“I Want It to Sting if I Get There”: Dan Cates Goes for Blood on Hellmuth's Home Game

Chad Holloway PR & Media Manager

Apr 05, 2026 5 min read

Three Players All in on 1st Hand
“I Want It to Sting if I Get There”
What a Turn!
“This is the Play of the Day”
Texas Mike Getting Lucky
Past Episode Recaps

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 18 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:

Seat	Player	Stack
1	“Texas” Mike Moncek	$4,225
2	Randy “3Coin” Sadler	$3,850
3	Phil Hellmuth	$2,200
4	Dan “Jungleman” Cates	$10,000
5	Jennifer Tilly	$5,000
6	Kelly Lucas	$5,000
7	DJ Washburn	$5,000

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.

Three Players All in on 1st Hand

“I Want It to Sting if I Get There”: Dan Cates Goes for Blood on Hellmuth's Home Game 101

On the first hand of the episode, “Texas” Mike Moncek raised to $800 from the small blind with the 10♣7♥ and Randy “3Coin” Sadler called from the big with the 4♣2♣. Hellmuth, who had straddled, then moved all in for $2,200 holding the K♣J♥, and Dan “Jungleman” Cates called from the second straddle with the 10♦8♦.

Texas Mike moved all in over the top for $4,225, and 3Coin called off for $3,850. Cates called to put all three of his opponents at risk, and the flop came down K♠2♠A♠. No one held a spade, so the flush draw was of no consequence, well, that is until the 4♠ hit the turn, meaning a fifth spade on the river would result in a chop.

As it was, 3Coin was a 72% favorite with two pair, but he failed to win the $14,550 pot as the J♠ spiked on the river. The spade flush on board came in, which meant everyone got their money back!

“I Want It to Sting if I Get There”

Jennifer Tilly opened for $300 with the Q♥5♥ and Kelly Lucas called with the A♥8♥ in the hijack. Action folded to Cates in the straddle, and he three-bet to $1,600 with the 7♣2♦, which prompted Tilly to fold.

Kelly then moved all in for $3,725, and Cates made a crying call stating that he only wanted to run it once because, “I want it to sting if I get there.”

The 10♥7♠4♥ flop paired Cates but gave Kelly a flush draw to go with her two overs, which made her the statistical favorite.

“These never hit. You’re in big trouble,” said a confident Cates. “I’ve seen this a million times.”

He was right as both the 4♠ turn and 9♣ bricked for Kelly, giving Jungle the $7,875 pot.

What a Turn!

“I Want It to Sting if I Get There”: Dan Cates Goes for Blood on Hellmuth's Home Game 103

Texas Mike raised to $400 holding the K♠K♣ in the hijack, and 3Coin called next to act with the J♦9♦. Cates then called with the A♠5♣ from the small blind, Tilly did the same with the A♦7♥ from the big, and Kelly put in an additional $300 from the straddle with the 4♥2♥.

That made it five-way action to the flop, which fell 10♣A♥10♥. Cates checked his two pair before Tilly bet $1,000 with hers. Kelly folded, Texas Mike opted to see another card despite the ace on board, and 3Coin got out of the way.

Cates called, and then the dealer burned and turned the K♦, which was gin for Texas Mike as he made a full house. Two checks saw Texas Mike bet $2,000 and Cates called. Tilly smelled something fishy and released her hand, and the 7♣ completed the board on the river.

Cates checked, and Texas Mike moved all in for $11,425. Cates folded, and Texas Mike took down the $20,475 pot.

“This is the Play of the Day”

“I Want It to Sting if I Get There”: Dan Cates Goes for Blood on Hellmuth's Home Game 104

3Coin called the $200 straddle from the hijack with the 9♠3♠, and Cates raised to $700 from the button with the Q♦10♣. Texas Mike came along from the straddle with the Q♣5♣ ad 3Coin got out of the way to make it heads-up action to the flop, which came down 8♠5♥4♠.

Both players checked, as they did on the 9♣ turn, and the 10♦ completed the board on the river. Texas Mike checked for a third time, and Cates bet $2,500 into the $1,825 pot. Texas Mike then check-raised all in for $14,925.

“Very sneaky,” Cates said. “That’s as sneaky as they come. I just got Texas Mike-ed. If you’re bluffing this time, you’ve really got me … this is the play of the day.”

Cates then folded, and Texas Mike showed his hand.

“No,” Cates lamented. “I can’t breathe.”

Texas Mike Getting Lucky

“I Want It to Sting if I Get There”: Dan Cates Goes for Blood on Hellmuth's Home Game 105

In the last hand of the episode, Cates raised to $500 from the button with the 8♥2♠ and DJ Washburn called from the first straddle with the A♠K♠. Texas Mike then looked down at the A♦Q♦ in the second straddle and three-bet to $2,200.

Cates folded, Washburn moved all in for $16,550, and Texas Mike quickly called to create a $33,725 pot. Washburn had the better hand, but as Hellmuth chirped, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Texas Mike won.”

Well, the 4♥Q♣6♦ flop gave Texas Mike the lead with a pair of queens, and Washburn was looking for some help. The J♣ turn gave him a straight draw, but the 4♠ river was a brick.

“Wow, Texas Mike is finally getting lucky,” Hellmuth said.

Here’s how things looked at the end of the episode.

Player	Stack	Profit
“Texas” Mike Moncek	$60,300	+$29,300
Dan “Jungleman” Cates	$27,350	+$12,350
Jennifer Tilly	$15,050	+$50
DJ Washburn	$0	-$5,000
Phil Hellmuth	$4,875	-$5,125
Randy “3Coin” Sadler	$5,475	-$9,325
Kelly Lucas	$4,750	-$20,250