Poker Player Tries to ‘Kill Phil’ in Latest Hellmuth’s Home Game
Every Monday night, Hellmuth’s Home Game presented by Poker Night in America (PNIA) and sponsored by BetRivers has aired on CBS Sports.
The nationally-televised show, which was filmed at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada and airs weekly at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT until the end of 2025 (Note: the Sept. 18 episode will air at 9 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT), is unique in that there is no commentary. Instead, the show is carried by table talk from Phil Hellmuth alongside a cast of fellow pros and friends in an intimate, relaxed cash game setting.
PokerNews watched the latest episode – which was the ninth of the season – and compiled a recap of some of the biggest hands and interesting storylines.
- Episode 1: Jungleman Takes on Hellmuth's Son in Episode 1 of Hellmuth's Home Game
- Episode 2: That's What Jungleman Gets for F-ing Around on Latest Hellmuth's Home Game Episode
- Episodes 3 & 4: Hard Lessons for Phillip Hellmuth III in Hellmuth's Home Game
- Episode 5: 'Poker Brat' Gets Busy in Latest Episode of Hellmuth's Home Game
- Episode 6: Phil Hellmuth & His Son Both Lose Big in Latest Hellmuth’s Home Game
- Episode 7: Randy “3Coin” Sadler Felted in Back-to-Back Hands in Hellmuth’s Home Game
- Episode 8: What Poker Hand Had One Playing Saying “You Just Got Trapped By Hellmuth"?
Here’s how things stacked up at the start of the episode:
| Seat | Player | Stack | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phillip Hellmuth III | $6,075 | -$8,925 |
| 2 | Alex | $28,550 | -$1,400 |
| 3 | Dan “Jungleman” Cates | $20,575 | -$24,425 |
| 4 | Phil Hellmuth | $35,500 | +$25,500 |
| 5 | Xuan Liu | $41,100 | +$5,100 |
| 6 | Randy “3Coin” Sadler | $35,250 | +$5,275 |
| 7 | Nevada | $7,550 | -$2,450 |
The game was played with $25/$50 blinds with a $50 big blind ante. Here’s a look at some of the biggest hands from the episode.
Kill Phil
Nevada limped the cutoff with the A♣3♥ and Dan “Jungleman” Cates did the same from the big blind with the K♦7♠ before Phil Hellmuth exercised his option from the straddle by making it $300 total with the A♦10♥.
Nevada called, Cates folded, and the flop came down J♠3♠A♠. Hellmuth bet $500 and Nevada put up a finger to indicate a moment and then grabbed a copy of Kill Phil, the 2005 book by Blair Rodman, Lee Nelson, and Steven L. Heston.
“There is a chapter for this one,” Nevada said while flipping through pages. Eventually, he called, and the Q♦ appeared on the turn.
Hellmuth checked and then quickly folded when Nevada bet $700. The latter then showed his flopped two pair to the poker legend.
“The book f***ing worked,” Nevada joked.
Pocket Rockets for Jungleman
3Coin opened the action for $300 with the J♠10♠ and Nevada called next to act with the 7♥7♦. Action folded to Cates in the small blind and he looked down at the A♥A♣ before three-betting to $1,500. Two more folds saw 3Coin call, and Nevada did the same to make it three-way action to a flop of 3♥K♠10♦.
Cates continued for $1,500, 3Coin min-raised to $3,000 with middle pair, and Nevada let go of his hand. Cates and 3Coin jabbered back and forth before the former just called, which brought about the 4♦ on the turn. Cates checked it to 3Coin, who bet another $3,000.
“If you have a set of threes, it’s either going to be a really good situation or a really bad situation for you because I’m all in,” Cates said before sliding in his stack for an all-in bet of $16,625.
3Coin thought long and hard about whether or not to call the additional $13,625, but ultimately he released his hand and Cates was pushed the pot.
“Is That Binding?”
Xuan Liu raised to $300 from the button with the K♦Q♥ and Alex, who had straddled, three-bet to $600 with his 10♦7♥. Xuan called and the flop came down 10♣J♦Q♠.
“That’s more you than it is me,” Alex said before betting $600. Indeed, it was as Xuan had flopped top pair with an open-ended straight draw. She just called, and Alex proceeded to check the 8♣ but did so by saying, “Check-raise.”
“Is that binding?” Xuan asked.
“Is flipping your coin binding?” Alex retorted. It would have been binding, but Xuan opted to check back, which was probably a mistake as the 7♦ peeled off to improve Alex to two pair.
“I’m gonna look so good when I bet this river, she calls, and I show down the winner,” Alex said before betting a small $600.
“I can’t [fold],” Xuan admitted before paying it off and watching the $3,725 pot shipped the other way.
“Bet with Your Heart”
3Coin looked down at the A♠2♣ in early position and raised to $300. Alex then three-bet to $1,000 with the K♦J♦ on the button before action folded back to 3Coin, who pushed back with a four-bet to $3,000.
Alex wasted little time in making the call, and it was heads-up to a flop of 5♦Q♠6♦. 3Coin checked, and Alex, who flopped a flush draw, checked behind to bring about the 9♠ on the turn.
3Coin bet $3,000 and Alex called with his straight and flush draws. While the J♥ river failed to complete either of those draws, it did give Alex a pair of jacks. Even so, he faced a big bet of $7,000 from 3Coin.
“I had a really big hand that was practically reduced to almost nothing, and now I’m trying to hero call,” Alex said. “3Coin, any advice?”
“Bet with your heart,” 3Coin said before suggesting the loser of the hand get a 20% rebate.
A bunch more table talk took place before Alex folded.
“Thanks for the winner chicken dinner,” 3Coin said excitedly before showing the bluff and stacking the $19,225 pot.
Here’s how things looked at the end of the episode.
| Seat | Player | Stack | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phillip Hellmuth III | $4,800 | -$10,200 |
| 2 | Alex | $23,975 | -$5,975 |
| 3 | Dan “Jungleman” Cates | $37,100 | -$7,900 |
| 4 | Phil Hellmuth | $39,275 | +$29,275 |
| 5 | Xuan Liu | $38,100 | +$2,100 |
| 6 | Randy “3Coin” Sadler | $32,400 | +$2,425 |
| 7 | Nevada | $3,950 | -$11,050 |
New episodes of Hellmuth’s Home Game will air at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT every Monday.
Images courtesy of Poker Night in America.
