On Monday night, a brand new week of the PokerStars-sponsored “Big Game” kicked off on FOX. The newest cycle featured Elizabeth Houston as the so-called “Loose Cannon.” PokerStars staked Houston, who was recently laid off from eBay, with $100,000 and she’d keep any profits earned. The “Loose Cannon” with the most profits at the end of the season wins a $50,000 North American Poker Tour (NAPT) prize package.

A total of $1.2 million was on the table to start with, the most in “Big Game” history. The high-stakes cash game features $200/$400 blinds and a $100 ante paid entirely by the player on the button. The action is Pot Limit before the flop and No Limit thereafter, with a maximum buy-in of $500,000. Chris Rose and Joe Stapleton have the call of the action and Amanda Leatherman conducts interviews from the sidelines.

Houston ended Monday’s kickoff episode up $18,000 in large part due to taking down a major pot with pocket aces. In the hand, Houston 3bet to $16,000 pre-flop with rockets and PartyPoker pro Tony G called with a wired pair of fives after asking Houston if she had aces. The flop came 10-9-7 and Tony G checked in the dark. Houston fired out $25,000, or one-quarter of her initial stake, and Tony G got out of the way. Other than that hand, the “Loose Cannon” was extremely quiet.

After taking a $65,000 pot off David “Viffer” Peat, PokerStars front man Daniel Negreanu raised to $32,000 with A-Q for the nuts on a board of J-5-10-K-4. Peat, who had led out on every street, got out of the way and Negreanu scooped a pot worth $131,000.

Then, Negreanu and 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Joe Hachem tangled. On a flop of A-8-10, all spades, Negreanu, holding pocket fours and the four of spades, checked, and Hachem, with J-10 and no spades, bet $3,500. Negreanu called and the turn brought the king of spades. Now, Negreanu bet $5,000 with a baby flush and Hachem raised to $13,000, representing a higher flush. Negreanu called and the river was the jack of clubs.

Then, Negreanu’s insight into televised poker came alive. The Canadian checked and Hachem bet $28,000 with jack-high. Negreanu promptly reminded Hachem of a hand that the Aussie played against Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer in which he bluffed a four-flush and got Lederer to lay down a small flush. Seemingly, this was the exact same situation. Negreanu folded despite the eerie similarity and Hachem showed the bluff while scooping a pot of $67,000.

In the final major pot of the episode, Hachem raised to $7,800 with K-Q of clubs and Tony G called with A-5 after straddling. The flop came Q-A-7 and Hachem bet out $15,000 with middle pair. Tony G called with top pair and the turn was a six. This time, Hachem check-called a bet of $15,000 from the boisterous Tony G and the river was a nine. Hachem checked, Tony G led out for $25,000, and Hachem made the call. Tony G scooped the $127,000 pot, sinking Hachem to $51,000 in the red on the night.

Negreanu ended Monday’s “Big Game” episode up $105,000, while Peat bled $77,000. Also at the table this week was William Reynolds, who did not win a hand. You can catch the PokerStars “Big Game” every night this week on FOX. Check your local listings for more information.

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