Can Anyone Finally Stop Jennifer Tilly on the PokerStars Big Game on Tour?
Table Of Contents
Jennifer Tilly dominated the game during the first two episodes of the PokerStars Big Game on Tour Season 2. Would Episode 3, released Saturday, be more of the same?
The Hollywood actress and high-stakes poker regular lost only a few pots in Episodes 1 and 2. But she hasn't been the only star of the show. "Loose Cannon" Jordan Handrich is playing to win some life-changing money, but she entered the newest episode down nearly $32,000 through 62 hands, and she must turn a profit over 150 hands to go home with money.
Handrich, wife of poker player and poker journalist Chris Wallace, knew she needed to start making a move soon. So, she stepped up the aggression.
Did Tilly Continue to Shine?
Tilly was the only winner during Episode 1. She continued to run over the table last week. But she ran into some resistance in Episode 3, especially against PokerStars pro Sam Grafton.
Tilly picked up where she left off last week, raking in a number of pots. At one point, she was up more than $20,000 for the episode. But she finally ran into a tough situation on the final hand of this week's show.
Grafton, in the cutoff with K♥8♥, raised to $1,100, in a staddled pot. Tilly, the straddler, three-bet to $3,800 with 9♦9♣. Her opponent called to see the dealer fan a 7♣6♥7♥ flop.
Tilly, ahead at the time but facing 11 outs, continued for $4,000. Grafton, chasing a flush draw with an over card, called. The 5♥ on the turn completed the flush. But Tilly placed another wager, this time for $6,000, to which the PokerStars ambassador called.
The river was the 4♣, a scare card as it brought four-to-a-flush on the board. Tilly decided to slow down and check. But Grafton went for value, betting $18,000. Following some thought in the tank, she made the call and found out the bad news. Grafton took down the $64,100 pot and is now up $33,500 over 92 hands. Tilly ended up winning a small amount in Episode 3, but she's leading the way with a $61,700 overall profit.
Can Loose Cannon Stick Around?
The pressure was beginning to mount for Handrich. She could have used either a monster hand or a big bluff. Neither happened, but she did make some progress after falling to just $18,200 last week from her $50,000 starting stack.
Handrich used her one-and-only bomb pot card early in the episode, and it would pay off for her. She picked up A♣K♦ in the bomb pot hand, and the flop came out 5♦K♣8♠, giving her top pair with the top kicker. No one else hit much and checked to the Loose Cannon, who fired out a bet of $1,500, enough to take it down. Tilly then called for a bomb pot, but Handrich picked up pocket kings this time, and again, nobody flopped much of anything.
The big pots weren't there for the Loose Cannon in Episode 3. But she avoided losing any hands of significance and took down quite a few small-sized pots, which helped her nearly double her stack back to $34,200. She's still down $15,800 overall and only has 58 hands left to get out of the hole. But she made some progress and is now just one double-up away from turning a profit.
PokerStars Big Game on Tour Cumulative Results
| Player | Chip Stack | Profit/Loss |
|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Tilly | $111,700 | $61,700 |
| Sam Grafton | $108,500 | $33,500 |
| Griffin Benger | $95,600 | $30,600 |
| Jordan Handrich | $34,200 | ($15,800) |
| Andre Akkari | $58,100 | ($41,900) |
| Gerard Pique | $56.900 | ($68,100) |
Big Game on Tour Season 2 Recaps
- Episode 1: Find Out Who's the Only Winner in the Big Game on Tour Season Opener
- Episode 2: Athlete Attempts Wild Bluff Vs. Jennifer Tilly on PokerStars Big Game on Tour
