You can watch the full vlog from this $2,500 freezeout right here on my YouTube channel. It was a day full of close calls, high-level opponents, and some aggressive plays that didn’t quite go my way—but made for great lessons (and better content).

This is a one-shot event. No re-entries on the same day, which creates a more balanced field and adds pressure right out of the gate. We started with 35,000 chips and played 40-minute levels on Day 1 (which later increase to 60 minutes on Day 2 and 3). That gives you room to play real poker—but also means every mistake is magnified.

Good Vibes, Tough Opponents

This is one of the tougher fields of the series. I was seated with some serious crushers—players like Greg Himmelbrand, Eric Seidel, Brad Owen, and more. These are opponents who know how to adjust, which means you have to stay balanced and avoid being too exploitable.

My goal in these fields is to lean into a GTO foundation while recognizing the few spots I can shift into exploit mode. I look for bluff opportunities when I think I’m being underestimated, and I try to control pot size against players who won’t fold easily.

Online Bracelet Run and a Confidence Boost

The night before, Bobby and I played the $400 WSOP Online Bracelet Event from bed (yes, bed poker is a real thing). We both cashed—bringing my total cashes for the series to five so far. I finished just outside the top 100 in a 2,200+ player field. That deep run gave me a little extra fire heading into the freezeout.

Bluff Breakdown: 9♠5♠ from the Big Blind

Let’s break down one of the most important (and frustrating) hands I played.

Blinds were 500/1,000/1,000. UTG raised to 2,000 and I called from the big blind with 9♠5♠, sitting on about 30K. The flop came A♣2♠2♦. I check-raised his 2K c-bet to 6,100, leveraging the fact that I have more deuces in my range than he does—and some backdoor equity with the five and the spades.

The turn was the 7♣, and I continued the story with a 6K bet. He called.

The river was the A♦, pairing the board again. I fired 10,500, representing a full house or trip aces. Looking back, I probably should’ve shoved to maximize fold equity. He tanked forever and called with K♠J♣—King-high. Pain.

Strategy Reflection: When Bluffs Don’t Work

I stand by the bluff. I had a tight table image, and my opponent had to be putting me on an ace or better. But some players just aren’t folding their King-highs. In hindsight, shoving turn or using a slightly smaller flop check-raise might have given me more room to push on the river.

Sometimes, you do everything right and still get called. That’s poker. The key is to log it, review it, and move on.

Dinner Break, Reset, and Rebuild

After busting, I headed out to clear my head, review the bluff, and grab dinner with friends. There’s always another event—and next up is the $800 Deepstack.

Want More Strategy Like This?

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Watch the Full Vlog

Want to see the bluff, the bust, the massage, and the chaos in between? Watch the full video here on YouTube and subscribe to follow the rest of my WSOP journey.