Alan Keating Runs Over the Table in PokerStars Big Game on Tour Return
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The return of the PokerStars Big Game on Tour, which aired on Sunday, could have been rebranded as The Alan Keating Show.
Keating won the first six hands in the $200/$400 no-limit hold'em cash game, pushing around the table from start to finish. But he wasn't the only winner at the table.
Luke Moy, the second Loose Cannon of Season 2, had never bought into a poker game for more than $400, but he didn't play scared. He was staked $100,000 to face experienced high rollers, including Keating, Jason Koon, Lex Veldhuis, poker vlogger Alexander "Wolfgang" Seibt, and comedian Morgan Jay.
Keating Cruising Early
Moy, a British poker player who won an audition at Resorts World in Las Vegas to become the Loose Cannon, played two crucial pots during the first Round 2 episode. He'd receive a rude welcome from Keating in the first hand dealt.
Keating bought in for $500,000 — everyone else had $100,000 — and he used his big stack to his advantage right away. The Hustler Casino Live fan favorite, with K♣7♣, flopped bottom pair on a flop of J♥3♠7♠ on the first hand. But he was behind the J♠5♦ Moy held.
They both checked, as did the third player in the hand, Koon, who had A♣Q♣ and had raised preflop. The 7♥ on the turn gave Keating trips. He checked it over to Moy, who bet $2,000. Keating then check-raised to $10,000, receiving a call only from the Loose Cannon.
The A♥ on the river was a bad card for Keating because it was a scare card for his opponent. He bet $11,000, and Moy wisely saved a decent chunk of his stack by folding.
Keating hit a few hands, but he also pulled off a couple of bluffs, one with 10-high on an ace-high board, forcing two players to fold small pairs. In a separate hand, on a board of 5♦6♥7♠9♣8♣ and $55,000 in the middle, the high roller bet $35,000 with J♥9♥, playing the board. Wolfgang, who flopped a set but was also playing the board, made the call. But Jay, who had A♦8♥, folded, allowing the two remaining players in the hand to chop the pot.
Moy also won his share of pots, one with the nut flush against Jay's top pair for an $18,000 pot. He'd scoop a much larger pot with 10♥6♠ when he hit a fortunate river card in a bomb pot on a 7♠8♣5♣K♦9♥ board. Wolfgang, with 7♦6♦ for a straight, bet $21,000 into a pot of $31,200, and was called by Moy, who had a superior straight.
The Loose Cannon finished the episode with a $48,800 profit through 27 hands. He can take home any profits, but he is required to first play 150 hands. Jordan Handrich, the Loose Cannon during the first round of the PokerStars Big Game on Tour Season 2, was never able to get much going and didn't win any money after losing her stack.
Keating finished off the episode by hitting a straight on the turn to crack Wolfgang's top pair. He overbet the $47,800 pot on the river, and Wolfgang wisely folded.
Keating was the biggest winner in the game through Episode 6 of Season 2, up $90,400. Jay was the biggest loser with a $55,600 deficit. Koon (down $30,700) and Veldhuis (down $53,200) are also off to rough starts in the PokerStars-produced poker show.
Episode 7 will be released on the PokerStars YouTube channel next Sunday.
Current Results (27 Hands Played)
