For anyone intrigued by the trials and tribulations of eleven times bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, then the most recent episode of Poker after Dark the Cash Game is essential viewing.
After shouldering grief from Daniel Negreanu and Tom Dwan for his nitty, ultra-tight approach, the Ultimate Bet ambassador finally committed himself to a pot (such was his desperation earlier that he opened for $30k pre-flop with big slick). The result, however, was not pretty.
Phil Ivey opened for $2,500 with 8
6, drawing a smooth call from Hellmuth (10
10
), Antonius (4
4) and durrrr (K Q). There was almost a sense of foreboding when Hellmuth nonchalantly declared, ‘oh yes, something I can take a flop with’. The 10 9 7 couldn’t be more brutal for Hellmuth, gifting him top set and Ivey the second-nut straight. With the pot $10k, Ivey fired in $8k, drawing a smooth call from Hellmuth and two folds.
The 2 on the turn could only make the ‘Poker Brat’ feel more secure, as he re-raised Ivey all in after the November Nine finalist bet $23k. Ivey snap called, and with the pot standing at $187k, Hellmuth needed the board to pair. Hellmuth’s pledges for ‘reverse insurance’ fell on deaf ears, and the 3 on the river left him seething. With Hellmuth re-buying $100k (courtesy of the bank of Dwan) and no doubt steaming, be sure to tune in to the next episode on Pokertube.