Poker Legend Phil Hellmuth Sweeps Daniel Negreanu In Three Straight Matches

With one more win Wednesday evening, Phil Hellmuth swept Daniel Negreanu with three consecutive victories and was topped the champion of High Stakes Duel II.

Per the format of the PokerGO collection, the buy-in doubles with each passing match. Following a Hellmuth win in a $50,000 buy-in match in April, the 15-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner took down the $100,000 buy-in spherical in May. Wednesday’s match featured a buy-in of $200,000 with Hellmuth popping out on high after a protracted, see-saw battle between the 2 legends.

His three consecutive victories netted him a tidy revenue of $350,000 and mimicked his collection within the first-ever High Stakes Duel the place Hellmuth battled Antonio Esfandiari. Hellmuth swept Esfandiari in three matches as properly, which supplies him a six-match successful streak and a revenue of $700,000 courting again to the autumn of 2020.

“Where’s the window, baby?” Hellmuth mentioned after the match. “I know Mori [Eskandari] is not happy to hear that, but I would like to go to the cash out window.”

Hellmuth had the choice to let his winnings experience and let a challenger play a $400,000 match in spherical 4 however determined to take the choice to gather his cash and name it quits. Every High Stakes Duel collection should go a minimal of three matches.

In Hellmuth’s first battle in opposition to Negreanu, a six-time WSOP bracelet winner in his personal proper, the Wisconsin native mounted a large comeback after Negreanu opened an enormous lead.

It seemed like he was going to want to drag out one other come-from-behind victory on Wednesday as Negreanu obtained out in entrance early in an almost similar begin to their first go-around. But in contrast to the primary match, Hellmuth amped up the aggression earlier than he obtained too quick on chips.

He took the chip lead again when five-bet 83 preflop in opposition to Negreanu’s 22. Hellmuth floated the jack-high flop with nothing however eight-high and led the flip when he picked up a flush draw. Negreanu mucked his hand after utilizing a number of time extensions and Hellmuth took over the chip lead.

If PhilIvey</a> is from a different planet, <a href="https://twitter.com/phil_hellmuth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Phil_Hellmuth is from a unique universe. High Stakes Duel continues to be stay: Watch now -> https://t.co/V3wHLWg9jH pic.twitter.com/OnVWGUtact

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) June 24, 2021

The hand was one of the crucial memorable palms of the match, regardless of occurring within the first 90 minutes of a greater than five-hour battle. It was harking back to a hand performed by Phil Ivey throughout his title run within the World Poker Tour heads-up championship only a few days earlier. Ivey three-bet 9-7 offsuit preflop in opposition to Chris Kruk’s 2-2.

Ivey wager the 10-high flop with full air and shoved all in when Kruk raised him. Kruk folded.

Feeling fairly good about how I performed my deuces now. Thanks @RealKidPoker

— Chris Kruk (@chriskruk4) June 24, 2021

I’d get in hassle for telling you this, however we discuss lots about the way to put individuals on 22 in our poker Phil conferences.

— Phil Galfond (@PhilGalfond) June 24, 2021

Negreanu took again the lead when he turned journeys in opposition to Hellmuth’s failed flip bluff with 9-high, however Hellmuth regained it when he fired one other multi-shell bluff with 108 on Ok6274. He pressured Negreanu to fold 54 and pulled again to even.

Negreanu received a couple of pots to open a small lead, however Hellmuth struck once more in an enormous means when he three-bet Q3 and flopped journeys on a 332 board in opposition to Negreanu’s 99. Hellmuth check-called the flop and check-raised all in on the 5 flip. Negreanu thought for fairly some time earlier than calling. Hellmuth’s journeys held up and he possessed about 330,000 of the 400,000 chips in play.

Unfortunately for Hellmuth, regardless of holding an enormous chip lead, the large blind was nonetheless 1,000. Negreanu was dealing with an enormous chip drawback, however nonetheless had loads of playability with a 70-big blind stack.

Playability didn’t matter, nevertheless, when each gamers picked up pocket kings preflop. All the chips obtained into the center, with Negreanu tabling OkOk and Hellmuth exhibiting OkOk. An all-diamond flop gave Negreanu a freeroll, which he drilled when the 8 got here on the river.

Just like that, stacks have been about even.

Over the subsequent couple of hours, there have been no main showdowns, however Hellmuth received nearly all of the pots. With the blinds getting greater, these pots added up and Hellmuth opened an almost 2:1 chip lead with out a lot fanfare.

But as soon as once more, Negreanu discovered a key double-up. With the blinds of two,000-4,000, Hellmuth raised to 11,000 on the button and Negreanu moved all in for 83,000. Hellmuth referred to as with A-Q and was within the lead in opposition to Negreanu’s Ok-3.

The flop was queen-high leaving Negreanu drawing very skinny, however a king got here on the flip to place him again within the match, dealing with a a lot smaller deficit.

Eventually, a chilly deck went Hellmuth’s means, and he completed off the Canadian. Negreanu limped in on the button for six,000 with 65 and Hellmuth checked his choice with 106.

The flop was 972 and Hellmuth check-called 6,000 from Negreanu. The flip was the 8, giving each gamers a straight, however Hellmuth’s was greater. All the cash obtained in and Negreanu was drawing useless to a chop. He didn’t hit a ten on the river to remain alive and Hellmuth collected his cash, alongside together with his second consecutive High Stakes Duel belt.

“Good game,” mentioned Negreanu after the river card was dealt. “You played great. You deserve it.”

“I think you’re one of the all-time greats,” responded Hellmuth. “I really mean that.”

The trade was a definitive change in tone from the drama that sparked this heads-up match. Following Negreanu’s $1.2 million loss to Doug Polk, Hellmuth criticized Negreanu’s play.

“I was disappointed in the way he played,” mentioned Hellmuth final February.

The remark drew ire from Negreanu, who responded on Twitter with some criticisms of Hellmuth’s poker technique and challenged him to a heads-up grudge match of their very own. Although Negreanu appeared to wish to play a high-stakes money sport match, they ultimately agreed to play on High Stakes Duel.

Photo Credit: PokerGO/Antonio Abrego