Terrance 'TJ' Reid is PokerOrg’s Live Events Manager and a passionate poker player. He earned his biggest score to date in December, finishing 4th in the WSOP Super Main Event for $3 million.
As poker tournament players, we test Einstein's definition of insanity daily. The difference in our game is that we can expect different results. And so, after an early exit in Event 1 and a deep-but-not-deep-enough run in Event 2, I went back to the PokerGO studios for the $10K Event 3 in search of my first cash of the series.
Sitting down to start the day, the standard cast of crushers filled the seats around me.
- Seat 1 - Justin Zaki
- Seat 2 - Me
- Seat 3 - Alex Foxen
- Seat 4 - Byron Kaverman
- Seat 6 - Neil Warren
- Seat 7 - Landon Tice
So, you want to play at the PokerGO studios? This is the standard allotment you'll need to contend with. I enjoy the challenge, but be prepared to get punished for every mistake you make along the way. These fields demand the best of you.
Tested by Alex Foxen early
For some fun context in this hand, Alex and Kristen Foxen recently shared a story about how they attended a small, public $1/$3 game in disguise for Kristen's birthday.
Foxen said he played 95% of hands and won 5 buy-ins in the game, even though people saw through the last-minute costumes quickly. He said he "showed down a red four at least 10 hands in a row; it was insane." He then proceeded to show a red four or five multiple times at our table when scooping pots.
Early in the day in Level 2, I opened the button to 3.5K at the 1.5K big-blind level holding 
. Foxen three-bet to 13.5K from the small blind. I called in position with about 140K in my stack, and I covered him, in chips if not in stature.
The flop showed up 
– not great, but not terrible. There was only one overcard to my pair and some backdoor straight opportunities. So, when Foxen continued for 9K, I called.
The turn was the 
. I think I have more straights here than he does, and I note the present backdoor flush appearance. He sized up to 28K. I wasn't ready to give up yet, and I called once more.
With 104K in the middle, the 
hit the river. He weighed his options before announcing all-in for 78K. I planned to call down some rivers, but this one wasn't the best, as the backdoor flush came in.
"Half the red fours are accounted for," I joked while trying to get a read. Foxen broke his stone-cold, board-focused stare for a smile. I made the fold.
"You didn't think about the red fives, though," he said, flashing the 
.
Did he have the 
for the nut flush? Or did he bluff me out of the pot with something else? I'll never know.
Elimination – same hand, different opponent
During Event 2, I was eliminated when I lost a massive pot near the money with 
against the 
of David Coleman. What were the odds I'd face the same spot today?
With 40K in my stack at the 2.5K level, I opened UTG to 5K with 
. Landon Tice three-bet the button to 20K. Action folded to an older gentleman in the big blind who cold-called the three-bet with 60 big blinds or so. I jammed all in for 40K, which conveniently reopened the action for Tice to isolate.
That was the best-case scenario for me, as I'll often have the chance to win extra dead money while only needing to beat one player. Tice did jam all in (with pocket eights), and the big blind tanked before folding 
.
"This is the exact hand I was eliminated with yesterday," I said. "Ace-king against eights."
"It's a new day," said Tice.
The flop didn't seem new, as it fell 
. The turn was the , though, which gave me a commanding lead, although Tice had new outs with the and the only flush draw. The river was the 
to steal away the just-acquired dreams of a healthy chip stack.
"You saved me," said the player in the big blind.
Interestingly, if the big blind had four-bet preflop like many players would have, I likely would have been heads-up with him instead, and I would have won the pot. The butterfly effect is very real in tournament poker; each small decision can impact your result for better or for worse. This one hurt me, and I was out the door.
Einstein’s theory is three for three this series, but I’m still insane enough to fire again on Thursday in Last Chance #4.
