It was clear from the start that the new season of The Big Game on Tour would be packed with action. For the first couple of dozen hands, we saw players testing the waters, but the latest episode of the show brought absolute fireworks.
There were several all-in pots over the span of just 25 hands, and no one was holding back. Matt Berkey and Shaun Deeb set the scene early on, and, from there, it was one big hand after another.
In the midst of all the mayhem, Andy Taylor, the Loose Cannon, managed to hold his own. He wasn’t really allowed to see many cheap flops, but he also played it smart, not overplaying his hands, which allowed him to end this session about where he started, some $20,000 in profit.
Matt Berkey on a Heater
When the action is good, it’s the perfect time to pick up some hands, especially if you’re an experienced cash game player who knows how to take advantage of these spots. And Matt Berkey certainly isn’t lacking in the experience department.
He got off to an excellent start, as he picked up AK in the straddle. Deeb opened from the button, Berkey went for a big 3-bet, and Shaun just didn’t believe his story. He went for a 4-bet, committing himself to the pot with AJ, and despite running the board two times, there were no chips coming back Shaun’s way.
It was reload time for him, while Berkey’s stack grew to over $120,000.
He then proceeded to win a decent pot off of Sean O’Malley, leaving the pro fighter with a newly developed love for poker with dust in his stack. O’Malley proceeded to donate the remainder of his chips to ‘3Coin,’ and then bought back in, adding another $50,000.
The Loose Cannon had an opportunity to clash with Berkey as well, in a hand where he flopped two pair with AK. Matt only hit a king, though, and Andy missed an opportunity to get some value on the turn. The river brought a scare card, and after Taylor checked, Berkey was more than happy to show down his second pair.
In the end, the hand ended up costing Matt just about $8,000, so no real damage was done.
And then, to wrap up the night, Berkey picked up pocket nines and decided to play them aggressively. This resulted in all the chips going into the middle against ‘3Coin.’ Randy held AQ, so it was a true coin flip, but despite running the board three times, he couldn’t win any of the runs, and Berkey claimed the entire $92k pot.
Having felted two players and winning a few more pots along the way, he finished the night with a profit of over $100,000.
Loose Cannon Not Losing His Head
Although Andy Taylor has shown us that he came to the PokerStars Big Game to play, he also demonstrated quite a bit of restraint during the latest session.
On a few occasions, he tried to sneak to the flop for cheap with mediocre holdings, but when the action got crazy, he bowed out and let others duke it out, realizing this wasn’t his time.
So far, his strategy is working. After 50 hands, he’s sitting pretty, with a $21,200 profit. He may have missed a few value spots, but, given the circumstances and the pressure, this is hardly a surprise. However, he’s been navigating the table quite well, and he’s built a decent enough image where, if he picks up a few good hands in the right spots, he might get looked up.
