Tom Dwan brought the heat on Episode 11 of the High Stakes Poker reboot. And Jason Koon found himself in a sticky situation with pocket queens.
Wednesday’s newest episode on the PokerGO app featured Dwan, Koon, Chamath Palihapitiya, Jake Daniels, Brandon Adams, Phil Hellmuth, and Lazaro Hernandez.
In the most memorable hand of the 45-minute episode, Daniels opened with pocket kings to $2,200 and then a coolered Koon three-bet to $8,000 with pocket queens. The player with the better hand then popped it to $29,000 and both players went to the flop, which was J-K-4 with two spades (Koon was the only player with a spade).
With $60,000 in the pot, Daniels bet out just $14,300, “which was kind of a deceptive bet,” commentator AJ Benza said. Koon, unafraid of the over-card, came along for the ride. The 3 of spades landed on the turn, giving Koon some outs. Daniels again bet out, this time $40,000 and again got a call.
Both players watched a meaningless deuce of hearts turn over on the river. Daniels, with top set, applied the maximum pressure, and moved all-in for $128,000.
Before you decide this is an easy fold for pocket queens, you should be aware of a couple additional factors. Earlier in the session, Daniels bluffed Koon off a pot and having the spade in his hand serves as a blocker. The legendary West Virginia poker pro tanked for a few minutes before talking himself into a call only to see the bad news.
Tom Dwan Bluffs Phil Hellmuth
Pocket 10’s will forever haunt Hellmuth against “durrrr.” He infamously lost an all-in with pocket aces against Dwan’s pocket 10’s (10 landed on the turn) in a 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Championship match, and then predictably melted down like he was the first poker player to ever take a bad beat.
On the most recent High Stakes Poker show, Tom Dwan got him again, except this time the “Poker Brat” had the 10’s. With three players already in the pot for $4,500, Hellmuth just called with his pocket 10’s. The flop came 7-6-5 rainbow, with Dwan holding 6-4 suited. The 15-time WSOP bracelet winner bet out $5,200 into a pot of $25,000.
Chamath Palihapitiya, a billionaire investor, called with his suited Q-9, chasing a gutshot. Dwan had something more adventurous in mind, and raised it up to $26,000 and both players folded. “Durrrr” took advantage of Hellmuth’s tight play and bluffed him off the pot.
Dwan pulled off another bluff with 3-2 on a 4-5-J flop, forcing Lazaro Hernandez off his pair of 4’s. The old “durrrr” was back on Episode 11, which is available on-demand on the PokerGO app. You can catch the next episode of High Stakes Poker next Wednesday at 5 pm PT.
