After ending up $16,000 last week, Russell Harlow became the first “Loose Cannon” to return for a second go-around on the PokerStars-sponsored “Big Game.” To start this week’s festivities, $700,000 was spread across the six-handed table and Harlow told “Big Game” hostess Amanda Leatherman that it was time to “go big or go home.” You can catch the “Big Game” late night every day this week on FOX.
The “Big Game” boasts blinds of $200/$400 and a $100 ante paid entirely by the player on the button. The action is Pot Limit before the flop and No Limit thereafter and the maximum buy-in is $500,000. The “Loose Cannon” qualifier with the highest earnings total at the end of the season takes home a $50,000 PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) prize package.
In the first major pot of the night, PokerStars pro Barry Greenstein led out for $10,000 with A-Q of diamonds on a flop of Q-2-3 with one diamond for top pair. Daniel Negreanu, holding pocket kings, came along, as did DoylesRoom namesake Doyle Brunson, who spiked a pair of threes. The turn was the three of diamonds, giving Brunson trips, and the “Godfather of Poker” led out for $21,000. Greenstein and Negreanu both called to see a four of diamonds on the river, filling Greenstein’s flush.
Greenstein moved all-in for $60,000, Negreanu tanked before folding, and Brunson called to send the $232,800 pot to Greenstein. Negreanu and Brunson each added $100,000 to their dwindling stacks.
Negreanu continued to bleed chips, calling Brunson’s $86,100 all-in on a board reading 10-7-10-5 with 7-4 for tens-up. Brunson turned over pocket rockets for aces-up and the pair agreed to run the river twice. Both final cards favored Brunson, who raked in a $223,800 pot. Brunson quipped, “I love to play small ball,” and Negreanu was down $141,000 after just nine hands.
Harlow continued to prove that he was anything but timid by 3betting to $22,000 with A-8 of diamonds on a flop of 10-7-9 for a two-way straight draw. Lex Veldhuis, the original bettor on the flop with A-J of spades, abandoned ship, as did Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, who held K-Q of the suit. The pot boosted Harlow’s “Big Game” profits to $35,000.
The big pots kept coming on an electrifying episode of the PokerStars “Big Game.” After missing straight and flush draws on the turn and river against Greenstein’s top pair, Negreanu fired out a bet of $32,500 on a board reading 6-10-Q-5-4 with K-J of clubs for king-high. Greenstein called behind with Q-8 and scooped a $111,200 pot, pushing “Kid Poker” even further into the red.
In the final hand of Monday’s kickoff episode, Bonomo, holding A-J of spades, checked a flop of 8-7-Q with two spades. With 10-6 of spades, Veldhuis bet $6,700 and Bonomo made it $18,000. Veldhuis moved all-in for $107,000 and Bonomo called quickly to build a $223,000 pot. Veldhuis elected to run it only once and an ace on the turn and three on the river sent the $223,000 bounty to Bonomo. By the time the hour-long show had wrapped up, every person at the table sans Harlow had played a pot worth at least $200,000. Brunson actually played two and won one.
At the end of 29 hands, Greenstein and Bonomo were each up over $100,000, while Negreanu was $201,000 in the hole. Harlow was up $18,000, adding about $2,000 to his stack during the episode. Watch “Big Game” nightly on FOX. Check your local listings for station and channel information.