It was a quiet opening session of the week on the PokerStars sponsored “Big Game,” which airs on FOX late night in most markets. 2005 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champ Joe Hachem booked a $21,700 profit on the night, the best of anyone at the table, and the “Loose Cannon” truly looked like an online qualifier.
Bill Given didn’t give us much to cheer about on Monday. The PokerStars qualifier received $100,000 to play in the $200/$400 game, which is Pot Limit before the flop and No Limit thereafter. This week, $1.1 million was spread across the table and Given, who wants to start his own business, gave up dead money left and right in the opening one-hour episode.
At one point, DoylesRoom namesake Doyle Brunson scooped three straight pots, two after receiving walks and one by showing down a pair of aces to Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond’s pair of eights. Brunson also bluffed Given with his signature 10-2 hand when Given had K-J of diamonds by 3betting to $4,300 pre-flop. Given, the initial raiser in the hand, sent his Broadway cards into the muck.
2010 L.A. Poker Classic High Roller Event winner Scott Seiver then opened up his game. After being the only player at the table not to have seen a flop midway through the night, Seiver proceeded to take down three straight hands. On the third, Seiver fired out a bet of $5,000 on a board of 4-J-5-6 with 8-5 for a pair and Daniel Negreanu laid down A-9 of diamonds.
The “Loose Cannon” continued to put dead money in before the flop. He laid down pocket sevens after getting 3bet by Seiver, which caused “Big Game” host Joe Stapleton to comment, “It’s tough to have Scott Seiver on your left.” Then, Given made quad aces against a hyper-aggressive Seiver, but checked all the way and only raked in a pot of $10,000. On a board of K-A-8-A-3, Given bet $3,000 with pocket aces and Seiver made the call with K-9 for two pair. Stapleton added, “I’m pretty sure quad aces pays more in video poker.”
In the largest pot of Monday’s kickoff “Big Game” episode, Brunson raised to $1,400 pre-flop with A-8 of diamonds, Hachem called with pocket jacks, and Galfond bumped the action to $5,700 with pocket kings. Brunson got out of the way and Hachem called to see a flop of A-6-2.
Neither player wanted to see the ace fall, but Galfond put in a continuation bet of $4,800. Hachem pushed it to $16,500, seemingly representing an ace, and Galfond came along to a nine on the turn. Galfond checked, Hachem bet $26,700, and Galfond tanked for a minute before electing to fold. Hachem scooped the nearly $50,000 pot, the largest of the night, and booked a profit of $21,700 over the first set of hands.
Brunson was up $9,300 when the final cards of Monday’s episode had been dealt and Seiver was $1,900 in the black. Negreanu was down $6,100, Given was down $6,300, and, mostly due to the final hand against Hachem, Galfond was down $20,500.
The PokerStars “Big Game” airs nightly on FOX. Check your local listings for more details.