Ren Lin Treating Day 6 of the WSOP Main Event Like a "Brand New Tournament"
Tony "Ren" Lin burst onto the poker scene three years ago with a stellar World Series of Poker.
A third-place finish in the $5,000 Freezeout was followed by a runner-up finish in the $50,000 High Roller — in total, Lin notched 13 cashes and almost $1.2 million in cashes.
And after 13 cashes in 2022 and a dozen the following year, Lin may have had a quiet summer in terms of results, but at the table he's full of the same "infectious charisma" that endears him to so many.
Lin's Deep Run on First Ever Main Event Cash
Not only is Lin through to Day 6 of the WSOP Main Event, he's definitely one to be feared with Lin sitting third in the current Global Poker Index rankings.
PokerNews caught up with him shortly before play got underway. Lin returns at the start of the day 31st in chips with 160 players remaining and is situated on one of the feature tables to start Day 6.
"It's my first time cashing, and I'm surprised I'm still here"
Lin was in good spirits, especially now that he's guaranteed $70,000, but another strong day could see him increase that amount further.
"I've never cashed in the WSOP Main Event," Lin told PokerNews. "When I first sat down to play I wasn't thinking [about how far I could get].
"So it's my first time cashing, and I'm surprised I'm still here!"
Lin is one of six players from the $25k Fantasy Draft still in the Main Event. However, despite being the owner of Team Lady Gaga he was eventually drafted by Team NGNF for $55.
He has a strong poker pedigree outside of the WSOP, winning the $50k WPT Alpha8 last December, and warming up for the Series in April by winning the Texas Poker Open Main Event at Champions Club.
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"The Main Event is More Important
Nevertheless, Lin says he's trying to treat the Main Event just like any other tournament.
"For me, the game is the game. It's always the same. But the Main Event is more important. But still, I try to play the same and treat it like a normal game.
"It's been very nice for me. Everyone is friendly, and I think everyone's been enjoying themselves."
With Day 6 underway, we asked Lin how he prepared last night ahead of another long day of poker.
"When I bagged I just went home and slept. I tried not to think about anything to do with poker. And today is like a new day. Just like we're starting a new tournament on Day 1."
