A rather quiet episode of “High Stakes Poker” aired on GSN last night. The cash game series, which broadcasts new episodes every Saturday night at 8:00pm ET and 11:00pm ET, features hosts Norm Macdonald and PartyPoker pro Kara Scott, the latter of whom conducts interviews from show’s set at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
PokerStars pro Barry Greenstein was felted early. Greenstein made a wheel on a board of 3-2-Q-4 with three diamonds holding A-5. He shoved all-in for his last $18,000 and Treasure Island Las Vegas owner Phil Ruffin, who held A-K of diamonds for a flush, asked Greenstein if he had any more to bet. After seeing that Greenstein was all-in, Ruffin called and his opponent was drawing dead. The pot was worth $57,000 and Greenstein bought back in for another $200,000.
Greenstein rebounded as the episode wore on. On a flop of K-10-6, he bet $7,000 with K-Q for top pair and Ruffin made it $20,000 with K-7 for top pair with a weaker kicker. Greenstein called the raise and the turn was a nine. This time, Greenstein check-called a bet of $20,000 and the river was a bullet. Greenstein led out for the standard $20,000 and Ruffin called, shipping the $132,000 pot to “The Robin Hood of Poker.”
On a flop of 2-J-5 with two hearts, PokerStars pro Vanessa Selbst bet $6,700 with A-Q of spades for two overcards and Antonio Esfandiari came along with 9-6 of hearts for a flush draw. The turn brought a second spade, giving Selbst a flush draw of her own, and she check-called a bet of $15,600 from “The Magician.”
The river was the king of spades, which spelled jackpot for Selbst. Now with the nuts, she checked and Esfandiari pushed out $32,400 in chips. Selbst pounced, raising to $101,800, and Esfandiari quickly gave up. Selbst later correctly identified his hand as two hearts and claimed that Esfandiari held an eight-high flush draw.
Then, Selbst raised to $3,000 with J-10 suited to hearts and Andrew “good2cu” Robl, who joined the show’s lineup last week, 3bet to $11,000 with A-K. Retired businessman Bill Klein, who was also playing for charity, called with pocket eights and Selbst followed suit to see a flop of 10-9-8.
The board hit Selbst and Klein hard and the latter checked bottom set. Selbst, holding top pair and an open-ended straight draw, bet $18,000 and Robl got out of the way. Klein pushed the price of poker to $58,000 and Selbst called. After a three hit on the turn, Klein bet $70,000 and Selbst wisely abandoned ship. The amateur scooped the $220,000 pot, which was the largest of Saturday night’s one-hour episode.
Following a commercial break, Ruffin’s chair was empty. He had won over $300,000 during his first ever stint on “High Stakes Poker,” the most money an amateur has ever profited in the show’s seven cycles.
In the final hand of the night, DoylesRoom front man Doyle Brunson raised to $3,400 with K-Q and Selbst called with 8-7 of spades. The flop came 3-8-2 and Brunson checked his two overcards. Selbst bet $6,000 with top pair and Brunson check-raised to $21,000. Selbst called and the turn was the ace of spades, putting two of the suit on board and giving Selbst a flush draw. Brunson bet $35,000 and Selbst moved all-in for $121,900. Brunson, whose instincts have been spot on throughout the course of the season, folded.
Next week, World Series of Poker Main Event champ Johnny Chan joins the cast. Catch new episodes of “High Stakes Poker” on Saturdays at 8:00pm ET and 11:00pm ET on GSN.
