No long, drawn-out introduction is needed for the second-place finisher in the WSOP Main Event, Jordan Griff. So, let’s cut to the chase.
The dude won $6,000,000 last Wednesday, then went home and clocked in for work on Monday.
We watched Griff quietly march to the final table of the biggest tournament in the game and achieve a milestone every player dreams about. He did it with few words, letting his game speak for itself.
He's also stayed very composed afterwards, in the wake of the huge controversy that erupted from winner Jonathan Tamayo getting coaching on the rail.
So what next? We spoke with Griff and got his thoughts on LaptopGate, the future of solvers and coaches on the rail, the pure joy of his accomplishment, and what he wants next for him and his family, and the game of poker.
It's been a week since you got second place in the Main Event – have you had time to process it?
I haven't really processed the money. I'm going to put that away and invest it for now. In the meantime, I’m just trying to figure out life.
You went straight back to work? Wtf?
It’s true [laughs]. I went back to my nine-to-five this week. I've been working and talking with my co-workers. I haven't gotten back into the full swing of things yet, though.
What’s been most on your mind since your return home?
I want to take some time to process it. You know, think about the long term. Should I continue my job full-time or jump into poker more? What kind of opportunities are going to present themselves? But for now, I want to make sure I'm thinking through decisions and setting myself and my family up the best I can.
What kind of work do you do?
I've always worked on the supply chain side of things. I'm very focused on data and insights. I take large data sets and present them to planners or analysts, which helps people do their job faster and more efficiently. It also helps them make more informed decisions.
That's a good segue into the next question – the controversy around using the data from solvers on the rail. Where do you stand now after hearing all the different sides and Twitter battles?
There are lots of different battles. There are a lot of facets to this argument. It's not a very simple issue. I think that coaching is fine on breaks, right? You've got 20 minutes, sometimes longer, and 75 minutes for dinner breaks. When people leave the tournament area, you can't control what they do, right? That's pretty hard to enforce.
I didn't exactly see what was on the laptop on the rail. But in the middle of heads-up play? Going back and forth and checking the range of hands and the optimal opening sizes? And you're getting that from real-time assistance. I think that's what people are concerned about and want to see out of the game.
It's been standard for many years that we've seen coaches on the rail. But this looked different.
Yes. Coaching has always existed and will always exist. But it's when you're using models and stuff the human brain can't possibly do to gain an advantage. That's what people are up in arms about.
Would you prefer to focus on your amazing achievement and the $6 million win, or would you like this to be a catalyst for change and good for the game?
Selfishly, I want to focus on myself and my achievements. I hope this issue can bring new light to the game and improve it for people going forward – especially for amateurs who may be weary of entering because of the controversy.
But yes. I definitely want something positive to come out of it. I think that much of the talk has been a little bit of a dividing factor among the poker community. It's not really a positive story to come out of the WSOP Main Event.
I would love to see positive stories come out of this rather than putting a negative spin on things.
What’s the biggest lesson you took away from your play during the Main Event?
I think many accomplished pros didn't focus on the pay jumps. They were there to go for the win, and that's something I want to emulate. My plan at the final table was to be fearless, go for the win, and whatever happens, happens.
I came in second. It's a result that I'm ecstatic with. It wasn't about winning or losing. But there was a moment when I flipped for the whole thing and proved to myself that I could do it. That’s what was important to me.
