Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe may have gotten a bit out of line in a hand during what was an entertaining brand-new PokerStars Big Game on Tour Season 3 episode.
The star of the Kill Tony comedy podcast would end up as the biggest winner in the $100/$200 cash game on the PokerStars YouTube channel. But the recreational poker player may have influenced the outcome of a hand that he’d already folded.
Episode 6 of the current Big Game on Tour season featured a new table of five experienced poker players and the Loose Cannon, Scott Gaughan, a Canadian comedian. Gaughan was staked $50,000 and must turn a profit over 150 hands to go home with money.
The Loose Cannon found himself in a tough spot with pocket kings in what may have been a bit of a controversial hand. But before we get into that, the game started with Doug Polk bullying the table. He opened the game by pulling off a bluff with eight-high against reality TV star Princess Love.
Hinchcliffe, who befriended Polk a couple years ago, paid off Polk’s small pocket pair with ace-high even after Polk called out his hand. Antonio Esfandiari then lost a small pot to Polk, who had increased his $100,000 starting stack by around $15,000 just a few hands into the session.
Moments later, a crucial pot for the Loose Cannon ensued. Hinchclife limped from under the gun with J♣7♣. Gaughan, who hadn’t been involved in any pots up to that point, raised to $1,100 with K♣K♠ before Polk called from the button with 9♠9♦.
Hinchcliffe also called to see a flop of 4♣7♥2♦, a little something for everyone. Action checked to Hinchcliffe, who flopped top pair and led into the preflop raiser with a bet of $500. The Loose Cannon raised to $2,100, which didn’t scare either opponent away.
The 3♣ on the turn gave Hinchcliffe a flush draw, so he bet $3,000. Both players would call, and the 5♠ brought four-to-a-flush on the river. And this is where the hand got interesting.
Polk, trying to represent an ace or six, led out for $15,000, just under the size of the pot. Hinchcliffe realized top pair couldn’t possibly win, so he folded his cards, but that wasn’t the end of his involvement in the hand.
Gaughan was then faced with a difficult decision knowing an ace or a six would make for a straight and beat his pocket kings. So, he went into the tank. If he were to call and be wrong, he would be left with just half his starting stack. But if he were to call and be right, it would put him in solid position to win money. This is where Hinchcliffe, who doesn’t have a ton of poker experience, stepped in.
“What do we got down there, Cannon?” Polk asked Gaughan once the pot was down to heads-up action.
“I know what he has. You want me to tell you have, Cannon? You have two kings,” Hinchcliffe correctly stated. “Doug’s got an ace and he made the damn straight on fifth street.”
Polk stepped in and said, “he has an ace,” which Hinchcliffe disagreed: “No, he doesn’t.”
Gaughan folded only to find out that he’d been bluffed after his opponent showed the smaller pocket pair. He confirmed to the table that he did in fact have pocket kings.
The Loose Cannon ended the episode, which lasted 20 hands, barely down a nickel. Polk lost a big hand to Princess Love and finished in the red, while Hinchclife flopped two pair and got it all in against Esfandiari’s over pair and straight draw. The best hand on the flop held up for the $108,000 pot, and Hinchclife was up $59,800 when the cameras stopped rolling.
This same table will return next Sunday on YouTube for more PokerStars Big Game on Tour Season 3 action.
Alan Keating Runs Over the Table in PokerStars Big Game on Tour Return
Current PokerStars Big Game on Tour Results
| Player | Stack | Profit/Loss |
|---|---|---|
| Tony Hinchcliffe | $109,800 | $59,800 |
| Princess Love | $65,800 | $15,800 |
| Scott Gaughan | $49,900 | ($100) |
| Doug Polk | $187,400 | ($12,600) |
| Antonio Esfandiari | $119,200 | ($30,800) |
| Esther Taylor | $17,900 | ($32,100) |