Hellmuth Shows How Not to Play Kings, Trash Talking Polk Competes on ‘High Stakes Poker’

3 min read

Phil Hellmuth fell victim to the seven-deuce bluff, and Doug Polk made his first appearance ever on the latest episode of “High Stakes Poker” on PokerGO. Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, and Bryn Kenney also appeared in the star-studded lineup.

Phil Hellmuth Polk poker
Tom Dwan, Phil Ivey, and Phil Hellmuth all competed in the same High Stakes Poker episode. (Image: PokerGO)

Ivey didn’t last long, however, and not because he busted quickly. The Poker Hall of Famer left the game early because he wasn’t feeling well. The game was still quite entertaining without the poker legend.

Polk made one of the greatest laydowns in “High Stakes Poker” history, as commentator Gabe Kaplan proclaimed. He tangled with Hellmuth in a memorable hand. The “Poker Brat,” holding Q-10, raised Polk’s $7,000 bet on the flop of J-9-8 all-in to $97,000.

Despite having a straight and the second nuts (10-7), Polk tanked for a few minutes. Nearly every poker player in the world would have snap-called there and found out the bad news they were coolered by the only hand that beat them. But not a world-class pro like Doug Polk, who also recently insulted the heads-up game of both Fedor Holz and Wiktor “Limitless” Malinowski on Twitter, for some odd reason.

Somehow, some way, he talked himself into a fold and then showed his hands. The other players at the table were stunned he could fold such a monster. Brandon Steven, a Kansas car dealership owner and recreational player, even criticized the play.

“It’s just a fold,” Polk said as he mucked his cards face-up.

“It’s not a fold,” Steven responded. “Are you crazy?”

“I don’t think I can call,” Polk answered back.

“I don’t think you can fold. If he has queen-ten, he has queen-ten, pay the man and let’s go on to the next hand,” an oddly irritated Steven continued.

Never Play Pocket Kings Like Phil Hellmuth Did on HSP

If you’re looking for a training video on how to play pocket kings, it’s best if you don’t watch this week’s episode of “High Stakes Poker.” Or, at least do exactly the opposite of what Phil Hellmuth did in a hand against James Bord.

Hellmuth limped in under-the-gun with those pocket kings. You’d expect he was setting the trap for a three-bet, but that wasn’t the case. Bord, holding 7-2 of diamonds, obliged with the raise to $2,000 but the “Poker Brat” only made the call, setting a trap in a different way. The only problem is he ended up trapping himself into a fold.

After the flop came out 4-6-A with one diamond, Hellmuth checked it over to his opponent who bet out $3,000. The turn was a second diamond (6). Bord fired out $15,000 and the 15-time bracelet winner and self-proclaimed best no-limit hold’em player in the world folded his pocket kings.

“Good fold,” a sarcastic Bord said as he showed the bluff.

Surprisingly, Hellmuth refrained from a meltdown. But he did make sure to let Bord know that he will be ahead overall for the day.

“High Stakes Poker” is available on-demand on the PokerGO app (paid subscription required). New episodes of the reboot season are released each Wednesday at 5 pm PT.



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