The fourth week of the PokerStars Big Game is in the book.
The PokerStars.net “Big Game” is a televised high stakes cash game featuring an amateur Loose Cannon, provided with a $100,000 stake courtesy of PokerStars, facing off with poker professionals. The Loose Cannon keeps any profit they manage to make over 150 hands. The Loose Cannon that makes the most money will be awarded with an NAPT Passport that allows them free entry to all events on the NAPT Circuit next year. At FTR, you can catch every episode of the PokerStars Big Game!
This week, Loose Cannon Troy Howard was up against a formidable lineup of poker’s best. The father of five was forced to contend with poker legend Barry Greenstein and Team Victory Pro Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari. Chau Giang, who love play pokah, David “Viffer” Pete, Isaac Haxton, and entrepreneur Rick Rahim rounded out the group.
TOP HANDS OF WEEK 4:
The Loose Cannon, Howard, raises to $1,200 with A-K from early position. Viffers speculates in position with 8-9 and PCA Champion Haxton wakes up on the button with Q-Q. He raises to $4,800. Howard calls and Viffer pitches his mediocre hand. The flop comes J-Q-x and Howard checks his gutshot. Haxton fires $6,800 into $12,000 and Howard thinks for a minute before announcing that Haxton has a set because “his eyes blinked”. Howard lays his hand down. Haxton’s countenance is a mixture of stunned and confused as he collects the pot. Soul Read!
Viffer and Rahim have been talking trash and doing battle on the felt all night. In this hand Rahim straddles, Viffer is dealt K-J in late position and raises to $2,500. Rahim peeks at his cards and finds A
-Q. He raises the pot, to $8,700. Both players whiff the 3-6-T flop and decide to check. The Q
comes on the turn and Rahim bets $15,000 into the pot of almost $19,000. Without hesitation, Viffer raises to $60,000 and Rahim shoves all- in. At this point, Viffer is pot-commited and forced to call with an open-ender. The river is an 8 and Rahim rakes in a pot over $150,000.
The beleaguered Loose Cannon is talked into double straddling by the gregarious Rahim. Viffer calls with 7-9 and Rahim makes a very loose call with T-4. Howard looks down at a monster, Q
-Q, and raises the pot. This could be his chance to turn a nice profit. Viffer calls the $6,000 with his one-gapper. The actions is too hot for Rahim’s weak hand so he decides to bow out. The two players see a flop of 5-4-5. Howard checks and Viffer checks behind. An A
falls on the turn. Howard bets $10,000, about a third of the pot, and Viffer floats him, hoping to make a move on the river. Howard bets $10,000 again on the 3 river. Viffer, sensing weakness, moves all-in. Howard looks sick as he stares at the board and visualizes all the hands that beat him. If Howard calls, he would be the most profitable loose cannon and be in good position to win the NAPT Passport. He thinks and thinks before laying it down. Viffer rubs it in by showing him the 9-7.
The Loose Cannon’s chip stack and ego were rocked hard by Viffer and, shortly after, Howard got it all-in with K-7 versus the pocket nines of Rahim. Howard got no help from the community cards and was eliminated from the show.