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.
In tournament poker, four live tournaments are nowhere near enough of a sample size to judge your expected overall success. That's especially true if they're 30-minute turbos against some of the world's best. Still, it’s tough to show up and lose every day without getting down.
I've played the PGT $10K NLH High Rollers at the PokerGO Studio every day this week. I'm 0-for-4, firing one bullet each day as was my plan. I'm down $40,400 so far, but I'm hoping to turn it around, and I'll take you on the journey as I've done each day, win or lose.
The starting table
Today's lineup was the usual collection of crushers, two of whom I'd played with already this series.
- Seat 1 - Sam Laskowitz
- Seat 2 - Just Zaki
- Seat 3 - Myles Mullaly
- Seat 5 - Shannon Shorr
- Seat 6 - Justin Saliba
- Seat 7 - Me
Shorr was rocking a black Oakland Raiders cap and a black Callaway hoodie. We were the first two at the table and talked golf. He doesn't play a ton these days but lives near a local Vegas course. With a family, it's hard to travel much for golf, but he enjoys dipping out to the course nearby and playing a round.
Hovering around starting stack
I went in with the goal of being a bit more aggressive today and trying to build a stack early. The cards didn't cooperate through the first few levels. I got out of line a few times and got away with it.
Shorr opened the hijack to 3.5K at the 1.5K level, and Saliba called in the cutoff. I three-bet 
on the button to 14,000. Both players called.
The flop was 
. They checked to me, I continued for 15K, and only Saliba called. The turn was the 
, and action went check-check. The river came the 
, and Saliba fired 15K. After checking back the turn, a call was my only option, and I took it. Saliba showed 
for the same pair, but I had him outkicked and took the pot.
That was the only sizeable pot I won in the early levels, which balanced out the surge of small pocket pairs and suited connectors that missed each board.
Tangling with Hellmuth
Hours later, just after the registration break, Phil Hellmuth opened in middle position to 12K at the 6K level. With 90K in my stack, I defended the big blind with 
. The flop was 
. I checked, and Hellmuth checked behind.
The turn brought the 
, giving me two pair. I considered leading, and I usually would on this card, but I decided to check it over to Hellmuth. He bet 11K. I'd normally check-raise this card all day, but something felt wrong.
When Hellmuth checked back the flop, I thought he either had air or was trapping with a monster. Against the air, I wanted to give him rope on the river. I called, playing it more cautiously than is standard.
The river fell the 
, which I thought was a good card. If he had a queen, he'd go for value now. I checked, and he bet 28K. I don't know if Hellmuth specifically calls with worse, so I just call with two pair and preserve my few big blinds behind.
"Straight," he announced. He turned over 
, which flopped an open-ender, but didn't bet.
I think I played the hand poorly, but sometimes bad play gets rewarded, and I was still in the tournament.
Ace deuce, no use
With six big blinds, I found 
UTG and moved all in. Saliba called next to act, and then the big blind moved all in for about 14 big blinds. Saliba called, and I was up against two players and in bad shape.
- Saliba:
- Big blind:
Saliba made a full house, and the two of us were sent out the door into the cold Las Vegas night.
I'm back at it today, but my chances of earning enough points to sneak into the PGT $1M Championship Freeroll are dwindling.
