Presented by Poker Night in America (PNIA) and sponsored by BetRivers, Hellmuth's Home Game is back after a short hiatus with Episode 26 — and Phil Hellmuth got the worst of it once again, as Xuan Liu filled up to brutally bust the "Poker Brat."
Key takeaways
- Xuan Liu filled up on the 6♦ turn to bust Phil Hellmuth in an $11,475 pot.
- The $25/$50 cash game was filmed at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, and airs with no commentary.
- In a three-way all in, Jennifer Tilly and Dan "Jungleman" Cates split the pot, leaving Phillip Hellmuth III to rebuy.
- P3 closed out the biggest hands, including an $11,950 flush cooler against Kelly Lucas.
The nationally televised show is unique in that there is no commentary. Instead, it is carried entirely by table talk from Phil Hellmuth and a cast of fellow pros and friends in an intimate, relaxed cash game setting. The game was played with $25/$50 blinds and a $50 big blind ante. Here are the biggest hands and most interesting storylines from the episode.
Big Slick Does the Trick for P3
With a $200 double straddle on, Phillip "P3" Hellmuth III limped the button with A♥K♥ before his dad called from the small blind with A♦9♣. Xuan Liu then made it $900 to go from the big blind with K♠10♣, and both straddles folded.
P3 then limp-jammed for $3,750 total, Hellmuth folded, and Liu called $2,850. P3 was about a 70% favorite to win the $8,050 pot, which he did after the board ran out a clean 7♦Q♥8♠3♦4♠.
Xuan Felts Hellmuth
Hellmuth raised to $175 from the hijack with K♣Q♦, only to have Xuan three-bet to $525 from the cutoff with 8♥6♥. Action folded back to Hellmuth, who called to see a flop of 8♣Q♣6♣.
Hellmuth checked in the dark, and Xuan bet $350 with two pair. Hellmuth then check-raised to $1,200 with top pair and a king-high flush draw, and Xuan called to see the 6♦ turn — which improved her to a full house.
Hellmuth bet $1,600, Xuan just called, and the J♠ completed the board on the river. Hellmuth bet $1,000, which left him $1,350 behind. Xuan moved all in, and Hellmuth called — only to watch the $11,475 pot get pushed to his opponent.
Big Three-Way All In
Jennifer Tilly raised to $300 from the hijack holding A♠6♠, and P3 called from the button with K♣Q♠. Xuan came along from the big blind with 8♦7♣, and Dan "Jungleman" Cates did the same from the straddle with K♦4♦ to make it four-way action to a flop of 10♠K♥4♠.
Everyone but Xuan got a piece of it. After two checks, Tilly continued for $600 with her flush draw, P3 raised to $1,500, Xuan folded, and Cates re-min-raised to $2,400 with his two pair. Tilly called, and P3 moved all in for $3,675.
That reopened the action for Cates, who jammed over the top for $16,550, and Tilly called.
"Easy come, easy go."
— Jennifer Tilly, as she called the all in
All three players agreed to run it twice. On the first, the 6♥ turn and 5♣ river gave Jungleman half the pot. On the second, the 2♠ turn and 9♦ river gave Tilly the other half with a flush — leaving P3 to rebuy.
Tilly Has a Kicker Problem
Cates raised to $250 from the cutoff with J♣10♣, and Tilly called from the button with 10♥9♦. Kelly Lucas came along from the small blind with A♣6♥, P3 did the same from the big blind with 7♥7♦, and Hellmuth called an additional $150 from the straddle with K♣5♣.
It was five-way action to the flop of 10♠3♣10♦, and action checked to Cates, who bet $250. Tilly called with trips, and P3 was the only other player to call to see the 2♦ turn. P3 checked to Cates, who upped his bet to $800 with trip tens. Tilly, who had an inferior kicker, called, P3 got out of the way, and the K♠ completed the board on the river.
Cates bet big to the tune of $4,000, and Tilly seemed to know something was up. She even said she thought Cates had a ten too, but she called nonetheless — only to see the $11,650 pot pushed to her opponent.
Flush Cooler
Cates raised to $250 from the hijack with Q♣9♠, and Tilly called from the cutoff with A♠5♦. Kelly came along from the button with Q♦9♦, P3 with K♦6♦ in the small blind, and Xuan from the straddle with 10♠8♠.
The J♠10♦4♠ flop saw action checked to Tilly, who bet $1,000 with top pair. Kelly called with her flush draw, as did P3, and the others got out of the way. The 7♦ turn completed the flush, and action checked to Kelly, who moved all in for $3,800.
P3 jammed over the top, and Tilly folded. Kelly was drawing dead to the river, which was the inconsequential 4♥. Ship the $11,950 pot to P3.
Episode 26 proved once again that no one is safe at the Hellmuth's Home Game table — not even the "Poker Brat" himself.
