My First Poker Partners Tournament Was Total Chaos—And We Placed 6th

Story time. You know how some of the best poker sessions start with a plan that immediately goes off the rails? Well, this was one of those.

My best poker buddy, a guy who’s taught me a ton about the game, asked if I wanted to team up for the Run Good partners event at MGM National Harbor. As a birthday present, he even offered to cover my buy-in. A freeroll in a cool tournament with a friend? Saying yes was the easiest decision I’d make all day.

Then things got interesting. My partner decided to hop into the morning tournament, and wouldn't you know it, he went on a deep run. So deep, in fact, that when the partners' event started, he was still sitting at another table, fighting for a five-figure score. So there I was, sitting alone at the start of a tag-team tournament. The irony was not lost on me.

The One-Man Tag Team

The format was pretty straightforward: after level six, our stacks would combine, and we’d switch off every level. But until then, I was holding down the fort. And once our stacks did combine, he was still so deep in the other tournament that the juggling act began. I played our first combined level, and then it was his turn. He literally ran over to our table, played our big blind, and then sprinted back to his other final table.

We ended up blinding off a few hands because he was, for all intents and purposes, multi-tabling live tournaments. It was as ridiculous as it sounds. I told him to just focus on locking up the score in the other game; it was the right move, even if it felt crazy.

He held on and snagged a 10th-place finish for a solid four-figure score. That’s when the real game began for us. He finally joined me, and almost immediately, he got a massive double-up holding Ace-Ten against Ace-Five. Suddenly, we had chips. We had breathing room. We were actually in this thing.

Facing Down the Sharks

Looking around the room was a little humbling. We were up against some serious crushers—players with six-figure scores, circuit rings, you name it. There was some real talent in the field. But honestly, we weren't intimidated. The vibe of the whole event was just incredible. It was way more relaxed and fun than your typical tournament grind. It reminded me of a fun event I played at the PokerGo studio earlier this year; it was just about good energy and a love for the game.

Even folks playing cash games at MGMNH, a room I’d argue is one of the best anywhere, were peeking over and saying how much fun our tournament looked. And they were right. Even if we had busted early, I’d still recommend it. The atmosphere was just that good.

Eventually, our luck started to turn, and we found ourselves short-stacked with about 7 or 8 big blinds. But you know what? That’s when I actually felt the most comfortable.

When you're short-stacked, the game becomes simple. It’s all about picking your spots. There’s a certain clarity to it.

I found a perfect spot with pocket nines, moved all-in, and held against King-Queen offsuit. A little later, I shoved over an open with Ace-Nine and got it through without a fight. We were surviving, hanging on by a thread, but it felt great.

The Final Hand and a Proud Finish

Our wild ride had to end sometime. The blinds were a hefty 10k/20k with a 20k big blind ante. The UTG player opened to 40k, and my partner looked down at Ace-King offsuit. With our 78k stack, it was a no-brainer shove. It folded back to the original raiser, who made the call with Queen-Jack offsuit. We were in a fantastic spot to double up and get back in the game.

The flop came 8-8-7. Safe. The turn was a 9. Still safe, but now any Ten would give him a straight. And the river? Of course. It was a Ten. Just like that, our night was over with a gutshot on the river. Poker can be a cruel game, man.

We finished in 6th place. Sure, a piece of hardware would have been amazing, but I couldn't be prouder. We took a chaotic situation, navigated a tough field, and turned it into a final table appearance. We walked away with some nice proof of our crazy day, too—a couple of payout slips that tell the whole story, one for his 10th place finish and one for our 6th place tag-team score. More than the cash, I made some new friends and spent the entire time laughing. It was just an awesome experience from start to finish. Have you ever played in a partners tourney? It's a completely different animal, and I can't wait to do it again.