**** Culmination of a Lifelong Dream: TJ’s First Main Event! ****

You know what to do next…take it down!

Massive Day 2 late reg stack.

Be fruitful and multiply, little chippies!

And another lady at my table that I played with in the Monster Stack last year.

I wrote some hand histories involving her in the thread from last year.

Crazy.

I have been dealt a hand in the World Series of Poker Main Event.

It was J8o.

I folded.

And with that, a lifelong dream has come to fruition. From $5 games with high school friends over 20 years ago, while we watched the WPT on the Travel Channel. To the grand Paris ballroom.

I have achieved enough success in the poker world to sit in to this thing. I have the respect and admiration from my peers. And of course, the support from the best live and virtual rail in the entire poker community.

Ladies and gentlemen, we made it.

Now, let’s try to have some success in this little poker tournament I’m playing in!

Good Luck TJ SPC and I are rooting for you, Gogogogogo!

Good luck and run good

Fantastic fold on the first hand, you're already killing it!

Ggogogo!,imoG

Good luck, I’ll fly to Vegas for your FT! No pressure [emoji23]

Folding J8o like a PRO!

Good luck!!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Had a look at the names on your table, and it looks like a decent one. The older UK guy have an extensive resumé at Hendon Mob though, so he might be a good player.

(I don't think this spoils your name in any way, so should be fine to leave it in here)

First break, on 51k.

The first hand I played at the WSOP Main Event was 88 from UTG. I make it 2k, then immediately MP2 makes it 6.5k. Of COURSE the first spot I get in is a close decision in a marginal situation. Setmining OOP in 3bet pots generally sucks, so I was going to fold. Then SB cold-flats the 3bet. Well, now I’m getting odds, so let’s take a flop.

It comes T-6-4, and SB leads out. I guess I fold, 3bettor folds. SB shows the kings. Wow, so I guess we’re ALL playing very tight/passive, today.

A little later, a late reg in the hijack opens, I call from the button with 44, and a blind comes along. Flop is an above average Q-Q-4 with two diamonds. Checks to me, and I start a bet for 3.5k, hijack calls.

Turn is a 6, he checks to me, and I bet 8k. I don’t think he has a Q, but I think I don’t want to see any paint that might hit his kicker. He calls.

River is an offsuit deuce, he checks a third time. I think on it a moment, then bet one of my green 25k chips. I was TENSE. I don’t think I was visibly shaking, but I definitely felt like I was.

…What if he has QQ?

Or floated me with 66?

That would be most unfortunate.

He’s still tanking.

Then he folds. And I exhale.

Getting up close to 90k would prove to be my high water mark of the level.

Same guy in the hijack opens, I 3bet button with red queens, he calls. Flop comes A-9-8 two diamonds, he checks to me. I don’t think there’s a ton of value I can get on that texture by cbetting, so I check back, to play for showdown. Turn is a T, putting two diamonds and two clubs out, now he leads 5k. I call.

River is a 4, that misses both flush draws, now he bets 13.5k, and I have a decision. My hand is basically a bluff catcher. Would he go for thin value for two streets with an ace? Hmmm. Sizing seems like value. Still, both flush draws missed. I played it this way to get to showdown, and induce bluffs.

So I stick to the plan, and call. He had 88, for a flopped set of 8’s. Guess I should have listened to my sizing tell. Still, I made a plan, and stuck to it, for sound reasons, so I’m okay with it.

Another misstep with QQ, which I open from UTG. Button and both blinds call, flop comes A-A-T. I cbet when it’s checked to me, though maybe that’s not good, with three opponents. Only the big blind calls, he’s been tight. Turn is the third ace, he checks to me, I check back. I’m suspecting my cbet only served to find out who has the Ace. The river is a 5, now he leads out.

I say quads are good, sir, I’ll fold my boat. He shows the A8o. Confidence-boosting correct read by me, even though I lost.

So yeah, 51k. Still plenty, coming back to 500/1k. One stack to target, who’s open limping from late position, and generally playing bad.

For feely, who asked how it’s playing, I’d generally say very tight/passive. Nobody wants to go broke.

Let’s play another good level.

Second hand back, I get AA, and get it in pre vs AKo.

Board runs out 5 clubs, and we chop :(

At least I didn’t lose.

The flop contained a king, and my heart was going uh-oh.

Make sure not to spend energy updating us at the cost of keeping track of the table. We can wait.

Congratulations TJ on a life goal unlocked, that's awesome!

Folding j8o seems +EV. More of that!

Virtually railing your Main Event as you make a poker dream come true makes me happy.

really shitty beat to only chop vs AK but….it could have been this!

TJ Ive bowed out - this is officially a one contestant thread. Im playing the 5k super turbo bounty tomorrow at 2 and so hopefully will come by and give you a quick sweat before.

Second break, on 55k, so the trend line is pointing back UP.

Played one hand that just about stopped my heart.

Hijack raises to 2k, button calls, I 3bet JJ to 8.5k, hijack calls, button folds.

Flop T-3-3 two clubs, I continue for 10k, he calls.

Turn is an offsuit 7, and I don’t love either of my options, to check or bet. Naturally, after a moment, I choose the craziest, and shove, for 36k.

He goes into the tank, I start staring at the pot.

“I have two queens, you know,” he says. I remain completely motionless. Don’t even blink. “Two queens good?” …I say absolutely nothing, and don’t move.

Then he folds. I don’t show, and don’t say anything. I don’t think I believe he really folded two queens, as he didn’t show, either.

So I’ve built a little history with that player. Later, he opens in MP, and I flat 99 on the button, a blind comes along. Flop 6-3-2 two clubs, he continues for 5k, I raise to 14k, blind folds, he calls. Catch a great turn, another deuce, he checks.

I think I’m ahead, and I think I have the best hand, but a bet gets us very close to committing stacks. If stacks go in, I’m not sure 99 is doing very well, if he has all the bigger overpairs, and I don’t. I check back.

River is the third club ten, he checks again. I immediately check back, my 99 is good. He mucks without showing.

Then one potential cooler which was a crisis averted. I open Js5s first in from the cutoff, BB calls, and the flop is J-8-5 with two clubs. I continue, then he check/raises.

He’d played tight (despite getting it all in preflop vs me with AK and tying my aces, grrrr), so I thought I had to give him credit for a legit check/raise range. I don’t want to stack off, so I just flat.

Turn is a nuclear draw-completing card, the 6c. He checks again. I pause a moment and check back.

River is a red 3, now he leads for 10k. I get to showdown, and he had the case 55. Fortunate not to go broke, flopping 2pair vs a set there.

Really wish those aces could have held, the level has a whole different feel if I’m above 100k. It’s in the past, though. Does no good to dwell on it.

Let’s play another good level, and cruise into dinner on some momentum.

Good news is I got a full double the 4th hand back.

Bad news is it was against a buddy, my friend who deals games I play in back home.

Nut flush vs 2nd nut flush on a 4th diamond turn, river clean. I’m sad, but I know he feels like he should know better. I’m literally never shoving anything other than the nuts, especially vs him, to try and get him to fold the 2nd nuts.

He’d probably agree.

He’s down to scraps, I have about 90k.

boom - nice!

wonderful demonstration of your current mental state with that J5ss hand

There are no friends at the poker table.

Buy the guy a solid drink when you see him back home!

Head down and plow straight down the row!

LFG! We have faith in you TJ.

dude, take souls.