**** TJ's 2026 WSOP Trip! ...And Continued Sundry Poker Adventures ****

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I like it, easing into Vegas.

GL and have fun!

GL. Just went back and read my TRs from 2018 and 2023 and you were one of the first to interact. I appreciate what you do for this forum and community.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I love trip reports.

I love writing them.

And when I’m home at work, between Vegas trips, I love reading them, and supporting them.

I just had dinner with rppoker at Carversteak in Resorts World! We have lots in common, from poker (obviously), college football, and real estate. Our conversation was wide-spanning, and the food was INCREDIBLE.

We started with splitting a Caesar salad, and I think this was the first time I had a real Caesar with real anchovies. That was a bit of a surprise, but tasty.

I went with the 14 oz ribeye filet, medium rare.

It was cooked perfect, and came out great.

Rppoker had the Lobster En Croute, which I’m glad he got, because I’d NEVER have been adventurous enough to try it if I were on my own. It’s a 2 lb Maine lobster in a puff pastry, like beef Wellington, with a tasty cognac cream sauce.

It was DECADENT.

The ribeye filet, a glass of cab, and half a Caesar was about $120. The service was exceptional, as well.

Rppoker and I have had long running threads in this forum, so it was nice to finally meet him. I think my favorite thing about his thread is this: he was already a masterful storyteller, and an excellent writer, from his past career as a sports journalist. But what is striking about the way he writes about poker is a joy and love for the game that shines through. It’s something that’s sorely lacking from the current poker media landscape, and content creators out there.

It was cool to be able to tell him that.

Fantastic photo of the Grand Canyon!
GO GO GADGET!!!

Next, I made a quick pit stop at Walgreens to stock up, picked up my bags from Venetian, and I checked into my Airbnb.

It’s a little 1 bedroom studio condo in the Arts District. Same complex I stayed in last year, different unit.

Very loud decor, but the room itself is perfectly suited to my needs.

There’s several walkable restaurants nearby, AND laundry available. Not bad, for a little over $100 a night, AND no resort fee.

I’m settled in, so now it’s time for bed, after a long travel day AND workmanlike poker day.

The Monster Stack starts tomorrow at 10. I’d like to be there for the start, but we’ll see how the morning and breakfast goes.

I hope the mural above the bed does not give you nightmares.

GLGLGL

LOL!
My first thought when I saw it was that it would do that to me.

Sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight.

So true - having skill in storytelling will obviously help. Key to many of these TRs is the passion behind them. Vloggers (which I watch and enjoy) play poker and vlog as a job, and that can show thru.

We can all relate to other TRs that poker can be a fun pursuit/hobby….we can get to be kids in a way. We’re fortunate that we have careers and lives that allow us to chase this hobby. While our results may not approach many vlogger levels I feel we are pretty lucky to not have the pressure to win at poker or create content to pay bills.

Slept pretty good, being watched over by the surreal descent into madness that is whatever it is that’s going on in the mural behind me.

Walked the six or seven blocks to Denny’s for breakfast.

It was $31.

Then made my way over to the WSOP, and registered for the Monster Stack. This could get pretty big, so let’s make it a long day today!

Time for the Monster Stack!

Despite the amazing structure, I managed to bust this event on Day 1 each of the last two years. I feel like my game is in a better place now, so hopefully this year will be different.

50k starting stack, 1-hour levels, let’s gooooo!

Good luck TJ! Go get em and don't worry about putting in HH as they will distract you - just wait until breaks and dinners to update us - the virtual rail will always be here!!!

It's cool that you met up with rppoker for what looks like a great meal.

I think the room looks pretty cool.

GL!

Following along, but don't worry about updating. Worry about winning!

What AzOther1 wrote. Go TJ and Moby!

First break, on 38k. It’s a pretty tough table to start, no obviously easy spots. The guy on my left has owned me a couple times. We have some action players late reg’ing, but they’ve gotten the best of me so far.

