The latest episode of The Big Game on Tour, which aired on the PokerStars YouTube channel this Sunday, did not disappoint. It was filled with action, big pots, and bold bluffs, combining all the elements that make poker such a great game.
The pivotal moment of the episode saw Luke Moy, the Loose Cannon, face a massive river bet from none other than Alan Keating. Moy, who started the session with a nice profit, had to decide if he’d go for it to get into a six-figure territory, or fold to stay slightly in the black and look for a better opportunity.
This wasn’t the only big hand that saw Keating putting his chips to work, as we saw a big clash between him and Lex Veldhuis, which was in the making since the first card off the deck. We also saw the first casualty, as Wolfgang tapped out, losing his $100k buy-in and deciding not to rebuy.
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A Gift from Mr. Keating?
As Loose Cannons, players on the Big Game are given a limited number of hands to try and make as much profit as possible. They only get to play 150 hands, and, depending on how the deck breaks down, this can often mean just a few opportunities to legitimately play a big pot.
One such opportunity came about for Luke Moy on the last episode, with about 50 hands into the sessions.
Luke started the hand about $40,000 ahead of his initial buy-in, sitting with just over $140k in front of him. The action folded to him in the cutoff, and he bumped it up to $800 with A-9. Not one to be deterred by such a small raise, Keating went for a 3-bet of $3,200 with Q-5 off. His aggression did not deter Wolfgang in the big blind, who called with pocket eights, and Luke made the call as well.
The flop of J-9-4 with two hearts got checked through. The turn came a black ace, giving the Loose Cannon two pair. Once more, the action checked to him, and he decided to go for a bet of $2,000. Keating, holding absolute air, bumped it up to $15,000, which got rid of Wolfgang, but Luke made the call.
The river wasn’t the one Moy wanted to see, as it came the king of hearts, completing all sorts of draws. Alan wasted no time, firing a big overbet of $50,000, putting Luke to the test.
This was one of those true Big Game moments. By folding, the Loose Cannon could hold on to his $20k profit and wait for a better spot. If he calls, he picks up a $140k pot and gets to a six-figure profit, guaranteeing he could take home over $100k by simply folding for the rest of the session.
Unfortunately, the pressure was too much for Luke, who isn’t used to tossing tens of thousands of dollars around as if they were peanuts. He didn’t think for too long before mucking the winner and missing on a huge opportunity against the most aggressive player at the table. On the bright side, he is still up over $18k, and there are almost 100 hands still left to play.
Rough Day for Wolfgang Poker
Alexander Wolfgang was excited to be on The Big Game on Tour, but he, too, was playing the highest stakes of his career. He wasn’t scared money, but it is fair to say that he was one of the least experience players, at least at these stakes.
Wolfgang started the session about even, with $100k in his stack, but things just wouldn’t go his way. First, he missed on a big draw against Jason Koon to lose about $15,000, then his pocket queens got run down by Keating’s 6-5 for a chunky pot, leaving him with half of what he started the day with.
Things didn’t improve much for Wolfgang over the course of the session, as he kept bleeding chips. Eventually, he got his last $25k in the middle with K-Q suited, but he was once again up against it, facing Koon’s A-Q, and, despite running it twice, he couldn’t improve.
With his $100k bullet gone, Wolfgang decided he had had enough, leaving an empty spot at the table, and we’ll have to wait until next week to see who’ll pull up the chair to try to win some of that sweet Loose Cannon’s money.
As for Wolfgang, Morgan Jay decided to honor his departure with a song that he came up with on the spot, sending him off in style. And while it may not be a six-figure hit (it most certainly isn’t), it’s still more than most of us get when our stack turns to dust.
And if you were wondering about Keating, things were developing pretty well, but toward the end of the session, he went for another big bluff, this time against Lex, and things didn’t quite work out as planned. Veldhuis, who was waiting for this moment from the start, let Mr. Keating fire two big bullets and called him down with a flopped pair of queens to pick up $142k, which is the biggest pot of the session so far.
The action continues next Sunday, when Wolfgang’s seat will be filled by a different player. Will it be a seasoned pro or a money-splashing enthusiast? We’ll have to wait and see, but, for Luke’s sake, let’s hope it’s the latter.
