BetRivers Poker ambassadors Phil Hellmuth and Phil Galfond squared off towards one another on March 2 in a $25/$50 money sport on the Pennsylvanian platform. With stacks of $5,000, the format was a heads-up money sport freezeout—no add-ons, no topping up—and two matches have been set to go down. Ultimately, it was Hellmuth who emerged victorious, successful each matches in a clear sweep.
Earlier than the cameras rolled, there was some back-and-forth behind the scenes about which sport to play. Throughout his stream, Galfond, a world-renowned heads-up Pot-Limit Omaha specialist, admitted that he had satisfied Hellmuth to stay to No-limit Hold’em for the occasion. Hellmuth was open to enjoying each codecs, however Galfond pushed for Maintain’em to create a extra accessible live-stream expertise for viewers.
Hellmuth, the all-time WSOP bracelet chief, is not any stranger to heads-up poker. He’s constructed a powerful status, successful the 2005 Nationwide Heads-Up Poker Championship. He boasts a 9-2 report on PokerGO’s Excessive Stakes Duel, with whitewashes over Antonio Esfandiari and Daniel Negreanu, together with wins towards sports activities broadcaster Nick Wright, Tom Dwan, and Scott Seiver.
As for Galfond, his status is constructed on his experience in PLO, and he’s usually thought to be the most effective heads-up PLO gamers of all time. His most well-known feat got here during his comeback towards “Venividi1993” within the Galfond Problem. After being down over €900,000, Galfond staged an epic turnaround, securing one of the vital talked-about comebacks in poker historical past.
Hellmuth Strikes First Blood
The primary match began as a comparatively even battle for the primary 70 minutes earlier than a brutal cooler put Galfond on the ropes. On the time, Galfond held a slight lead with $5,217 to Hellmuth’s $4,738 when the 2 performed the largest pot of the opening spherical.
Galfond, holding Okay♥2♥, raised to $125 from the button and known as when Hellmuth, with Okay♣8♥, three-bet to $375 from the massive blind. The flop got here Okay♦Q♣8♣, giving Hellmuth two pair and Galfond high pair. Hellmuth fired a wager of $499.17 into $749.50, and Galfond known as. The two♠ landed on the flip, bettering Galfond to an inferior two pair. Sensing a possibility, Hellmuth checked, permitting Galfond to wager $582.03 with the second-best hand. Hellmuth then check-raised all-in for $3,864.02, and Galfond made the decision. The river failed to herald a queen or a deuce, and Hellmuth jumped into a large lead.
That hand left Galfond with fewer than ten large blinds, however he battled again, scoring doubles with king-seven towards king-jack and pocket jacks towards pocket fours. Nevertheless, Hellmuth steadily chipped him again down, even making quad eights at one level. Extra pots went Hellmuth’s approach, and the ultimate hand noticed his ace-jack maintain towards Galfond’s four-three fitted to his final $500, sealing the primary match.
Phil Hellmuth Quits Game After Two Coolers on High Stakes Poker
One other Cooler for Galfond
Hellmuth took management early within the second match, constructing a lead of round $1,800 earlier than doling out one more brutal cooler to his namesake.
The Poker Brat, sitting on the button with 5♠5♣, limped in. Holding 3♥2♠ with $3,000 behind, Galfond checked his choice. The J♠5♥2♣ flop was a dream for Hellmuth, giving him center set whereas Galfond picked up backside pair. Each gamers opted to examine.
The 3♣ on the flip was a catastrophe for Galfond, bettering him to 2 pair—once more the second-best hand. Seeking to extract worth, he wager $66.27, just for Hellmuth to min-raise. Galfond, sensing no rapid hazard, known as.
Then got here the 3♦ on the river, delivering each gamers a full home however locking up the checkmark for Hellmuth with fives-full-of-threes. Galfond checked, and Hellmuth tossed in a wager of $121.41. Galfond responded with a elevate to $928.81, earlier than Hellmuth got here again excessive with a three-bet to $2,693.34.
“I am simply considering via it if I face a THAT,” Galfond mused aloud. “5-three would not make a ton of sense, a checked-back set would not make sense as a result of why would he min-raise the flip?”
After a pause, he made his choice. “I’ll name. He would not bluff like this fairly often, however on the identical time, how does he have me beat?… I assume I will discover out.”
Hellmuth wasted no time scooping up the previous couple of blinds Galfond had and ended the session with a 2-0 triumph and $10,000 successful session.
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