Phil Hellmuth was the star of the present in what was an exciting Episode 2 of the PokerStars Massive Recreation on Tour, which airs on Fox Sports activities 1.
The “Poker Brat” made some tough however right calls, pulled off a strong bluff, and hit a beneficiant river card en path to a worthwhile session within the $100/$200 ($200 massive blind ante) pot-limit maintain’em money sport.
However the viewers on this distinctive poker present are as a lot within the efficiency of the “Free Cannon,” a leisure participant who’s staked $50,000 and should flip a revenue over 150 palms to money out these winnings, as they’re the poker celebs. This season’s first Free Cannon is poker content material creator Nikki Limo, who completed Episode 1 — 31 palms — with a $27,200 revenue.
The 2 aforementioned poker gamers had been joined on the desk as soon as once more by Hollywood actress Jennifer Tilly, PokerStars professional Lex Veldhuis, actress Arden Cho, and the VPIP king Alan Keating.
Hooks for Hellmuth
The session started with Keating elevating to $900 with A♥4♥ earlier than Limo made a pot-size elevate to $3,000 with Okay♠Q♦. Within the small blind, Hellmuth appeared down at J♦J♣ and made the decision, as did Keating.
To the flop the trio went, which fell 8♥7♠9♣, considerably of a dud for these three palms. Motion checked round to the two♣ flip, no enchancment to any participant. Hellmuth this time guess out $5,000, sufficient to scare the others away.
On the following hand, with the board displaying 8♣8♠2♣4♠8♥, Cho tried to bluff on the flip and river, the final wager at $4,800 with Okay♣J♣. However the 17-time World Sequence of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner made a hero name with A♥10♦ and took down the pot.
Keating Gonna Keating
Seeking to get her failed bluff a refund, Cho opened the motion on the following hand to $600 from the cutoff with the highly effective 6♥3♥. Keating, additionally with an absolute monster – 9♦7♥ – three-bet to $2,300 on the button.
Veldhuis, recent off his six-figure PokerStars Spring Championship of On-line Poker (SCOOP) title, known as with Okay♠Q♠ within the massive blind, and Cho known as to the 4♣5♣8♥ flop.
Oddly sufficient, Veldhuis nonetheless had the most effective hand with king-high. However he was up in opposition to two straight attracts. Motion checked to the button, who guess $4,000, sufficient to get Veldhuis to ship his playing cards into the muck, however not sufficient to persuade Cho to fold.
The 8♦ modified nothing, and in some way nine-high was within the lead. Each gamers checked earlier than the 6♣ gave Cho a pair on the river. Sadly, for the actress, it gave her opponent a straight. Cho checked after which Keating guess $16,000 earlier than displaying the 9♦, leaving his fellow Hustler On line casino Reside competitor confused. She inevitably made the inaccurate determination to name, leaving her caught over $75,000.
Free Cannon Makes an attempt to Bluff a Poker Legend
Previous to the beginning of Episode 2, Limo in her interview talked about that she needed to set off Hellmuth. She had a possibility halfway via the present, however would want to attach on a draw.
Right here’s how the hand, one of the vital entertaining in Massive Recreation historical past, performed out. Limo, on the button with 9♣8♥, raised to $900, known as solely by Hellmuth’s J♦10♠ within the massive blind. Following a darkish examine and a flop of seven♥5♣J♥, Limo guess $500 with a gut-shot straight draw earlier than calling a check-raise to $1,200.
The flip was the uneventful 4♠, and the Poker Corridor of Famer guess out $2,000. However the Free Cannon didn’t come to nit it up. She raised to $6,000, however disappointingly obtained a name.
When the 4♣ paired the board on the river, Hellmuth checked, leaving his opponent in a little bit of a pickle. It was both examine and give up the pot as nine-high couldn’t probably win, or make a big guess and hope to get a fold.
She opted for the latter and fired out a guess of $10,000 after accurately calling out Hellmuth’s actual hand.
“I feel you have got jack-ten,” Limo instructed Hellmuth earlier than betting. “May I fold you off jack-ten?”
Hellmuth went into a short tank earlier than making one other distinctive name, his second of the day, taking a piece out of the Free Cannon’s earnings. However she’d bounce proper again and get most of these chips again shortly after in a pot in opposition to Keating, at all times one of many loosest gamers in any sport.
Tilly Battles Hellmuth
By way of the primary half of the episode, Hellmuth needed to earn his cash by making some smart choices. The deck would assist him out in a later hand in opposition to Tilly.
In a straddled pot, Hellmuth limped in early place for $400 with 7♥6♥. Tilly, within the cutoff with Okay♦10♣, raised pot to $2,100 and went heads-up to the flop with the World Sequence of Poker G.O.A.T. It got here out 5♥4♥9♣, giving the preflop limper a straight flush draw.
Tilly, who fully whiffed that flop, checked after which picked up prime pair with the Okay♠ on the flip. Each gamers surprisingly checked to the three♣ on the river, which accomplished the straight however not the straight flush. Hellmuth guess $4,000 with the nuts, and the Bride of Chucky star couldn’t discover a fold with prime pair.
Hellmuth wasn’t completed making performs. In a while he’d get frisky in a three-way pot with Q♥10♥ on a board of seven♠8♥J♥Okay♠5♠, betting $3,000. Keating, who had the most effective hand with Q♦7♦, folded and allowed the Poker Brat to drag off the bluff.
The present ended with Keating, holding pocket kings, busting Cho and her ace-jack. Limo, who gave some chips again to Keating a bit earlier because of an unlucky river card, nonetheless completed the second episode within the black up $21,400.
Keating, who was down over $160,000 at one level, was on the comeback path, however nonetheless down $96,300 after 60 palms. Veldhuis was within the lead with a $83,200 revenue, whereas Hellmuth was up $49,800 with 90 palms left. The complete standings with 90 palms and three episodes remaining are as follows:
