Xuan Liu Fills Up to Brutally Bust Phil Hellmuth in Latest Hellmuth’s Home Game

Hellmuth’s Home Game presented by Poker Night in America (PNIA) and sponsored by BetRivers is once again airing on CBS Sports on Monday nights. After a brief hiatus, the show returned with Episode 26.

The nationally televised show, which was filmed at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, is unique in that there is no commentary. Instead, the show is carried by table talk from Phil Hellmuth alongside a cast of fellow pros and friends in an intimate, relaxed cash game setting.

PokerNews watched Episode 26 and compiled a recap of some of the biggest hands and interesting storylines.

Here’s how things stacked up at the start of the episode:

The game was played with $25/$50 blinds with a $50 big blind ante. Here’s a look at some of the biggest hands from the episode.

Big Slick Does the Trick for P3

With a $200 double straddle on, Phillip “P3” Hellmuth III limped the button with the A♥K♥ before his dad called from the small blind with the A♦9♣. Xuan Liu then made it $900 to go from the big blind with the K♠10♣, and both straddles folded.

P3 then limp-jammed for $3,750 total, Hellmuth folded, and Liu opted to call $2,850. P3 was a 70% favorite to win the $8,050 pot, which he did after the board ran out a clean 7♦Q♥8♠3♦4♠.

Xuan Felts Hellmuth

Hellmuth raised to $175 from the hijack with the K♣Q♦, only to have Xuan three-bet to $525 from the cutoff with the 8♥6♥. Action folded back to Hellmuth, who called to see a flop of 8♣Q♣6♣.

Hellmuth checked in the dark, and Xuan bet $350 with two pair. Hellmuth then check-raised to $1,200 with top pair and a king-high flush draw, and Xuan called to see the 6♦ turn, which improved her to a full house.

Hellmuth bet $1,600, and Xuan just called, which brought about the J♠ on the river. Hellmuth bet $1,000, which left him $1,350 behind. Xuan moved all in, and Hellmuth called only to see the $11,475 pot pushed to his opponent.

Big Three-Way All In

Jennifer Tilly raised to $300 from the hijack holding the A♠6♠, and P3 called from the button with the K♣Q♠. Xuan came along from the big blind with the 8♦7♣, and Dan “Jungleman” Cates did the same from the straddle with the K♦4♦ to make it four-way action to a flop of 10♠K♥4♠.

Everyone but Xuan got a piece of it, and after two checks, Tilly continued for $600 with her flush draw. P3 raised to 41,500, Xuan folded, and Cates re-min-raised to $2,400 with his two pair. Tilly called, and P3 moved all in for $3,675.

That reopened the action for Cates, who jammed over the top for $16,550, and Tilly called while saying, “Easy come, easy go.”

All three players agreed to run it twice, and on the first, the 6♥ turn and 5♣ river gave Jungleman half the pot. On the second, the 2♠ turn and 9♦ river gave Tilly the other half with a flush, which left P3 to rebuy.

Tilly Has a Kicker Problem

Cates raised to $250 from the cutoff with the J♣10♣, and Tilly called from the button with the 10♥9♦. Kelly Lucas came along from the small blind with the A♣6♥, P3 did the same from the big with the 7♥7♦, and Hellmuth called an additional $150 from the straddle with the K♣5♣.

It was five-way action to the flop of 10♠3♣10♦ and action checked to Cates, who bet $250. Tilly called with trips, and P3 was the only other player to call to see the 2♦ turn. P3 checked to Cates, who upped his bet to $800 with trip tens. Tilly, who had an inferior kicker, called, P3 got out of the way, and the K♠ completed the board on the river.

Cates bet big to the tune of $4,000, and Tilly seemed to know something was up. She even stated that she thought Cates had a ten too, but she called nonetheless to see the $11,650 pot pushed to her opponent.

Flush Cooler

Cates raised to $250 from the hijack with the Q♣9♠, and Tilly called from the cutoff with the A♠5♦. Kelly came along from the button with the Q♦9♦, P3 with the K♦6♦ in the small blind, and Xuan from the straddle with the 10♠8♠.

The pad10d4s] flop saw action checked to Tilly, who bet $1,000 with top pair. Kelly called with her flush draw, as did P3, and the other players got out of the way. The 7♦ turn completed the flush, and action checked to Kelly, who moved all in for $3,800.

P3 jammed over the top, and Tilly folded. Kelly was drawing dead to the river, which was the inconsequential 4♥. Ship the $11,950 pot to P3.

Here’s how things looked at the end of the episode.

Past Episode Recaps

_{Images courtesy of Poker Night in America.}

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