High Stakes Poker Season 7: Ruffin Stacks Croak and Robl Joins the Party
The amateurs and the professionals continued to clash during the third episode of season seven of High Stakes Poker. Phil Ruffin started the night with over $800,000 in front of him and both he and Antonio Esfandiari were ahead over $300,000 after episode two. Andrew Robl joined the table after one of the players was stacked and quickly made his presence known by making a tough hero call.
SPOILER ALERT: If you are waiting to watch the HSP episode, read no further.
Here’s how the players were seated and what their stacks looked like to start the episode.
| Seat | Player | Stack Size | Win/Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat 1 | Doyle Brunson | $175,800 | -$24,200 |
| Seat 2 | Vanessa Selbst | $208,100 | -$278,000 |
| Seat 3 | Barry Greenstein | $66,100 | -$191,900 |
| Seat 4 | Antonio Esfandiari | $591,200 | +$391,200 |
| Seat 5 | Robert Croak | $120,900 | -$129,100 |
| Seat 6 | Phil Ruffin | $829,400 | +$320,400 |
| Seat 7 | Bill Klein | $137,800 | -$362,200 |
| Seat 8 | David Peat | $320,700 | +$120,700 |
Chop It Up: Bill Klein straddled for $1,600, David “Viffer” Peat limped in with 5♦4♦, Doyle Brunson joined the fun with Q♥10♣ and then Barry Greenstein raised to $10,000 with A♣Q♦. Phil Ruffin cold-called out of the big blind with 8♥6♥ and Klein moved all in for $137,800 after waking up with A♥K♣ in the straddle.
The action quickly folded back to Greenstein who called all in for $66,200, Ruffin got out of the way and the hands were tabled.
Greenstein started reaching in his pocket for money as the flop fell 2♥10♠7♣, but he sat back down as the 2♦ turned. Greenstein picked up six outs to a chop and when the 7♠ spiked on the river he indeed chopped the $146,800 pot with Klein.
There’s Always a Nine: At least once an episode Bill Klein will say, “There’s always a nine.” Well in this hand there was a nine, and it hurt him.
Klein opened to $2,200 with A♥K♣ and was called by David Peat (A♣9♦) and Doyle Brunson (6♠4♥). The flop came down A♦6♦8♣ and the action checked to Klein who continued for $6,000. Peat called and Brunson folded.
The turn was the 10♠ and Peat checked again. Klein fired a second bullet – this one was worth $10,000 – and Peat called.
The river was – you guessed it – a nine. The 9♠ gave Peat aces up and he led out for $20,000.
“Really?” Klein sighed. “Always a nine.”
He made the crying call and Peat opened up the winning hand. Klein flashed the ace-king to Peat before sending it to the muck.
Sick Slowroll, Doyle: Bill Ruffin limped in with A♦K♦ and so too did David Peat with the almighty 10♦6♠. Doyle Brunson sensed weakness and raised to $6,800 with A♣6♥ and the action folded back to Ruffin who called. Peat got out of the way and the dealer fanned K♥A♥5♣. Both players checked and the turn was the 10♥. Ruffin led for $20,000 and Brunson called.
The river was the J♥ and both players checked.
“Think I just got an ace,” Brunson said, forgetting he had a heart.
“Two-pair,” Ruffin announced.
“Oh wait,” Brunson blurted, tabling his flush. “Sorry. I’m sorry.”
We’ll give the Godfather of Poker a pass this time, but the next time he slowrolls someone we’re going to have Michael Corleone take him out to sea.
Chop It Up Part Deux: Doyle Brunson peeked at the A♥ and opened to $4,000. Vanessa Selbst reraised to $11,000 with Q♦9♦ and the action folded back to Brunson who finally looked at his second card – the 7♥ – and called.
The flop was a doozy – J♥10♥K♠. Selbst led for $18,200 with the second nut-straight and Brunson moved all in for $191,400 with the nut-flush draw. Selbst called, and the two agreed to run it twice.
The first board ran 5♥, A♠, giving Brunson a flush, but Selbst’s hand held on the second board when it came 5♣, 9♣ and the two chopped the $406,800 pot.
Get Silly: Antonio Esfandiari opened to $2,500 with 10♣8♣ and was called by Silly Bandz owner Robert Croak (A♦J♠), Phil Ruffin (Q♦10♠) and Vanessa Selbst (8♦6♣).
The flop fell A♥J♣K♠ and Croak fired $6,500. Ruffin smooth called with the nuts and all the rest of the players folded. The turn was the 8♥ and Croak led for $11,000. Ruffin decided to raise this time, sliding out five $10,000 chips, and Croak moved all in. Ruffin obviously snapped it off.
“Once or twice?” Croak asked.
“Once,” Ruffin answered. “I have a straight.”
The 7♠ on the river was a brick and Croak headed for the exit.
She Knew That I Knew That She Knew: Bill Klein straddled again and David Peat opened to $4,500 with J♠10♠. Vanessa Selbst called with a pair of red threes, Antonio Esfandiari joined the party with a wired pair of fours and Klein decided to splash around with K♥6♠.
The flop fell 10♣Q♦5♠ and all three players checked. The 5♣ on the turn paired the board and Peat fired $10,500. Selbst tried to make a move, raising to $38,500 and everyone folded except Peat, who called.
The river was the Q♣ and Peat checked. Selbst thought about firing one more bullet, but she gave up and checked behind.
“That was difficult to do,” Selbst admitted.
“I’ll tell you exactly what it was,” Peat professed. “You’ve cost me millions by putting up that video and you just cost yourself there.”
By “that video,” Peat is referring to a DeucesCracked video Selbst made about bluffing the river.
“I knew that she knew that I was weak,” Peat explained. “So she knew that I knew that she knew I was bluffing.”
Enter Robl: Andrew Robl replaced Robert Croak at the table and in one of his first hands he made a nice hero-call against Phil Ruffin.
David Peat straddled for $1,600 and Robl raised to $6,000 with K♦Q♦. Ruffin called with K♣J♥ and Peat called with 5♠4♥. The flop fell A♣Q♥3♦ and Ruffin immediately led for $5,000. Peat called with his gut-shot straight draw and Roble with his pair of queens.
The turn was the 7♥ and Ruffin again fired $5,000. Both Peat and Robl called. The 7♣ on the river paired the board and Ruffin fired a third bullet worth $20,000. Peat folded, but Robl went into the tank.
“I’m confused,” he announced. “Why not five again?”
Ruffin simply laughed. After about thirty seconds Robl called and Ruffin tabled his wired eights. Robl tabled the best hand and was shipped the pot.
We have one more $15,000 Sunday Million Freeroll with PokerStars left to qualify for, with $1,000 to the winner and 260 tournament tickets, including 45 Sunday Million Tickets on offer.
