2015 Super High Roller Series

Super High Roller Cash Game
Day: 3

Klein Induces Esfandiari Three-Barrel

Bill Klein raised to $6,000 in the cutoff, and Antonio Esfandiari made it $15,000 from the button. Klein repopped to $29,000 after the blinds mucked and a scary flop hit the board: {7-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds}. Esfandiari bet $29,000 after Klein checked, and Klein called. He check-called $51,000 more on the {9-Spades} turn, and the {3-Hearts} hit the board. Klein checked again and Esfandiari fired $118,000. Klein cut out calling chips and slid them forward after a brief thinking period.

Esfandiari showed {k-Clubs}{5-Clubs} for a whiffed straight draw, and Klein took a pot of over $450,000 down with {j-Clubs}{8-Clubs}.

"Antonio, you and I can have a conversation in the back after this," Jean-Robert Bellande said with a laugh. "We can talk about trying to bluff the rich guys."

"Don't you know I'm a nit, Bill?" Esfandiari asked.

Klein's now one of the biggest winners with more than $700,000, and Esfandiari is down $400,000.

Tags: Antonio EsfandiariBill KleinJean-Robert Bellande

"Alright, Antonio, You're Just Better Than I Am"

Jean-Robert Bellande
Jean-Robert Bellande

Antonio Esfandiari raised to $8,000 from the cutoff, and Jean-Robert Bellande defended from the $2,400 straddle. Bellande check-called $11,000 on the {10-Hearts}{3-Spades}{7-Hearts} flop, and $21,000 on the {5-Spades} turn. He checked the {a-Spades} river, and Bellande thought things over after seeing Esfandiari bet $50,000.

"Alright Antonio, you're just better than I am, that's all there is to it," Bellande said, mucking what he later said was a ten.

"You can turn one over," Esfandiari said. Bellande asked him to repeat it, and he did.

Bellande turned both over: {a-}{k-}.

"You said it twice," he pointed out, which got plenty of laughter.

Even Esfandiari had to admit it was a good ploy and said he couldn't be mad. He did, however, get Bellande to admit it wasn't an original trick - JRB admitted someone had pulled it on him years ago.

Tags: Antonio EsfandiariJean-Robert Bellande

Perkins Drags a Big One

Bill Perkins opened to $3,000, Bobby Baldwin made it $15,000, and John Morgan, Antonio Esfandiari, and Rick Salomon all called. Perkins blasted out $50,000 after the latter two checked the {8-Hearts}{9-Hearts}{4-Diamonds} flop, and only Baldwin called. "The Owl" called another $100,000 on the {5-Clubs} turn, and Perkins fired the same on the {7-Diamonds} river. This time, Baldwin immediately folded.

Perkins showed a set of fours.

Tags: Antonio EsfandiariBill PerkinsBobby BaldwinJohn MorganRick Salomon

Klein Shows a Big Bluff

Jean-Robert Bellande fired $45,000 on a board of {9-}{6-}{7-}{8-}{5-}, despite a pot of just about $30,000 in the middle. Bill Klein came out with a raise to $115,000.

"This is why you got second in the One Drop," Bellande mused.

He didn't seem to believe but dumped his hand anyway. Klein showed {q-}{3-} for the airball and took the pot.

Tags: Bill PerkinsJean-Robert Bellande

"You Have Five-High, You Have to Bet"

Rick Salomon opened for $10,000 on the button, and Bill Perkins called from the big blind, as did Jean-Robert Bellande from the $2,400 straddle. Everyone checked the {a-Hearts}{6-Hearts}{7-Clubs} flop, and the {8-Diamonds} hit the turn. Perkins checked, Bellande bet $15,000, and both of his opponents called. Everyone checked to Salomon on the {k-Diamonds} river, and he bet $30,000. Perkins called, while Bellande folded.

Perkins showed {a-}{10-} and took the pot.

"I had five-high," Salomon said. "You have five-high, you have to bet."

Tags: Jean-Robert BellandeBill PerkinsRick Salomon

Esfandiari Gets Serious But Salomon Isn't Scared

Antonio Esfandiari decided to come in for $1.7 million now.

On a {7-Spades}{j-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds} flop, Rick Salomon made it $20,000 from the small blind, Bill Perkins clicked it to $40,000, and Esfandiari, facing the two bets on the button, popped it to $75,000. Salomon reraised again to $220,000, chasing away Perkins.

"I know I had the best hand," Esfandiari said after tank-folding.

Salomon showed the {7-Diamonds} before dragging the pot.

Tags: Antonio EsfandiariBill PerkinsRick Salomon

Welcome "The Magician"

Antonio Esfandiari
Antonio Esfandiari

Antonio Esfandiari just sat in, coming in for the minimum of $250,000 in the spot vacated by Al DeCarolis. "The Magician" was one of the biggest winners on Day 1 before sitting out of Day 2.

In the meantime, Bill Perkins and Rick Salomon played a three-bet pot in which Perkins opened and then called a three-bet to $33,000 from Salomon, who was straddling to $2,400. Both checked the {10-Spades}{5-Diamonds}{5-Clubs} flop, and Salomon bet the {a-Spades} turn and got called. He bet $50,000 on the {q-Clubs} river, and Perkins made it $100,000. Salomon called with {a-Hearts}{q-Spades} but lost to {10-Hearts}{10-Clubs}.

Tags: Al DeCarolisAntonio EsfandiariBill PerkinsRick Salomon

The First Stack-Off

Al DeCarolis
Al DeCarolis

Catching up on the river, an {8-Hearts}{a-Spades}{8-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}{5-Hearts} board was on the felt between Al DeCarolis and Rick Salomon. DeCarolis checked and called off his last $290,000 or so. DeCarolis showed {a-Clubs}{k-Diamonds} but that wasn't near enough to beat Salomon's {8-Clubs}{3-Clubs}, and Salomon collected a pot of more than $800,000, pushing his stack into seven figures, while DeCarolis headed for the hills.

Expect Salomon to get even more loose and aggressive, if that's possible, now that he has a huge stack.

Tags: Al DeCarolisRick Salomon