High Stakes Poker Season 7: Voulgaris Finishes Second Session On Top

April 25, 2011

Last week on High Stakes Poker, "Silent" Mike Baxter stole the show by making big hands and timely bluffs. He's been the big winner thus far during the second session, but Haralabos Voulgaris and Jason Mercier are both well in the black and are both capable of making moves. Amateur Bill Perkins hasn't had a winning episode yet, and entered the last one of the session down over $250,000.

SPOILER ALERT: If you are waiting to watch the HSP episode, read no further.

Eff It, I Call: Bill Perkins opened to $2,300 with A♦J♠, and Barry Greenstein called with 6♦4♦ on the button. The blinds released, and the flop fell 8♦3♦3♥. Both players checked. The turn was the 5♦, giving Greenstein a flush, and Perkins led for $3,600 with just ace-high. Greenstein called.

The river was the Q♠, and Perkins quickly checked. Greenstein tossed in $15,000 – more than a pot-sized bet – and Perkins said, “F*** it, I call.” Greenstein showed him the winner, and Perkins angrily mucked his hand.

On Your Horses: Bill Perkins straddled for $1,600, and Barry Greenstein opened to $5,100 from under the gun with A♠K♦. The action folded all the way to Julian Movsesian in the big blind, and he reraised to $25,400. Perkins got out of the way, Greenstein shoved for $72,200, and Movsesian called.

The flop was dry – 7♠7♦2♥ – but the A♣ spiked on the turn, giving Greenstein the lead. The river was a meaningless 10♠, and Greenstein doubled his stack to $146,400.

Picking off Bluffs: Jason Mercier opened to $2,300 with A♠J♦ on the button, and both Julian Movsesian (9♠7♦) and Bill Perkins (Q♣9♥) defended their blinds. The dealer fanned 7♥8♣K♠, and everybody checked. The turn was the A♥, Movsesian checked again, and Perkins fired $4,000. Mercier called, Movsesian didn't.

The river was the 4♠, and Perkins led for $13,000. Mercier quickly called.

“You win,” Perkins announced, and Mercier tabled his hand.

“The only thing nicer than hearing ‘f*** it’ is ‘you win,’” Mercier joked.

The Car Crash: Bill Perkins straddled for $1,600, and Barry Greenstein opened to $5,100 from under the gun with K♥K♣. “Silent” Mike Baxter called from the cutoff with K♦J♦, Jason Mercier called from the small blind with 7♥7♣, and Bill Perkins told a weird, anti-climatic and unfunny story about car crashes in movies before folding.

The flop was a fun one – 4♠J♠7♠. Greenstein led for $10,000, Baxter raised to $30,000, and Mercier smooth-called. Greenstein called as well. All three players checked after the A♠ turned, and again after the 8♣ fell on the river. Mercier tabled his set of sevens, and the $108,500 pot was shipped his way.

“Car crash!” Perkins yelped.

The Setup: Haralabos Voulgaris opened to $2,300 with two red sixes, Julian Movsesian called with A♠8♥ on the button, and Barry Greenstein defended his big blind with K♠3♠. The flop came down 6♣8♠10♦, Greenstein checked, and Voulgaris continued for $4,200. Only Movsesian called. The turn was the 4♣, and Voulgaris led for $7,200. Movsesian made a play at the pot, raising to $27,800, but Voulgaris was going no where with his set of sixes and called.

The river was the 3♣, and Voulgaris checked. Movsesian immediately fired $30,000, and Voulgaris tank-called. The two opened their hands, and Voulgaris took down the six-figure pot.

A Passive King: Jason Mercier opened to $2,300 from under the gun with 10♦9♦, Julian Movsesian called with A♠5♦, Bill Perkins followed suit with 7♠5♣, and Haralabos Voulgaris three-bet to $12,000 with K♠K♥ on the button. Mike Baxter cold four-bet to $30,000 with A♦Q♠ from the small blind, and the action folded back to Voulgaris who just called.

The flop fell J♦9♠6♠, and Baxter led for $50,000. Voulgaris called. Baxter quit when the 5♥ turned, checking to Voulgaris who surprisingly checked behind. The river was the 7♦, both players checked again, and Voulgaris won another big pot.

“I wanted to fold on the flop,” Voulgaris admitted, shaking his head.

Chop Suey: Bill Perkins straddled for $1,600, and Phil Laak opened to $5,100 from middle position with A♠A♦. Perkins defended his straddle with A♥7♠, and the flop was all hearts – 9♥10♥5♥. Perkins checked, Laak continued for $9,000, Perkins check-raised to $30,000, and Laak immediately moved all in. Perkins called, and the two agreed to run it twice.

The first board ran 4♣, 3♦, giving Laak half of the pot, and the second board ran 8♥, 3♣, giving Perkins the other half.

“Why are you so excited about chopping?” Haralabos Voulgaris asked Laak after the hand.

“Because it’s so tough to win anything,” Laak responded. “At least we chopped the blinds and antes.”

High Stakes Legends: Fred “Sarge” Ferris was an American grinder of Lebanese decent, and he escaped poverty by grinding on the felt. He defeated Doyle Brunson heads-up in a WSOP event in 1980, and in the same year he backed Stu Ungar in the Main Event and he defeated Brunson heads-up as well. Ferris passed in 1989 and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame later that year.

Let’s take a look at the stack sizes.

Hollywood: “Silent” Mike Baxter wanted to straddle, but had already received his cards so he min-raised to $1,600 with Q♦9♥. Jason Mercier three-bet to $4,400 with K♦10♥, Bill Perkins called with K♣Q♥, and Baxter called as well.

The flop was a nightmare for Mercier – A♣K♥K♠. Baxter checked, Mercier continued for $8,600, and Perkins called. Baxter mucked, and the turn was the 3♠. Mercier led for $20,100, and Perkins began cursing angrily. He finally moved all in after a horrible acting job, and Mercier made the crying call.

“Run it twice guys,” Phil Laak offered. “I’m telling you, it’s 3D.”

Mercier and Perkins obliged. The first river was the 9♦, the second was the 4♥, and Perkins doubled to $175,600.

“That’s what I get for getting excited on the flop,” Mercier murmured

The next episode of HSP marks the start of a new session. Bill Klein, Robert Croak, Antonio Esfandiari, Phil Laak and Doyle Brunson will return for their second session of the season, while Phil Galfond headlines the newcomers.

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