PokerGO’s Excessive Stakes Poker Season 12 wrapped up on Monday evening, placing a cherry on prime of one of many present’s finest seasons, one which noticed a $992,000 pot, the biggest in HSP historical past. Nevertheless, the Season 12 finale confirmed a hand that had an opportunity to beat it (extra on that under).
The newest episode was a continuation of final week’s $1,000/$2,000 recreation at PokerGO Studio that includes Santhosh Suvarna and Andrew Robl, who three weeks earlier squared off within the aforementioned record-setting pot.
They have been joined on the desk by the identical forged of characters together with Charles Yu, Stanley Tang, Nik Airball, and Brandon Adams.
Right here’s how issues stack up at first of the present.
Powerful to Win Twice
The primary hand of the episode was a giant one and commenced when Yu raised to $6,000 with the ten♥10♦ and Airball known as with the A♥J♦. Robl got here alongside from the button with the Ok♥Q♣, Tang did the identical from the small blind with the 8♣5♣, and Suvarna made it five-way motion by calling $4,000 extra from the large blind with the 6♣2♠.
The J♣7♣8♦ flop noticed motion verify to Airball and he guess $20,000 with prime pair. Robl folded from the button and Tang wakened with a check-raise to $75,000 from the small blind. Each Suvarna and Yu folded, Airball known as, and the 4♠ appeared on the flip.
With $182,000 within the pot, Tang moved all in for $247,000 and Airball hit the tank for a number of minutes. The 2 talked a bit earlier than Airball in the end known as and the duo agreed to run it twice on the $676,000 pot.
The 7♠ river on the primary gave half the pot to Airball, however the 9♣ on the second gave Tang the opposite half with a membership flush. Chop it up.
Will Airball Name to Create Largest Pot in HSP Historical past?
Tang opened for $5,000 with the A♦7♥ and Yu known as from the button with the Q♥9♥. Airball got here alongside from the small blind with the 6♦6♣, Adams did the identical from the large with the J♦J♣, and the flop fell 8♦10♥6♥.
Three checks noticed Yu guess $10,000 along with his straight and flush attracts, and all three of his opponents known as. After the seller burned and turned the two♠, Airball led out for $50,000 and Adams launched. Tang did the identical however Yu known as to see the J♠ on the river, which gave him the nuts.
Airball guess $200,000 with a set of sixes and Yu, who had the larger stack, took a sip of his tea earlier than elevating all in. Airball had $482,000 again and for the second time within the episode went deep into the tank.
“I performed the hand bizarre and now it’s bizarre,” a conflicted Airball sighed. “I actually don’t know what I need to do on this one … This is likely to be the most important pot of the season, Charles.”
“That is most likely the most important pot in Excessive Stakes [Poker] in case you name,” Tang mentioned after Airball apologized for taking so lengthy.
Ultimately, it was Robl who known as a clock giving Airball, who had been tanking for 10 minutes, one final minute to behave on his hand. After about 30 seconds, Airball folded and Yu pulled within the $1,044,000 pot (which included his final uncalled guess).
Nik Airball Set Up on Excessive Stakes Poker; One Participant Turns a Straight Flush
Kings & Aces for King Charles
Within the subsequent televised hand, “King Charles” Yu picked up pocket kings and received preflop after four-betting Adams. Proper after that, Robl raised to $6,000 with the 9♠6♠ and motion folded to Yu within the large blind. He regarded down on the A♠A♦ and three-bet to $25,000.
Robl known as and the flop got here down 9♥4♣J♥. Yu guess $15,000, Robl known as with center pair, and the 6♥ on the flip gave the latter two pair. Yu checked, Robl guess $65,000, and the previous known as to see the river, which was the 4♠. Yu’s aces and fours counterfeited Robl’s nines and sixes, and he received a $213,000 pot after motion went check-check.
“Present Me Some Respect”
Talking of pocket aces, Robl three-bet with the A♥A♣ from the button after Airball had opened for $6,000 with the Q♥9♠. Tang then four-bet to $80,000 with the A♠7♠ within the small blind and motion folded again to Robl.
“Let’s do it, run it twice,” Tang mentioned. Robl paused for a couple of beats earlier than shifting all in and motion was on Tang. “I used to be simply kidding,” he mentioned whereas debating what to do with the $234,000 he had behind.
“Present me some respect,” Robl mentioned along with his head propped towards his proper hand. Tang in the end confirmed respect by folding to Robl, who in a latest episode of the PokerNews Podcast was floated as a first-ballot Poker Corridor of Famer.
“Some Large Palms, Boys”
Yu opened for $5,000 with the A♣4♣ and Adams three-bet to $20,000 with the A♦Ok♣ within the cutoff. Tang picked up the Ok♠Ok♥ within the small blind and four-bet to $80,000, Yu folded, and Adams moved all in for $237,000 whole. Tang snap-called and the 2 agreed to run it twice.
With $483,000 within the pot, the primary runout got here 9♣A♥2♠9♥10♦ to pair Adams’ ace and provides him half the pot, whereas the second ran out 3♣2♥7♠10♥J♥ to present Tang the opposite half. For the second time within the episode, a juicy six-figure pot was chopped up.
“Some large fingers, boys,” an envious Airball mentioned.
“May’ve Been a A lot Greater Pot”
Robl raised to $6,000 with the Q♥Q♣ and Tang known as behind with the Q♦10♥. Yu then three-bet to $25,000 with the A♥Ok♣ on the button, each blinds folded, and Robl simply known as. Tang got here alongside and it was three-way motion to a flop of 8♠5♥7♥.
Robl led out for $20,000 into the $80K pot, Tang folded, and Yu known as to see the A♣ flip. Robl slowed down with a verify and Yu, who took the lead by pairing his ace, coyly checked behind.
Robl then guess $15,000 on the 8♥ river and Yu rapidly known as to win a $150,000.
“That might’ve been a a lot larger pot,” Airball noticed. Certainly, with each gamers sitting on seven-figure pots, they might’ve flipped for all of it had they wished and performed it otherwise.
Closing Hand of Season 12
In what could be the ultimate hand of the season, a triple straddle was on and Suvarna known as $16,000 from the button with the A♥7♠. Robl, who was within the second straddle for $8,000, known as with the A♠8♣ and Tang checked his straddle choice with the ten♠9♦.
All three gamers checked the 4♠2♣Q♠ flop and the J♥ appeared on the flip. Robl checked, Tang guess $35,000 along with his open-ended straight draw, and Suvarna folded. Robl sprung to life with a check-raise to $80,000 and Tang known as to see the 8♠ on the river.
Robl paired his eight and checked to Tang, who moved all in for $236,000 along with his rivered straight.
“I used to be going to shove any spade apart from that one,” Robl lamented. Ultimately, he folded and Tang took down the final hand of Season 12.
The Largest Pot in Excessive Stakes Poker Historical past
Excessive Stakes Poker Season 12 Episode Recaps
To look at new episodes of Excessive Stakes Poker, go to PokerGO.
*Photographs courtesy of PokerGO/Antonio Abrego
PR & Media Supervisor
PR & Media Supervisor for PokerNews, Podcast host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
