From the moment we saw Alan Keating’s name in the lineup for the Big Game on Tour, we knew he’d be the main force behind the biggest pots, but at this point, he exceeded everyone’s expectations. According to stats, Mr. Keating has played over 90% hands he was dealt during the sessions, which means it’s really difficult to come up with a hand he doesn’t like.
And, if he likes it enough to play it, it is also good enough to play a big pot with. Otherwise, why get involved in the first place?
Alan came into the latest session with a bit of a deficit, and he was on a mission to get back in the black, even if it meant he’d have to lose a few more big pots along the way. And no matter what anyone may think about Keating’s playing style, one thing is for certain: he is incredibly fun to watch.
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Chips Doing Work
Keating started the last session on a strong note, winning a nice $50k+ pot off of Jason Koon after rivering a straight. This brought him close to even, but those newly found chips didn’t get much time to rest.
Only a few hands later, Alan got himself involved in another massive pot. He flopped the nut flush draw against Chance Kornuth’s bottom set, and all the chips found their way into the middle right on the flop. With almost $200,000 in the middle, they agreed to run it twice, but a nine made an appearance on both turns to give Chance a full house and have Keating drawing dead.
With his deficit extending into six figures, Alan kept pressing the issue, playing a series of smaller pots (for his standards, at least), winning some and losing some. In the losing bracket was also the hand he played against the Loose Cannon, where Luke found a nice bluff on the river to pick up some chips and stay on the right side of the profit/loss column.
Keating’s any-two-cards strategy finally paid dividends in a multi-way pot that saw him flop a pair and a flush draw with 9-3 of hearts. The turn improved him to two pair, and the river gave him a flush. But, to make the deal sweeter, Morgan Jay rivered a 7-high flush as well, and couldn’t find a fold against by far the most aggressive player at the table.
That hand left Morgan on a short stack once again, while Alan picked up $105k in the middle.
To wrap things up, Alan pulled off one of his trademark bluffs, going for a big raise with just a gutshot, and he managed to catch his miracle card on the river to crack Kornuth’s turned set, getting some revenge for the earlier hand. That pot pushed Keating significantly into the plus column and he’ll be headed into the final session with $80,500 to spare.
Luke Moy Heading into the Final Stretch
The Loose Cannon took a few shots during the last session, but he couldn’t find any major spots to double up. By the end of the night, he was up $11,500, hovering around the same number he’s been on pretty much since the start.
However, there is no more time left. Luke only has one more session and 28 hands to try and add some more winnings. So far, cards haven’t been cooperating, but all it takes is one or two big hands, especially in a lineup where one player never folds.
While there is no way to predict future and anything can happen at a poker table, it is very likely that Luke’s make-or-break hand on the PokerStars Big Game on Tour will feature Alan Keating. And we can’t wait to see it!
