Texas Mike Gets Absolutely Wrecked on Hellmuth’s Home Game; Jennifer Tilly Crushes
Table Of Contents
Every Monday night, Hellmuth’s Home Game presented by Poker Night in America (PNIA) and sponsored by BetRivers is once again airing on CBS Sports on Monday nights.
The nationally-televised show, which was filmed at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada and 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 Episode 15 and compiled a recap of some of the biggest hands and interesting storylines.
Here’s how things stacked up at the start of the episode, which was a continuation of Episode 15 minus Nick Hellmuth:
| Seat | Player | Stack | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Randy “3Coin” Sadler | $4,375 | -$20,625 |
| 2 | “Texas” Mike Moncek | $10,400 | -$54,600 |
| 3 | Jennifer Tilly | $25,625 | +$20,625 |
| 4 | Phil Hellmuth | $14,275 | +$9,275 |
| 5 | Kelly Minkin | $11,775 | +$6,775 |
| 6 | Dan “Jungleman” Cates | $30,650 | +$650 |
| 7 | Pink | $45,550 | +$30,550 |
The game was played with $25/$50 blinds with a $50 big blind ante, and more often than not, a $100 straddle was on. Here’s a look at some of the biggest hands from the episode.
What a Flop!
In the first hand of the episode, Dan “Jungleman” Cates raised to $300 from the button with the 10♦8♣ and Pink three-bet to $1,500 holding the 10♣7♣ in the small blind. “Texas” Mike Moncek then four-bet to $3,800 off his $10,300 stack and Cates got out of the way.
Pink called and then flopped the joint when the flop came down 2♣4♣5♣. Pink checked his flush, Texas Mike bet $1,300 with the nut-flush draw, and Pink check-raised all in. Texas Mike called off the $5,300 he had behind and the pot swelled to $21,200.
The two ran it just once, and unfortunately for Texas Mike, neither the 10♥ turn nor A♦ river helped and he reloaded for $25,000, which put him in the game for $95,000!
Cooler River
Cates raised to $250 with the 8♦3♦ and Texas Mike three-bet to $725 from the button with the K♠8♣. Action folded back to Cates, who called to see a flop of 3♠K♦J♦. Cates check-called a bet of $700 with bottom pair and the Q♣ appeared on the turn.
Both players checked and the 8♥ completed the board on the river. Cates checked his bottom two pair and Texas Mike, who had a bigger two pair, bet $4,400.
“I am going to just call,” Cates said before putting in the chips and watching the $11,875 pushed to his opponent.
Tilly Gets It in Against Texas Mike
Cates opened for $300 from early position with the K♦Q♣ before Texas Mike three-bet to $850 from the button with the A♥4♥. Tilly called with the A♣K♥ from the small blind, Cates four-bet to $3,050, and Texas Mike moved all in for $23,500. Tilly called off for $18,600, Cates folded, and just like that, there was a $40,450 pot on the line.
The K♣3♣2♠ flop gave Tilly top pair, but Texas Mike picked up a wheel draw. The 2♥ turn was of no consequence, and neither was the 9♦. Tilly doubled while Texas Mike was left with $4,900, though he added on $30,000. That put him in the game for an unprecedented $148,000!
Texas Mike Getting Wrecked
Multi-way preflop action resulted in just Texas Mike and Cates each putting in $3,500 to see a flop of 6♣2♦A♦. Cates, who held the A♠Q♥, bet $3,000 and Texas Mike called with the K♣9♦ to see the Q♦ turn, which gave him a diamond flush draw.
Cates improved to top two pair and bet $6,000, which prompted Texas Mike to move all in for $22,875. Cates quickly called and the high-rolling duo ran it once on the $60,100 pot. The 5♣ river was no help to Texas Mike, and he was stacked yet again. He opted to reload for $20,000, which put him in the game for $168,000.
"I'm Not Happy About This"
Texas Mike managed to double through 3Coin in the next hand, but shortly thereafter, another big one went down. It started when 3Coin called the $400 straddle with the A♥10♥ in the cutoff, and Texas Mike raised to $2,000 with the Q♥10♣ on the button. Tilly snap three-bet to $6,000 after looking down at the A♣K♦ in the small blind, and action folded to 3Coin, who got out of the way.
Texas Mike called and then bet $3,300 after Tilly checked the A♦8♣4♦ flop. Tilly called and then led out for $7,000 on the 9♣ turn. Texas Mike called with his gutshot straight draw but missed when the 4♠ paired the board on the river.
Tilly returned to checked and Texas Mike bluffed at it by moving all in for $19,500.
“I’m not happy about this,” Tilly said before asking for a count. “Are you just like crazy and desperate because you’ve lost so much money today?”
Eventually, Tilly called to win the $53,350 pot, and Texas Mike, once again, was left to rebuy. He reloaded $20,000 – his 18th rebuy of the game – to be in for a total of $188,000, meaning he was down $168,000 at that point!
Fortunately for him, he doubled through Cates shortly thereafter after flopping a flush draw and riving it on the river.
Texas Mike vs. Cates in $94K Pot!
Texas Mike opened for $400 from the hijack with the K♠10♣ and Tilly called with the same hand from the cutoff. Cates then three-bet to $2,500 from the big blind with the A♦Q♣ and Texas Mike four-bet to $5,600. Tilly got out of the way, and Cates called to see a flop of 3♥2♥3♠.
Cates check-called a bet of $2,600, and the K♦ appeared on the turn. Cates checked again, and Texas Mike, who made the best hand, bet $8,400. Cates wasn’t deterred and called before checking the K♣ river.
Texas Mike made a runner-runner boat and wasted little time in moving all in for $30,350. Cates hit the tank before calling, only to see the $94,475 pot pushed to Texas Mike, who won back a good portion of what he was down. Meanwhile, Cates added on $20,000 and was in the game for $60,000 total.
Not surprisingly, Cates proceeded to make quads to double back through Texas Mike in a hand where the short-stacked 3Coin also went bust.
To see that hand, check out the full episode here:
Here’s how things looked at the end of the episode.
| Player | Stack | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| Pink | $101,725 | +$86,725 |
| Jennifer Tilly | $68,900 | +$63,900 |
| Phil Hellmuth | $5,000 | +$10,075 |
| Dan “Jungleman” Cates | $66,075 | +$6,075 |
| Kelly Minkin | $3,925 | -$11,075 |
| Randy “3Coin” Sadler | $0 | -$45,000 |
| Texas Mike | $69,925 | -$118,075 |
Past Episode Recaps
- 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"?
- Episode 9: Poker Player Tries to ‘Kill Phil’ in Latest Hellmuth’s Home Game
- Episode 10: Jungleman Calls Xuan’s Hand in Largest Pot in Hellmuth’s Home Game History
- Episode 11: Phil Hellmuth Shares the Story of His First-Ever Poker Tournament Win
- Episode 12: No Home Game Handouts: Hellmuth Encourages Son to “See If You Can Run $75 Up"
- Episode 13: Dan "Jungleman" Cates Gets Slaughtered in Hellmuth's Home Game
- Episode 14: Phil Hellmuth’s Eldest Son, Nick Hellmuth, Makes Televised Poker Debut
- Episode 15: Texas Mike Gets Absolutely Wrecked on Hellmuth’s Home Game; Jennifer Tilly Crushes
Images courtesy of Poker Night in America.