Couple situations came up where I wish I had better reads. I 3bet AA in position, then get 4bet to 8500. I considered flatting the 4bet, and shoving over any flop, since I had position. But I elected to 5bet to 22k, knowing that no matter what, it couldn’t be a mistake. He folded to the 5bet.

Then later, there’s a raise from the hijack, I call from button with K8s, two others come along and we see a flop of K-K-6 two hearts. The PFR continues, I raise from the button… then the BB cold flats both, and the PFR shoves. It sucks, but I think he’s telling me I’m beat, so I folded.

I also made two river calls that should have been folds, when I was still feeling this table out.

Gonna apply what I’ve learned, and keep battling.

Second break, on 80k. It’s been a grind, I’ve been playing tight. Until the last hand of the level.

A new late reg opens to 1k from UTG, I call from +1 with A4s. Folds to SB, who is a bad, tilting player, and he shoves for almost 22k. UTG folds.

I think he’s doing this with rags, so I call, and I was right… as he had J6s. I was ready to dropkick puppies when he flops top two, but I backdoored the spades to win.

Good process, good result. I’ll take it.

Only two players have busted in the first four levels, but people are late reg’ing like crazy. I think I have a better feel for my opponents, now that I’ve observed them for a while.

Go get 'em! That event sounds awesome and I should have scheduled to try and get it in. Maybe next year. Win this thing and the pressure is off the rest of the trip 😀

NOT THE PUPPIESSSSSSSSSSSSS

Bust.

I had a huge decision to make, trusted my instincts, and apparently made the wrong choice.

I open JhTh to 2k from MP1, two calls behind me. It comes Td-7h-2h. First to act with top pair and a flush draw, I continue for 3700. One opponent calls.

Turn picks me up a gutshot, the 9d. I’ve got to have a ton of equity against anything, and I have the initiative. I go to 6k, he calls again.

River is the 8h, making my J-high flush, and just missing the straight flush. The sizing was awkward, as I have 43k back. I decide on 23k.

He thinks a bit, sighs, and moves all in.

I’m haaaaating life. Plus the sigh shove. I tank almost two full minutes, fold, and show. He doesn’t show, and doesn’t say if it was right.

I made a read, thought I was right. I guess I’m at peace with my decision.

I get knocked out an orbit later. Got it all in and ahead pre, but it was your standard garden variety tournament knockout story, AQo < KJs.

As I was leaving, the other guy told me the jack high flush was good. I guess I play too much PLO, and was seeing monsters under the bed.

Still, it’s just bad process to bet 23k on the river, and fold to the shove for 20k more.

So it goes.

I’m gonna play more cash PLO tonight as long as I feel good, then fire flight D tomorrow.

I get it. Sigh-shove with no fold equity on the river very much looks like a bigger flush. The "awww shucks, I guess I go all-in" is very nutted in my experience, particularly from a certain type of middle aged nit. Beware the "woe is me" speech and posturing followed by a jam. In general I think your radar was right in that respect.

I made a hero fold on the local circuit last year with 7d6d on something like 8646 after raising two limps, c-betting flop, and c-betting turn. Limper jammed for not much more. I felt he was repping A6 or a boat by jamming that turn when I'd shown massive strength by betting on every possible street. I made what I thought was a heroic laydown. He showed me TT and told me he thought I had AK. Yikes. In hindsight, I still like the fold 200BB deep or in level one of the WSOP Main. However, he didn't have very many chips behind. It's a spot where I just needed to pay off. If he had A6 or a boat, oh well. It's a cooler.

Maybe your spot was an obligate payoff with just ~20k behind, but I also understand thinking you can't possibly be good there. I would guess he had some type of spewy, trappy overpair like QQ or maybe a crazy bluff with some type of blocker like the Ah. Either way, it is not a spot I would be eager to encounter. He really didn't have enough chips to run that bluff, and he bluffed anyway.