Despite carrying the sponsorship of PokerStars, “High Stakes Poker” rolled on over the weekend. The GSN cash game franchise, whose new episodes can be seen at 8:00pm ET and 11:00pm ET on Saturdays, is in its seventh season. “High Stakes Poker” features funny man Norm Macdonald calling the action and PartyPoker pro Kara Scott conducting interviews. The series was filmed at Aria in Las Vegas and continues to be a favorite of poker players everywhere.
Amateur Bill Perkins started Saturday’s one-hour installment down a whopping $352,000. Macdonald quipped to open the show, “It seems like no one cares about the money.” Perkins was the most active player we’ve seen this season and loves to see flops with any two cards.
In one of the first pots of the night, Perkins checked top pair on a flop of Q-10-6 holding K-Q and fellow businessman Julian Movsesian bet $18,800 with A-6 for bottom pair. Perkins responded by shoving all-in for $46,500 total and Movsesian looked him up.
The highlight of the $128,000 pot was Perkins asking his opponent if he wanted to run it twice. Movsesian responded by inquiring, “What does that mean,” and so the turn and river were dealt just once. Movsesian sealed his fate, as a running 3-4 filled out the board and allowed Perkins to recoup a portion of his sizable losses.
Then it was Mike Baxter’s turn to shine. Over the course of two hands, Baxter raked in nearly $400,000 courtesy of PokerStars pro Barry Greenstein. In the first, Baxter flopped trip fours and led out for $5,000. Greenstein, armed with top pair on the 4-4-Q flop, raised to $15,000 and Baxter called behind.
The turn was an eight and Greenstein check-called a $35,000 bet from Baxter to bring a jack as the final card. Greenstein once again check-called a bet, this time of $75,000, and Baxter raked in the $261,000 pot.
But Baxter wasn’t done there. In fact, he’d scoop another six-figure pot to boost his “High Stakes Poker” stack once again. This time, he flopped trip nines and, perhaps unconsciously, bet $9,000 on the 9-9-7 board. Greenstein, holding pocket eights, called and the turn was a six. Greenstein had improved to an open-ended straight draw, fired out a bet of $20,000, and Baxter tossed his calling chips in.
The river card was a queen. Missing his draw, Greenstein checked and Baxter bet $65,000. Greenstein wisely got out of the way and Baxter scooped a pot of $137,000. “Silent Mike” had certainly made his presence known at the table and ultimately ended the episode up a quarter of a million dollars during his “High Stakes Poker” stint. Perkins, meanwhile, had rebounded to being down only $284,000.
In the final pot of the night, World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Jason Mercier raised to $2,300 before the flop with 10-9 of spades and Baxter called with Q-10 of diamonds. Also coming along was 2010 WSOP Main Event champ Jonathan Duhamel, whose 6-5 of clubs saw a three-way flop of 10-9-4 with two clubs.
The action flop brought a little something for everyone, as Baxter checked top pair and Duhamel pushed out $4,500 in chips with a flush draw. Mercier, armed with top two pair, raised to $13,900 and Baxter insta-folded. Duhamel called and a red ace hit on the turn. Duhamel checked, Mercier bet $20,800, and his tablemate responded by raising to $44,400. Mercier shipped his $183,000 stack in and Duhamel abandoned ship.
You can catch all new episodes of “High Stakes Poker” on Saturdays at 8:00pm ET and 11:00pm ET on GSN. Officials from the network have told Poker News Daily that the series will continue to air despite Friday’s U.S. Department of Justice indictments of the founders of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker.