On Sunday’s episode of the GSN cash game franchise “High Stakes Poker,” Mike Matusow, who had largely played tight throughout the season, folded K-Q suited in the small blind after a standard pre-flop raise and promptly left the table.
It was a culmination of a rocky appearance on “High Stakes Poker” for Matusow, who folded his way through his first episode before taking $400,000 off PokerStars pro Daniel Negreanu last week. On Sunday, Matusow ran pocket jacks into David Benyamine’s pocket queens early on, but folded to a $15,000 bet on a board of 6-2-A-7. Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier, seated two to Matusow’s left, remarked, “That’s why you’re a genius, buddy. You know when you’re beat.”
In the largest pot of Sunday’s episode, Grospellier bet $11,000 holding A-3 of hearts on a board of 7-10-10-6 with two hearts for the nut flush draw. Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond called with 9-7 for two pair and Negreanu made it $41,000 with 10-7 for a boat. Grospellier got out of the way and Galfond called to bring a king on the river. Negreanu bet $80,200 and Galfond paid him off, shipping a mammoth $272,800 pot to “Kid Poker.”
On the next hand, Tom “durrrr” Dwan raised to $3,200 pre-flop with A-Q of clubs and Galfond came along with A-10. Negreanu called with 4-3 of hearts and the flop came 6-K-Q. Galfond checked, Negreanu bet $8,000 with air, Dwan came along with second pair, and Galfond folded. The turn was a four. Galfond once again checked, Negreanu fired out another bet, this time $24,000, and Dwan called. Galfond got out of the way and the river was a seven. The action went check-check and Dwan scooped the $83,000 pot.
In the second largest pot of the night, six players saw the flop and $101,000 was up for grabs before any community cards were dealt. The flop came 3-A-A with two spades and Dwan, holding pocket tens, bet $22,800. His lone caller was Grospellier, who also held pocket tens, and the turn was a nine. Dwan and Grospellier checked to see another ace hit on the river. Dwan bet $58,400 and Grospellier tanked before finally electing to call. The duo chopped the $264,200 pot.
Upon seeing Grospellier’s call with pocket tens, Negreanu exclaimed, “Wow, what a call!” Meanwhile, high-stakes pro Eli Elezra admitted, “Elky, I’m sorry, but I would call faster.” In an interview with “High Stakes Poker” floor reporter Kara Scott, Dwan speculated on what Grospellier held: “When he was thinking for that long, I thought he had sevens or eights. To fold a nine is ridiculous and to fold a pair of tens is beyond ridiculous.”
After relaying the story of getting hit by a bus in London, Matusow folded K-Q suited in the small blind to a $3,000 pre-flop raise from Grospellier. Matusow already had $400 invested, leaving “High Stakes Poker” host Gabe Kaplan to lament, “Now in Texas, you can go to jail for that.” Rather than turning himself in to authorities, Matusow promptly packed up his bag and left the “High Stakes Poker” set at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas.
In the final pot of the night, Negreanu raised to $4,200 pre-flop with J-6 of hearts and DoylesRoom namesake Doyle Brunson called with 7-5 of spades. Benyamine came along with A-5 of clubs and the flop was 3-6-4, giving Brunson the nuts. Benyamine checked, Negreanu bet $10,500, Brunson moved all-in for $69,800, Benyamine folded, and Negreanu called with top pair. The duo agreed to run it twice and Negreanu failed to improve on either board, doubling Brunson up to $153,600. Brunson is seeking to extend his streak of 16 straight winning sessions in televised cash games.
Next week on the season finale of “High Stakes Poker,” Lex Veldhuis joins the table and the stakes get even bigger. New episodes of “High Stakes Poker” air on Sundays at 8:00pm ET on GSN.
