On Monday, MMA Week debuted on NBC’s “Poker After Dark.” The show, which airs at 2:05am ET nightly for one hour, pitted three staples of the MMA world against three poker pros. To start off Monday night’s installment, UFC’s Bruce Buffer gave a rousing introduction of his five opponents, complete with piped-in crowd noise and a mic hanging from the ceiling. It was reminiscent of his introduction of UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth on Day 1C of this year’s World Series of Poker Main Event.
Players began with 20,000 in chips and the blinds kicked off at 100-200. In the first major pot of the night, which we’ll dub the “Night of 1,000 Min-Raises,” Howard Lederer raised to 600 with A-7 and received calls from Erick Lindgren, who had pocket tens, and Patrik Antonius, who held Q-8 including the queen of clubs. The flop came 6-10-8, all clubs, giving Lindgren top set and Antonius a queen-high flush draw to go with middle pair.
Lindgren led out for 1,100 and Antonius called to bring the jack of spades on the turn. Antonius checked, Lindgren bet 2,600, and Antonius again came along to see a red eight on the river. Antonius checked his trips, Lindgren bet 5,800 with a boat, and Antonius muttered, “This sucks.” The Fin ultimately called, shipping the massive 20,900-chip pot – the equivalent of one starting stack – to Lindgren, who was up to 31,000.
The night saw passive play from Randy Couture and Dan Henderson and A-B-C poker from Lederer, Buffer, Antonius, and Lindgren. Couture told “Poker After Dark” hostess Leeann Tweeden that it was just his third time ever entering a poker tournament. Consequently, he was inclined to call pre-flop regardless of his hand strength and remained relatively quiet throughout. Antonius yawned throughout the first 30 minutes before going on a heater to close the episode.
Min-raises were being dished out left and right, including one from Antonius, who made it 400 pre-flop with 10-4 of hearts. Henderson called with pocket sixes to see a flop of K-3-J with two hearts. Antonius checked, Henderson bet 400, and Antonius called. After the seven of clubs hit on the turn, Antonius check-called a bet of 1,000 and sucked out when the river came a ten. Antonius once again check-called a bet, this time of 1,200, and scooped a pot of 6,300.
In three-way action to a flop of Q-8-4 with two diamonds, Couture bet 500 with J-10 of clubs for a gutshot straight draw and Antonius called with 10-3 of diamonds for a flush draw. A diamond hit on the turn, filling Antonius’ flush, and he fired out 1,200. Couture once again came along to bring the king of diamonds on the river. Couture bet out 1,500 on a bluff and Antonius just called behind with four diamonds on the board to scoop the pot of 7,000.
In the final hand of Monday night’s “Poker After Dark,” Antonius bet 825 on a flop of 2-5-A with 5-4 for middle pair and a wheel draw. Henderson called with 9-3, Couture called, and Buffer made it 1,825 with A-7 for top pair. Antonius called and the two MMA warriors tapped out. Then, a deuce hit on the turn. Antonius check-called a bet of 1,925 from Buffer and the river was an eight. The action went check-check and Buffer scooped the 10,650-chip pot.
Buffer, Couture, and Henderson wore Full Tilt Poker logos, while the site’s three sponsored pros did not. Instead, Lindgren donned a Raw Vegas hat and Lederer and Antonius were completely void of commercialism. The series continues all this week on NBC at 2:05am ET.
