Poker legend Phil Hellmuth prolonged his heads-up profitable streak Wednesday night time because the 15-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner defeated a sports activities discuss present host within the first spherical of High Stakes Duel III.
Over the course of what turned out to be a grueling six-hour battle, Hellmuth emerged victorious towards Nick Wright. The 36-year-old Kansas City native is the co-host of “First Things First” on Fox Sports 1. Before transitioning to a profitable tv profession, the Syracuse University graduate hosted a number of totally different sports activities discuss reveals on native radio stations all through the U.S.
As is the case with each first match of PokerGO’s High Stakes Duel, the buy-in was $50,000. Hellmuth’s victory lengthened his profitable streak on the present to seven and added one other $50,000 to his complete revenue. Per the principles of the present, the loser of the match is assured a rematch towards the winner for double the stakes if that particular person chooses it.
Wright, the primary beginner poker participant to compete, appeared not sure about whether or not he was going to take one other shot on the all-time chief in WSOP bracelets, this time with a $100,000 buy-in.
“I have 72 hours to decide?” requested Wright after the match. “I’m going to need 71 of them.”
After a three-match sweep of Antonio Esfandiari and Daniel Negreanu in High Stakes Duel I and II, and his win on the PokerGO Studio at Aria Wednesday, the Wisconsin native profited $750,000 over the length of the streak.
Wright was chosen as Hellmuth’s third opponent within the weeks following his victory over Negreanu. But given his hesitancy to decide to a rematch, a a lot larger profile opponent might be within the weeds for Hellmuth within the subsequent spherical. Hellmuth is pressured to play not less than three matches earlier than he can money out his winnings and begin from the $50,000 buy-in degree once more.
“I went from Antonio [Esfandiari] and Daniel [Negraenu] and people were expecting because we’ve been talking about the next opponent being Tom Dwan, ‘Durrrr,’ or Phil Ivey,” mentioned Hellmuth within the pre-match Hype Show. “So, a lot of people were expecting that match, including me.”
“If those people are right, and you make quick work of me, and you win,” responded Wright. “Then they are still going to get the match they wanted, except it’s going to start at higher stakes. So for the people that are angry, if they’re right that Phil is just going to crush me, then it’s just a six-week or however long delay before you get Phil versus Dwan….”
In the early levels of the match, it seemed as if Wright’s critics might need to swallow a bitter capsule because the skilled sports activities commentator jumped out to an early lead. He held that roughly 2:1 chip benefit lead for the primary half of the match as each card fell Wright’s approach and the overwhelming majority of his bluffs acquired by.
After checking a queen-high flop with high set, Wright turned quads. Hellmuth guess the flip and put in a three-bet with nothing after Wright raised. Hellmuth bluffed the river as effectively earlier than folding to Wright’s inevitable river increase. The hand summed up the primary three hours of the match.
But the tides turned for Hellmuth at concerning the midway mark when he three-outed Wright on the river. Hellmuth’s 8-7 acquired known as by Wright’s A-7 on a 9-9-9-3-8 board to present Hellmuth the slightest of chip leads, which he wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the night time.
Hellmuth received nearly all of pots shifting ahead and quietly opened up a 2:1 chip benefit of his personal.
Over the following few hours, Hellmuth held and expanded his lead, though Wright scored a few small double ups alongside the way in which.
Eventually, Wright ran his 7
6 into Hellmuth’s 85 on a board of AOkay5
108
. With blinds of 800-1,600, Hellmuth limped in preflop and Wright checked his possibility.
Wright check-called 2,000 from Hellmuth on the flop earlier than each gamers made their flush on the flip. Wright check-called 3,000 on the flip earlier than check-raising all in on the river. Hellmuth known as and secured the win.
Images Courtesy of PokerGO
