels are 5 minutes shorter.

Let’s keep it going.

Gogogogo

Good luck TJ my man! 👍

Second break, cruising right along and comfortably above average, at 148k.

The terrible player has been getting SMASHED by the deck, and has activated Indestructible Donk Destroyer-mode… thankfully not at my expense.

He won a big one with 99 > AA > A5 all in pre (I correctly 3bet/folded 88), then another one with A9 > AQ all in on a A-J-4-4 turn. Which is very hard to do.

He also bluffed a dry side pot with an airball in a multiway all in spot, to the incredulity of the rest of the table. He’s just out here clicking buttons.

He must be over 300k now.

Feeling good, with strong reads and a juicy stack to target.

Doubled through him!

Nut flush vs 2nd nut flush.

Let’s ****ing GO.

!!!!

Third break, chip leader at my table with 354k. Blinds are now 2k/4k, average is 109k.

I finished off the terrible player, turned nut straight beats flopped two pair. He triple check/called 8k, 28k, all in for 160k, and I got max value.

Even if I don’t bag tonight, even if I don’t cash tonight, that gave me a remarkably rewarding sense of closure for this day of poker.

I played patiently and disciplined, observing and processing him all day today, and deployed an exploitative counter strategy to what I’d seen. Even as he ran up a crazy stack on the hopes and dreams of other players. And I got him.

However, with the spot I’m in, I very much have cashing and bagging on my mind tonight. Still a long way to go.

No leaking loose chips. Only looking for good spots.

I bumped into a player I met at the final table last time, I think the guy that got 2nd.

He just busted Flight C, so he told me he’s rooting for me to bag tonight, so he won’t run into me at all tomorrow.

It was a cool poker bro moment.

Just had a CRAZY flip vs a short stack.

My 55 vs his KsTs.

Flop Qs-J-4…

Turn 2s…

21 outs…

In the money

On 434k at 4k/8k, average is 197k.

The shortstacks will be getting it in wider now.

But I’m only focused on bringing this to a bag.

You seem to be a knife through warm butter on this bullet. Congratulations on the cash. Now it's time to get greedy.

exciting developments!

4th break, on 578k coming back to 5k/10k. Average is 242k.

Won another pretty big flip the last level, JJ > AQs for about 230k.

We’re coming back to level 17, but we may not get to 22 levels today. There’s only 53 players left in this flight, and we’re bagging at 22 players left.

I will be very annoyed with myself if I DON’T bag tonight after all this.

Still, feeling good, and haven’t had many tough, close decisions so far today.

I’ll take it.

You’re on fire. Keep it up.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

5th and final break before bagging, but I made two pretty big missteps, and I’m down to 175k, coming back to 10k/20k.

At 6k/12k, a somewhat unknown 400k stack makes it 25k from UTG+1, another deep stack calls from the button. I look down at Jc8c from BB, and decide this looks like a tasty squeeze spot, so I make it 90k.

PFR immediately moves in, button folds.

After watching that guy play some more, I really wish I could have just flatted and taken a flop with a very floptimistic hand, that has great checkraise potential. Oh well.

Fold a few more orbits, then I look down at TT from MP2, and open to 30k at 10/15. The small blind, a loose-ish, aggro big stack that covers me, makes it 95k.

I consider 4betting, but I’d rather take the flop in position and decide then if I want to move in over a cbet.

Flop comes A-8-5 rainbow, he downbets 60k, and I’m very confused, and having a hard time putting him on a range.

When I’m confused, I tend to click call, so I did. Another ace comes on the turn, now he checks.

I really just want to get to showdown, so I check back.

River is another 8, and now he bets 55k (?!?). Again, I’m confused, I have showdown value, and I’m getting a stupid price. I call, and he shows KK.

So much great work all day, undone in just those two hands.

34 players left, playing down to 22. Like I said, I REALLY don’t want to miss a bag after playing all day today.

But if it’s a clear spot, I’ll still look to improve my standing as much as I can going into Day 2.

Rooting for lol baggaments. Either way, congrats on the cash.

I think hand 2 is honestly pretty standard, though it feels a lot like JJ-KK as played. Hindsight is 20/20 and I doubt I would've found the bluff there myself, but this is one of those rivers where we can put him in a pretty gross spot with a raise if we think he has what he has. We can very easily have the Ax and all the full houses, so any raise puts that JJ-KK range in the electric chair, provided that we have fold equity. Even the naked Ax is somewhat sick to get raised on that river. I say this not to sound like a know-it-all, as I often either chicken out or simply don't see these spots in the moment. It's just a reminder that the third option exists for us.

J8s is such a good one to take a flop with that I think we just always call from the BB and try to smash the board. That being said, I probably under-squeeze in general and I don't know what the actual theory advocates. I'm guessing it likes low suited Ax and Kx for the combination of card removal and post-flop potential.

To get to a spot like this, you probably made overwhelmingly good decisions, so keep it up.