It was a little more than six months ago that Terrance 'TJ' Reid turned a breakout run in the $25,000 WSOP Paradise Super Main Event into a $3 million career-high payday and a fourth-place finish.
Now he's making another charge on poker's biggest stage.
At the Day 5 dinner break in the 2026 WSOP Main Event, Reid was among the final 325 players from a field of 9,208 entrants. Could he do it again?
Ignore the noise
Reid's breakthrough in the Super Main wasn't just the biggest score of his young career; it also confirmed that his game can hold together under the bright lights and the pursuit of big paydays.
The past few years of deep tournament runs and appearances on cash-game streams have prepared Reid for the pressure and distractions that come with the WSOP Main Event.
“I think one of the biggest things to becoming a very good tournament player is not caring what other people think," Reid says, "whether it be the media, other pros and players, and even the fans. That makes me feel free to execute when I need to and trust my instincts.”
Reid doesn't waste an ounce of energy worrying about how a decision is perceived if it goes sideways. He stays focused on making the right one, regardless of who's watching.
“I’m never thinking, ‘Oh God. What if I’m wrong here? Everyone watching is going to make fun of me, and the clip will go viral.’ I don't have any of that. I'm just going to play my game and hope for the best. I think that gives me an edge.”
Lessons learned
Reid is cashing the WSOP Main Event for the third straight year, and that experience has increased his confidence exponentially as the remaining players march toward the most prestigious final table in the game.
“This is my deepest run in the WSOP Main Event so far," he says. "Every year I improve and learn something new from the experience. Each year, I’ve made a crucial mistake at some point in the tournament. I carry that with me, and I’ll do my best to avoid doing it again.”
The Main Event rewards a steady hand more than almost any tournament in poker. With two-hour levels and deep stacks, Reid can be patient and let the game come to him.
“I'm over 100 big blinds deep on Day 5, so I don't have to force anything. I’m very patient. The Main Event is very forgiving and many people don't take advantage of that. If you're card dead for four hours, it doesn't matter. But I'm absolutely willing to take a good spot if I think it's a good one.”
Reid has more than proven to himself and his peers that he can compete on poker's biggest stages.
With a tongue-in-cheek grin, Reid shared the confidence he's earned after another deep run on poker's biggest stage.
“I show up for the main events. I’m a Main Event specialist. I’m playing to win.”
Follow Terrance as he drops his entertaining WSOP vlog daily on YouTube. You can also keep up with 'TJ' on X and IG.
