Trying to Be Responsible at the 2026 WSOP (For Once)

If you’ve followed my poker career long enough, you know that “responsible” isn’t always the first word people use to describe my tournament strategy.

But heading into another day of the WSOP Monster Stack, that was exactly what I was trying to be.

I actually got a full night’s sleep for once. More than nine hours. My sleep score was over 90. No pickleball. No running around Vegas. Just rest, recovery, and getting ready to play poker.

After an ESPN interview that morning, I had a decision to make.

Register immediately for the Monster Stack and take advantage of all the early action? Or find an excuse to delay?

Believe me, the temptation was there.

The Monster Stack is one of those tournaments where patience pays. There are plenty of opportunities, plenty of chips in play, and plenty of players willing to donate. The responsible decision was obvious.

So naturally, I spent several minutes trying to convince myself to do literally anything else.

Eventually, responsibility won.

At 50 years old, I figured it was time to try the grown-up approach.

At least for one day.

Searching for a Bag

The goal was simple.

Survive.

Build a stack.

Find a bag at the end of the night.

It had been several days since I’d bagged chips in a tournament, and the WSOP can feel a lot different when you’re constantly heading back to the registration desk instead of Day 2.

Early on, things started moving in the right direction.

I found a few good spots, picked up some reads, and slowly built momentum. One hand in particular reminded me why live poker is still such a fascinating game.

An opponent was visibly nervous throughout the hand. Sometimes that means strength. Sometimes it means weakness. The challenge is figuring out which one you’re dealing with.

After watching him carefully, I became convinced he had missed a draw. When the river checked through to me, I went for maximum value with a large bet rather than trying to squeeze out a crying call with a smaller size.

The hand worked out, and more importantly, it reinforced something I’ve always believed: poker isn’t just about cards. It’s about people.

Side Bets, Haircuts, and Terrible Ideas

Of course, no WSOP day would be complete without some ridiculous side action.

My cameraman currently has a full head of long hair.

Someone at the table proposed that if I make the final table of the Monster Stack, I get to shave his head.

Not only that.

He’d lose the hair and get 10% of whatever I won.

I’m not sure who came up with that deal, but I immediately became very interested in making a deep run.

For the record, I think he’d look fantastic bald.

Building, Losing, Building Again

One of the hardest parts of tournament poker is that success is rarely a straight line.

At one point, I doubled my starting stack.

Later, I climbed to roughly 180,000 chips and felt like I finally had some momentum.

Then came one of those spots every tournament player knows.

A hand where, deep down, you know you’re probably beat.

A hand where the logical part of your brain is screaming one thing.

And the hopeful part is screaming something else.

Unfortunately, I listened to the hopeful part.

I talked myself into a call that I probably shouldn’t have made, convinced myself there was a missed draw somewhere in the equation, and watched a nice stack start moving in the wrong direction.

That’s poker.

You build.

You lose.

You build again.

And you keep showing up for the next hand.

The World Cup Conversation

One of the more entertaining moments of the day came while talking with another player about the upcoming World Cup.

He started listing the games he planned to attend across the United States.

Dallas.

Seattle.

Miami.

Boston.

New York.

Then he casually mentioned what he had spent on tickets.

Let’s just say the numbers made poker buy-ins sound reasonable.

The final alone cost more than many people spend on a car.

As someone who appreciates once-in-a-lifetime experiences, I couldn’t even argue with the logic.

Still, my credit card started hurting just listening to the conversation.

A Pair of Threes Saves the Day

One of the more interesting hands came when I called an all-in with pocket threes.

Not exactly the hand dreams are made of.

After an unusual series of bets from another player, I found myself trying to determine whether my tiny pair was actually good.

Nothing about his sizing made sense.

The story he was telling didn’t quite add up.

When the river checked through, I trusted my read and checked behind.

Sure enough, king-high was no good.

Queen-high was no good.

And somehow, a pair of threes dragged the pot.

Sometimes tournament poker is a game of monsters.

Other times it’s a game of tiny pairs refusing to die.

One More Setback

Unfortunately, the night didn’t end with a bag.

Late in the day, I flopped top pair and ran directly into a set.

The chips went in.

The result wasn’t what I wanted.

Just like that, the tournament was over.

Could I have found a different line?

Maybe.

But if I slow down there, I’m essentially starting Day 2 with the same stack I’d get by re-entering fresh the next morning.

So instead of firing another bullet late at night, I decided to call it a day.

Heading in the Right Direction

Oddly enough, I walked away feeling good.

Not because I won.

Not because I bagged.

I didn’t.

But because I felt like my game was trending in the right direction.

The reads were sharper.

The decisions felt better.

The confidence was coming back.

Tournament poker is hard. Really hard.

You can play well and lose.

You can play poorly and win.

All you can control is putting yourself in good spots and trusting the process.

Tomorrow is another chance.

Another bullet.

Another opportunity to build a stack.

And maybe, just maybe, finally find that bag.