It has been 12 years, however the PokerStars Huge Recreation on Tour is again, with the primary episode of one of the crucial in style poker TV exhibits airing on Fox Sports activities 1.
It has been a very long time coming, for the reason that present was shot throughout the NAPT pageant in Las Vegas in November 2023, however poker followers can now look ahead to ten episodes capturing the joy of the excessive stakes money sport motion.
As a reminder, the desk is made up of 5 gamers and one Unfastened Cannon.
The Unfastened Cannon has at all times been one of the crucial attention-grabbing components of The Huge Recreation, with that participant receiving a $50,000 buy-in and tasked with surviving 150 palms. After that, any revenue from their $50,000 they get to maintain!
The Huge Recreation on Tour Line-Up
The primary episode options Unfastened Cannon Nikki Limo, a podcast host and beginner comic who shone throughout the audition course of and now will get to reside the poker dream, enjoying excessive stakes poker towards a star-studded desk.
“I really feel like I characterize the everyman — the everywoman, if you’ll!” Limo stated. “I actually hope to do them justice. I’ll take the second in. However on the finish of the day it is about having as a lot enjoyable as potential for so long as potential.”
Nikki Limo – Unfastened CannonLex Veldhuis – PokerStars Ambassador {and professional} poker participantPhil Hellmuth – 17-time WSOP bracelet winnerJennifer Tilly – Oscar-nominated actress and WSOP bracelet winnerArden Cho – Hollywood actressAlan Keating – Excessive stakes money sport participant
Unfastened Cannon in Motion Early
Unfastened Cannon Nikki Limo actually put her $50,000 to good use from the very first hand. After Alan Keating, raised to $900 from early place, Limo referred to as within the cutoff with Q♥10♥.
The flop got here J♥8♥7♦ giving Limo a straight flush draw. Keating wager $1,000 and Limo referred to as. The flip Okay♦ gave Keating high pair and he once more wager for $4,000. Once more, Limo referred to as.
The river 9♦ accomplished Limo’s straight however was momentarily befuddled by the $200 wager from Keating. She then raised to $5,000 and Keating referred to as.
Her rivered straight was good, and she or he instantly shot as much as $61,400.
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Tilly Getting Energetic
Academy Award-nominated Jennifer Tilly is not any stranger to money video games, and with a WSOP bracelet even from the 2005 Girls Championship she’s undoubtedly to not be underestimated.
She tangled with Alan Keating in a hand the place Keating straddled and Nikki Limo 10♥9♥ raised to $1,200 from underneath the gun. She received calls from Tily Okay♥J♦ within the small blind and Arden Cho J♠9♣ within the large blind earlier than Keating raised to $6,200.
Tilly was the one caller and the pair noticed a flop of Okay♠4♣2♦, with Tilly check-calling $5,000. Keating then referred to as for an eight on the flip, earlier than the seller dealt the 8♦. Tilly checked and Keating shoved.
“If I fold, you are going to chortle at me,” stated Tilly as she deliberated. “OK, I name.”
The pair agreed to run it twice, with the 7♥ securing Keating half the pot with a straight and the 8♥ giving Tilly the opposite half of the pot.
Veldhuis Crushes
The large winner from episode 1 was clearly PokerStars Ambassador and Twitch streamer Lex Veldhuis. A key hand concerned him and Alan Keating, who was clearly probably the most lively participant on the desk.
4 gamers noticed a flop of Q♦3♦3♣. It checked to Veldhuis Okay♦9♦ who wager $800 and Tily 4♠3♥ referred to as having flopped journeys.
Keating 10♦7♦ then check-raised to $4,000 and each Veldhuis and Tilly referred to as.
The flip 8♦ gave each Keating and Veldhuis a flush, and Keating wager $10,000. Once more, each gamers referred to as.
With $44,600 within the center, the river was the 6♥. Keating wager $18,000. Veldhuis referred to as and Tilly deliberated slightly earlier than additionally calling.
“Diamonds,” introduced Keating, however they had been no good with Veldhuis’ flush taking down the pot and leaving Tilly quick, though she would add on for an additional $100,000.
Keating Buys-in Huge; Loses Huge
The Unfastened Cannon receives a buy-in of $50,000 to The Huge Recreation, and everybody else on the desk additionally buys in for that quantity. Everybody, that’s, aside from Alan Keating who purchased in for 5 occasions that quantity ($250,000).
He actually put the stack to work, enjoying aggressively in a fashion he has grown accustomed to on streams akin to Excessive Stakes Poker and Hustler On line casino Dwell.
In a single hand, Jennifer Tilly opened to $900 from underneath the gun with 4♥4♦ and referred to as a elevate to $3,000 from Keating A♣J♦.
The flop 5♠5♦4♣ gave Tilly a full home and she or he wager $4,000. Keating referred to as and the flip was the Okay♦. Each gamers checked and the rive was the Q♦. Tilly checked, setting the entice, and Keating duly fell for it betting $10,000.
Tilly check-raised to $20,000 however Keating re-raised to $60,000.
“It could be the dumbest fucking factor in the event you had queen-five, however I’ll name,” she stated, calling and profitable an enormous pot from Keating.
Hellmuth Quiet in Episode 1
He was well-known for one of the crucial viral palms from the unique Huge Recreation, tangling with Unfastened Cannon Earnest Wiggins in a pot value nearly $200,000.
However Phil Hellmuth was uncharacteristically quiet within the first episode, drawing flack from his tablemates, together with Arden Cho who advised a super-edit of Hellmuth not enjoying a hand.
“They do not should edit a lot, the simply have to chop out 30 seconds!” stated Cho.
There’s nonetheless loads of time left for the Poker Brat to get in on the motion, and it will be stunning if he stayed as quiet throughout episode 2.
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Cho and Tilly Rebuy
Jennifer Tilly had added on to her stack after shedding out to the flush of Lex Veldhuis, however it was Cho who misplaced her complete stack first, additionally in a hand involving Veldhuis.
4 gamers noticed a flop of Okay♦6♣4♦ the place it checked to Cho who had flopped high pair with Okay♠9♣. She wager $700 and Alan Keating referred to as with 8♣7♥. Veldhuis then check-raised with 4♠4♥ to $4,500. Hellmuth, who had lastly entered a pot, was compelled to fold Okay♣5♣ and Cho raised all in for $17,500. Keating folded and Veldhuis referred to as.
The flip 7â™ and river 8♦ noticed Veldhuis’ set maintain up, and Cho needed to attain for extra chips. Sarcastically, Hellmuth would have rivered a straight!
Standings After 31/150 Fingers
After his elimination of Cho, Veldhuis has already shot up within the standings and sits with a revenue of over $100,000 after 31/150 scheduled palms. Nonetheless, after including on, Tilly sits with the most important stack on the desk.
The largest loser is clearly Alan Keating, who began with $250,000 and is sat with lower than $100,000 after shedding out in a collection of spots towards quite a lot of gamers. Will he be compelled so as to add on? We must look forward to episode 2!
Managing Editor
Primarily based in the UK, Will began working for PokerNews as a contract reside reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time employees in 2019.
He graduated from the College of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He additionally holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports activities Journalism.
