**** TJ’s Sundry Poker Adventures! 2025-26 ****
Hello again!
I’m coming off nearly a month in Las Vegas, and now that there’s some distance, and perspective, from the po
First break, on 40k. There’s a bunch of people I’ve played with before that are here.
Scored the first knockout of our table, calling a raise on the button with Qc5c. Flop Qs-7s-6c, the PFR checks, I bet, and he raises. Interesting. He had just lost a big hand, so I thought he might be tilting, so I called. Catch 2 pair on the turn, but it’s the 3rd spade. He continues, I mull it over, and get it in. He has JJ with a spade, river clean. Guess he was tilting.
One other interesting hand: an EP open to 800, button calls, and I squeeze to 2800 with KcQc from SB. Big blind and both players call, guess I should have squeezed bigger. Comes Ah-4c-3c, I bet 5k. Fold, fold, then the button makes it 13k. We’re about 55k effective.
I’ve played with this player before, and I’m quite certain he’s telling me I’m beat. I weigh the possibility of calling just to try and spike the turn, then open rip into him. But if he has Ac-Xc, I’m in terrible shape, and basically dead. So I folded.
He later told me he had two pair. Guess I should have called the 8k more if I knew I’m getting it all if it hit. But I’m fine with the fold.
Registration closes end of next break.
Feeling good, playing patient.
Busto in level 8.
One unfortunate blind vs blind spot. Folds to me in SB with Td7d, I open to 2200 at 400/800. My opponent is on a shorter stack, and calls. Comes A-T-8 none of my suit. I think he would have re-jammed almost any A pre, so I think I’m ahead, and I shove for his 9200 effective. He’s not happy with the spot, agonizes a bit, but calls with QJo. More outs than he thought he had, 14 of them twice, and the river is a king.
Folds to me on the button, I open shove 15 bb with KJo. A shortstack in BB calls all in for less with JJ, and I’m in bad shape, but I hit not one but two kings.
Still captaining a short stack, fold a while, then UTG opens 2.5x, and I have 99 with 16bb. I re-jam, but ran into the top of her range, as she had AA, and I don’t improve.
Good tournament, I don’t regret any of my decisions. Only 70 entries in the last level of registration, so definitely no 2nd bullet for me.
Taking a break, and on the PLO list for as long as I feel good, then I’ll head home.
Home safe.
I was 16th when I went on the list for the one PLO table they had going, so I went to grab some food. Ate, came back, and I was up to 14th.
Decided I didn’t want to wait around all day for a game, so I got on the road and came home.
The tournament did 78 entries, 10 paid, 25k up top. Not the most enticing value proposition on an $1100 buy in. But I’m glad I went, and thought I played fine today.
The tournament was well run, and the dealers were MUCH improved from when I saw them a year ago, for their grand opening.
Cherokee next weekend! That’ll be more like 140k up top, on a $400 buy in. Much better value. I’m looking forward to it.
To be continued.
should always be beneficial to keep your tournament muscle fibers flexing
and almost always a wise choice to walk away when you just aint feeling it
Once again, I marvel at how much more focused and productive I can be at work, when I have a trip booked to look forward to.
Positively time-traveled through three straight 12’s this week, now I’m on the road to Cherokee for the weekend. At lunch today, I re-read through one of my old Vegas threads, so I’m definitely in the right frame of mind.
Stopped for dinner at the Longhorn in Burlington again. Got “just” the 12 oz ribeye, instead of the 20 oz bone-in. I AM taking tirzepatide, after all.
It was excellent, for $34.
Back to the road, for the next leg!!
Arrived safe!
Was able to upgrade at the Econo Lodge to a ground floor room, at no charge.
Now it’s time for a shower, shave, and sleep, then Flight A starts at 11 tomorrow!
Good morning!
Time for breakfast.
Got the go-to breakfast, and I think she undercharged me. I gave it back to her in a tip.
Some changes for this WSOP stop. The Mini-Main is now a $600 entry, instead of $400, and the guarantee is up to $1M.
In my experience, the February Cherokee stop does the best numbers out of the 4, (August is the lowest). I guess the suits looked at it, and decided there’s enough support to go for a higher buyin. Or CET just wants more money, which is more likely.
I’m fine with it. I’m curious to see how big this event can get, now!
When I went to buy in, the cage told me I needed to verify my ID with the WSOP app, which I hadn’t opened since I was in Las Vegas last summer. I’m glad it’s online, I thought the app smoothed over a lot of the friction of buying in.
Gonna play a little 1/3, while I wait for the tourney to start.
-390 in 1/3, the big hand was getting two-outered AA < TT all in on 6-5-5.
Let’s get all THAT out of my system early.
Ready for the tournament. This is actually Flight B, there was a flight yesterday, and 5 total. So this could get pretty big.
Let’s go!
First break. It was a swingy first 4 levels, but I overcame some early adversity, to be sitting as my table chip leader, with 71k from the 30k starting stack.
In level 1, 100/200, I have the big blind with Th6h. Folds to the button, who limps, small blind completes, and I make it 1k to go. They both call. It comes Kh-Jd-9h, and I continue for 1.8k. Only the small blind calls. Make my flush on the 7h turn, so I size up to 4k. He calls again. River pairs the king, he checks, and I have a decision to make.
The Omaha player in me just wants to check back and show down, but this is level 1. I think I can bet for value, so I go 7.5k… and he shoves.
Well dammit. I wonder if he’d do that with just a king. I don’t know, but I’m definitely not busting my first bullet by calling off here, so I fold. He shows a king, but we’ll never know if he was full. Down to half a starting stack.
At 200/300, I find 99 UTG, make it 800, then three calls to the big blind, the same player, who makes it 5k straight. He had just lost a medium sized pot, and I thought he could be tilting, so I shove, for 14k and change. He beats me into the pot, with ATo. Flipping for my tournament life in level 1, so it goes.
But I win the flip. Back to a starting stack.
Next level, open 44 from UTG+1, a late position caller and a blind comes along. It comes Q-5-4 rainbow, I continue, and late position raises. I 3bet it to a third of my stack. He seems less sure, but calls. Great turn, a 9 that completes the rainbow, I shove, and he tanks a bit, grumbles, but calls all in drawing dead with AQ.
A little later, I open JJ, two calls, and the big blind donks out on Q-6-5 two tone. In position, I decide to call, and evaluate on the turn. It’s another 5, which puts a second flush draw out, and now he goes 6k. Maybe I’m right, maybe I’m wrong, but there’s a ton of draws, and he’s Asian.
Whether I’m right or wrong is immaterial, as the river is the Js. He fires again for 6.5k, I count to 23 seconds in my head, and shove for 40k more.
He thinks a bit, says I could have a 5, and does fold. Guess I got there on him, in a big way.
I started this table cautiously observing my opponents, but none have impressed me.
Making confident, deliberate decisions.
Achievement unlocked: acquire green 25k chip.
…It only counts as an achievement if it comes from a color up. Not a rebuy.
2nd break, peacefully grinding, on 89k. Barely still my table chip leader, with several more stacks on my level.
Made a light call down vs a known tight player when I was priced in that was probably inadviseable. But then I made a nut flush in position on the river, and had a shortstack shove into me.
One very weak player to target, and he has a good amount of chips. He led into a field of 5 from SB for 1/5th pot with a flopped 2nd pair, and got bailed out by the runout. Looking to play spots with him.
A couple tougher players, though, including both guys next to me. I opened and folded to a 3bet three times vs him.
Staying focused.
Good luck. Run good
Busto in level 12, took a pretty tough beat.
I opened TT from UTG, 5 calls, and it comes T-8-3 two diamonds. A blind leads out, and with the field to act behind me, I’m not getting cute. I raise a committing amount, the button calls all in for less, and the donker folds.
I’m up against KdQd, diamond on the turn, and I don’t fill up on the river.
Fold for most of the next level, then UTG opens to 6.5k, I shove 32k with JJ, but the button wakes up with KK.
So it goes.
I still feel good, and I’m making good decisions, so I jumped onto the 4pm Flight C in level 3.
First break, on 43k.
Fold for an orbit and a half, then I wake up to KK on the button, and it’s raised and 3bet before it gets to me. I 4bet, the 3bettor calls, and it comes Q high. I continue, he check/shoves with AQ, and I hold.
No big spots other than that. I have an idea who I want to target.
Keep battling!
Got the go-to breakfast, and I think she undercharged me. I gave it back to her in a tip.
this is a pro move and also shows what we all already knew.. TJ is a Mensch!
GO GO GADGET! Checkmate your way to the FINAL TABLE!
Second break, bled down to 26k.
No real notable spots, or tough decisions. I’m in position on the money, just haven’t gotten much to work with.
Still ready to settle in for a long evening. But if I bust, I definitely won’t play cash tonight.
