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

Sorry for the ultimate conclusion, congratulations on taking your shot and making a real run, thank you for taking us along for the ride.

While I am sure that the disappointment is too recent and the pain is still too raw, I hope you. eventually are able to recognize ...

... I have never seen LVL so energized and engaged in someone's tournament run as it was in your 2025 Main Event.

... people really cared about how you did. I think this is a reflection of the respect LVL has for you. I think this is a reflection of your popularity on LVL. I think this is a reflection of how generous you are in contributing to other people's trip reports.

... you were not alone on this journey. You have built up a ton of friendship and goodwill, and that came through on the virtual rail that was your 2025 WSOP Main Event.

Thanks for the thread. It was a fun trip!

I'm already anticipating the next one.

keep that chin up TJ, your time will come

this is a fantastic post, whole-heartedly agree.

Yep, what rppoker wrote. Sincere thanks for sharing your incredible experience with us, even if it didn't end up the way you'd envisioned.

SE forum agrees!!

nice run TJ!

less than two months to swami and peehs lol

Thanks again, everybody, for the kind words and ALL the support.

I feel much better, after sleeping on it.

When I bust a tournament just before the bubble, I find myself wishing I had just busted in the first hour of the tournament, for the same result.

Not so, here. I’m definitely glad I had some run in this tournament. And there were several spots where I could have busted much earlier.

I’m glad I got to play as long as I did. For my own confidence, and the assurance that yes, I CAN acquit myself well at this level of competition, on this stage.

I don’t know yet if I’ll play the 2026 Main Event. I want to, because it’s an incredible experience.

But it’s been an expensive summer for me. Let’s buy a house in the next few months, and see if I can demonstrate some more poker success in the next year, and reevaluate.

Seconded!

looks like my fellow Midwest man and your table mate Mark Dufner is still in play late on day 4

He played very well.

He was the recipient of one of my doubles, the QQ vs AA hand.

Now that you've had time to ruminate, what do you think of the late-reg strategy?

Thanks so much for sharing -- don't know why I didn't se this sooner. Really enjoyed it. You played very well, and I hope you are able to make another run next year.

It really is an interesting trade off.

On the one hand, there are surely plenty of punters in the field on Day 1. So that’s the best day to get a good start and begin to build a stack.

On the other hand, late regging into Day 2 is completely fine, if you’re an experienced tournament player. And the Main Event is very much a marathon. Playing one less day is one less day that you have to keep your focus at a high baseline, which can be fatiguing.

I couldn’t go to sleep after Day 2, and I didn’t sleep great. I made a big mistake in hour number 5 of Day 3, and that set into event a series of decisions where I think I played suboptimally. I definitely think it’s possible those two facts are related. I thought I was playing fine, up until that, though.

Something to consider for next time.

Thanks for following!

I played some PLO at Aria with your boyfriend, Virg!

When he sat in, I said “Virg! I’m not on vacation until I see your smiling face!”

…He did not smile.

Then proceeds not to say a word to anyone, for about an hour.

…Until the dealer was raking $6 in a pot where 5 people were dealt into the hand. He pointed out it should be $5. In a pot he wasn’t in.

Some things never change.

That makes me smile.

I just found his girlfriend's business card when I was cleaning my desk 😉 (I can't remember her name (Marla?) -- getting old -- hope I'm still playing at Virgil's age.) Can't wait to get back! I hope he's there.

Late-regging is also one less hotel night. Day 2 start is at 10 am?

At 12 noon