Running all this week on NBC’s “Poker After Dark” is a $100,000 Pot Limit Omaha Cash Game. The weeklong series marks the first time that “Poker After Dark” has ever deviated from Hold’em and featured a solid lineup of six of the game’s top Omaha minds.
The cash game, which emanated from Aria in CityCenter Las Vegas, began with an overview of the basic rules of Pot Limit Omaha. Each player began stacked with $100,000 and blinds held steady at $300/$600. For the first time ever, “Poker After Dark” used a four-color on-screen deck so viewers could differentiate between suits and Full Tilt Poker pro Andy Bloch joined Ali Nejad in the booth to analyze each hand.
The largest pot of Monday’s kickoff episode was worth $240,000 and saw Patrik Antonius raise to $9,300 before the flop with Kh-Kc-8c-7h. Tom “durrrr” Dwan, his opponent in the Full Tilt Durrrr Challenge, called with Jd-10d-8h-6c and the flop came 9s-5d-Jc. Dwan, holding top pair and an open-ended straight draw, bet $16,200 and Antonius, holding kings and a gutshot, popped it to $71,100. Dwan moved all-in for $109,000 and Antonius called to set up the $240,000 monster.
Dwan and Antonius agreed to run it twice and “durrrr” found a third jack on the first go-around to scoop $120,000. Antonius struck back by scooping the second half of the pot when the Ac and 3d fell, resulting in a chop. Needless to say, viewers were in for 10 nights of major confrontations and large pots.
In another six-figure pot, Antonius bet $21,000 with Kd-Kc-9s-9h on a flop of 3s-7c-Ah for a pair of kings and Phil Ivey moved all-in for $68,000 with Ac-Js-8c-4c for top pair. Antonius called and, upon showing his hand, Ivey told him, “You’re crazy.” The turn and river were only run once, with the 10d and Qc sending the $186,000 pot to Ivey for a timely double up.
In another major hand, Antonius bet $14,000 on a flop of 10h-9s-9d with As-Ks-Kc-2s and Brandon Adams came along with Qh-Qd-2h-2c. Both players checked when the Jh hit on the turn and the river was the Kh, giving Adams a king-high flush and Antonius a full house, kings full of nines. Adams check-folded to a bet of $57,000 from Antonius, who raked in a pot of $124,000.
Did we mention that the talented six-handed table also included Phil “OMGClayAiken” Galfond? The Bluefire Poker front man flopped the nut straight with Ks-Jc-10h-7c when the first three cards came 9h-8d-7d. Ivey, who held Ad-Qc-10s-6c for a 10-high straight, called Galfond’s $4,000 flop bet and the turn was the Kc. Ivey check-called a bet of $9,000 from his opponent and the 4c peeled off on the river. Ivey once again check-called a bet, this time of $24,000, and Galfond’s straight held on for the win in the $80,000 pot.
You can catch all new episodes of the first ever Pot Limit Omaha Cash Game on “Poker After Dark” this week and next week on NBC. The series airs late nights at 2:05am ET. In addition, you can catch a special “Director’s Cut” episode on Saturdays following “Saturday Night Live.”