Last week, Doug Polk challenged “the world” to a heads-up cash game match. $100,000 buy-in, blinds of $200/$400, simple as that. Later that day, he announced his first opponent: Bill Perkins. When all was said and done on Sunday, Polk finished $29,800 in the hole, but the contest served as great publicity for The Lodge Card Club in Texas, which he co-owns, so he can just think of it as a marketing expense.
Unlike in the famous Galfond Challenge, there was no side bet. It was just a cash game with each player starting with $100,000. Wherever you end up, you end up, no need to worry about losing even more money on the side. Each man could plunk down more cash if their stacks dwindled. By the end of the live-streamed match, there was $700,000 on the table.
As one would expect, there were a number of notable hands, but one stood out, as it became the largest pot in the history of The Lodge Card Club. Polk raised to $1,100 pre-flop holding A♠-T♣ and Perkins re-raised to $3,800 with Q♥-Q♣. Polk forged ahead, four-betting to $13,000 and Perkins finally just called.
On the flop of J♠-2♠-6♥, Perkins checked-called Polk’s bet of $8,500. The turn was the 2♣, pairing the board. Perkins check-called once again, this time for much more: $52,000.
The river was the 9♠, putting a flush possibility out there (though we obviously know neither player had it). Polk shoved all-in with just Ace-high (well, technically one pair), likely figuring it was the only way he could win the hand and that Perkins might not be overly confident in his flush, if he had it, as Polk knew he himself had the Ace .
After some thought and noting, “Doug looks really fucking serious here,” Perkins made the call and took down the $392,000 pot.
Afterwards, Polk tweeted about the session as a whole, saying, “Feel pretty decent about it despite losing our largest pot ever.” True, finishing down almost $30,000 after losing a nearly $400,000 pot isn’t too bad.
This isn’t the first sizable chunk of change Polk has lost to Perkins this year. In February, Polk forked over $200,000 for losing a one-year body fat-loss challenge. He began on February 11, 2022 at nearly 28% body fat and had cut that in half in 365 days. He did a fantastic job, trimming down to just 15.% body fat, but it wasn’t enough and he had to pay up.
Despite the loss, Polk was happy, as he got himself into the best shape of his life.