It’s no guts, no glory for players in monster ‘Poker After Dark’ pot
If you enjoy watching poker on television, there’s a good chance you’ve seen an episode or two of “Poker After Dark.” The show made its debut on NBC in 2007 and used to air late at night. After being canceled in December 2011, “Poker After Dark” has found a new home on the subscription-based PokerGO.
In a recent episode, there was a sevenhanded $100-$200 no-limit cash game featuring former NBA star Paul Pierce. Also at the table were Rob Yong, who owns Dusk Till Dawn Poker & Casino in England, and poker pro Alan Keating. Yong and Keating wound up playing a memorable pot that rocked the poker world.
For the epic hand there was a $400 button straddle, where a player blindly doubles the big blind in exchange for being last to act preflop. Keating opted to double-straddle to $800. Academy Award-nominated actress Jennifer Tilly was first to act and raised to $3,000 with pocket sixes.
Yong opted to call with the weak 7c 4c, and Brandon Cantu, who had initially straddled, made the call with J-10 suited. Keating then exercised his option to raise after looking down at Ah Qc. He made it $15,000 to go and only Yong called, making him a more than 2-to-1 underdog in the $36,500 pot.
The 5c Qh 4s flop paired both players, but Keating was way out in front. In fact, he was a 3-to-1 favorite with his top pair and top kicker. He put out a continuation bet of $20,000, and Yong called to see the 2c turn, which gave him a club flush draw. That actually added a little equity to his hand and gave him a 30 percent chance of winning.
It was going to cost Yong big to see the river card, as Keating moved all in for $195,000. It appeared that Keating knew he had the best hand and was trying to protect against various draws with his overbet of two and a half times the size of the pot.
“Well, I think I’m ahead,” Yong said as he debated what to do. “I have a pair and a flush draw. I’d love to know what you’ve got here.”
Before making the call to create a $467,300 pot, Yong added: “Can I be playing hands and folding pairs and flush draws in poker?”
Yong had 13 outs, as any club, four or seven would give him the winning hand. He wouldn’t hit his flush draw on the river, nor would he find a seven, but the 4d was just as good, as Yong made trips to come from behind and win the enormous pot.
“No guts, no glory,” Tilly said after the hand.
If he felt any pain from losing the monster pot, Keating didn’t give any indication of it. Being the professional he is, he left the table, made his way to the cashier and soon returned with a new $1 million buy-in.