Best High Stakes Poker Fold Ever? Doug Polk or Andrew Robl?
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Andrew Robl made what many called the best fold in a livestreamed cash game ever during Friday's High Stakes Poker session. But was it the best the poker world's ever seen, or is this another example of a recency bias?
Doug Polk won Best Hand at the 2021 Global Poker Awards for his fold against Phil Hellmuth during Season 8 of High Stakes Poker on PokerGO. The hand, at the time, was dubbed by many, like the Robl hand, the best fold in televised poker history.
Both hands were similar in some ways and different in others. But which fold was more impressive? Let's dig into the hands and then we'll let you decide.
Hellmuth Goes for the Massive Raise
The blinds were at $200/$400 with a $400 big blind ante on in the 2021 hand, which started with Hellmuth, who sure wasn't fond of queen-10 at the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP), raising to $1,100 with Q♠10♥. Somewhere, Adam Levy sighed.
James Bord, co-owner of a Scottish soccer club, called with 2♥2♣ on the button. Polk, the big blind, came along for the ride with 10♦7♣ only to get coolered on the J♠9♠8♥ flop. Action checked to Bord, who put out a feeler bet of $2,000, which didn't work because Polk check-raised to $7,000 with the second nuts.
Hellmuth, with the stone-cold nuts and the smallest stack in the hand, went for a three-bet. But not of the standard size. He moved all in for $97,200.
"I think he's gone all in here because he's putting Doug on a draw," High Stakes Poker commentator Gabe Kaplan announced.
Polk appeared to be in one of those situations where most players would snap-call and just have to accept running the second nuts into the nuts. But Polk went into a lengthy tank before advising his opponent he was on the verge of making a "very, very big laydown."
"I mean, I could easily have, you know," Hellmuth, who had sat silent for two minutes, told Polk.
"What could you easily have?" a confused Polk asked. "You just bet a lot into very little."
"I don't know, I could have a set," Hellmuth responded.
"Could you have a set? I don't think you'd have a set here," Polk fired back, clearly not believing what Hellmuth was selling.
Polk then showed his cards, which brought a shocked reaction from the other players at the table who expected a weaker hand. Brandon Steven, perhaps a bit out of line, gave the all in gesture towards Polk, suggesting he hurry up and make what he felt was an easy call with the second nuts.
"This shouldn't be going on," Kaplan said. "A guy is considering making the best laydown we've ever had on High Stakes Poker, and these guys are interfering with his thought pattern. This is brilliant. Doug Polk is being brilliant at this point. And Phil Hellmuth is realizing he should have shut his mouth and not said anything."
Polk inevitably talked himself into making what was, at the time, considered the best fold in High Stakes Poker history.
Robl Can Fold the Second Nuts, Too
Fast-forward five years and the poker world has a new "best fold in poker history" hand that has captured the community. Robl, known as one of the top high-stakes cash game grinders ever, would make a fold that Kaplan's High Stakes Poker replacement, Nick Schulman, said was the best fold he'd ever seen.
Action began in the $500/$1,000 no-limit hold'em game with Justin Gavri, who had been drinking throughout the night, raising the $2,000 straddle to $5,000 from an early position with K♥9♥. Sam "Senor Tilt" Kiki called from the small blind with Q♣J♠, as did Robl, who had Q♥7♥ in the big blind.
The flop came out 10♣2♥A♥, all three players picking up a draw. Action checked to Gavri, who bet $8,000 drawing to the nut flush. Kiki called with a gutshot straight draw, but Robl, chasing the second nuts, went for a check-raise to $35,000. That forced Kiki to send his cards into the muck, but Gavri called to hit a pair with the 9♠ on the turn.
Both players checked before each hitting a flush with the 6♥ river card. Robl, known as one of the best high-stakes cash game players ever, over-bet the pot for $125,000, leaving $192,000 behind. Gavri, who rivered the nuts, had $290,000 left in his stack. He essentially only had one move, which was to go all in.
Like the Polk hand, it appeared Robl was in a snap-call situation with the second nuts. But, also like the Polk hand, the longtime poker star went into the tank to think about it before making a decision. Schulman, waiting for Robl to act, said it would be "the best fold in televised cash game history," but didn't think he'd see Robl actually fold his hand.
"How do you sleep at night if you fold here?" PokerGO commentator and CEO Brent Hanks questioned.
The tank lasted five minutes before Robl came to the conclusion that Gavri had the one hand that could beat him, so he somehow, some way, found the fold, and he was right.
"That's the best fold I've ever seen in my life," Schulman said.
Two hands between two skilled high-stakes pros on High Stakes Poker, five years apart. Both players folded the second nuts — Robl a flush and Polk a straight. Robl played for larger stakes against a recreational player, while Polk battled against a Poker Hall of Famer. So, which fold was the most impressive?
